The Henry J. Kaiser Estate in the Portlock neighborhood of Honolulu represents the epitome of both privacy and mid-century modern architecture. It is located across the Kalaniana’ole Highway (Highway 72) from the Hawaii Kai neighborhood and behind Hanauma Bay.
The Estate is hidden behind a fence, and its privacy is carefully guarded. Thus, when two scholars of Hawaiian architectural history wanted to discuss the qualities of design and construction, they turned to one readily available source: “Samurai” on Hawaii Five-0 (Season 1, Episode 4). In that episode, Leonard Tokura (Ricardo Montalban) is a crime lord who lives in that splendid house. McGarrett & Co. call on him several times. With each visit, we are able to see more of the strikingly beautiful, mid-century modern house.
Go back and re-watch “Samurai” to get the full picture of the house in question (it is available on Paramount+). Then, watch these videos on YouTube:
Thank you for this post! The Kaiser house is one of my favorites and I watch this episode often just to see this amazing home.