:Danny Yamashiro

On December 22, 1985, while attempting to rescue his stranded girlfriend from a {{convert|20|ft|m|adj=on|abbr=off|sp=us}} mountain-climbing fall, Danny Yamashiro slipped and fell head first {{convert|300|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} and later another {{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}.Yamashiro, Danny, Paradise Calls: A Spellbinding Story of Survival and Hope from Hawaii's Evangelist, (2011), 30–34 {{ISBN|978-0-9815219-3-0}} The second fall took place during a rescue effort and was captured on film. It aired on newscasts throughout Hawaii. He suffered severe head injuries, skull fractures, multiple tears in his scalp, a shattered ankle, damaged organs, extensive lacerations, and became comatose.Honolulu Star Bulletin, December 22, 1993 Pali fall puts youth in Christ's hands

On May 25, 2017, Yamashiro delivered Harvard Extension School's commencement address, titled "Falling 400 Feet."{{cite web |url=http://nrb.org/news-room/articles/nrbt/danny-yamashiro-receives-standing-ovation-harvard-commencement-falling-400-feet/ |title=Danny Yamashiro Receives Standing Ovation at Harvard Commencement for 'Falling 400 Feet' » NRB Christian Communicators Impacting The World |publisher=nrb.org |access-date=June 20, 2017 |archive-date=January 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115204015/https://nrb.org/news-room/articles/nrbt/danny-yamashiro-receives-standing-ovation-harvard-commencement-falling-400-feet/ |url-status=dead }}

Danny Yamashiro was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Evangeline (née Lee Kwai) and David T. Yamashiro, Sr. His father was influenced by Father Kenneth A. Bray, a noted sports hero in the islands.Yamashiro, Danny, Paradise Calls: A Spellbinding Story of Survival and Hope from Hawaii's Evangelist, (2011), 24 {{ISBN|978-0-9815219-3-0}} Yamashiro had "a lonely childhood" as the youngest of four children in Moanalua, a residential area nestled between Fort Shafter and Tripler Army Medical Center.Yamashiro, Danny, Paradise Calls: A Spellbinding Story of Survival and Hope from Hawaii's Evangelist, (2011), 18–19 {{ISBN|978-0-9815219-3-0}} An American of Hawaiian, Okinawan, and Chinese ancestry,"Paradise Calls" he is the great-grandson of Honolulu detective Chang Apana, inspiration of the Hollywood character Charlie Chan by Earl Derr Biggers. Yamashiro graduated from Iolani School, an institution affiliated with the Episcopal Church of the United States, in 1986.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iolanibulletin.org/issues/2010/spring/02_the_summer_break_of_a_lifetime|title=Iolani Bulletin: The Summer Break of a Lifetime|website=www.iolanibulletin.org|language=en|access-date=2018-04-24}}

Yamashiro matriculated at Harvard Extension School and earned a Master of Liberal Arts degree with a concentration in Government from Harvard University. He graduated on May 25, 2017, at Harvard's 366th commencement.{{cite web|url=https://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/05/harvard-awards-10-honorary-degrees-at-366th-commencement/ |title=Harvard Gazette » Harvard Awards 10 Honorary Degrees: Recognizes Principal Speaker Mark Zuckerberg Among Others Top in Their Field |date=May 25, 2017 |publisher=news.harvard.edu |access-date=June 20, 2017}} An interview by Harvard described Yamashiro's journey to Cambridge from Honolulu.{{cite news|url=https://www.extension.harvard.edu/inside-extension/daniel-yamashiro |title=Harvard Extension School » Daniel Yamashiro: Student Spotlight |newspaper=Harvard Extension School |publisher=extension.harvard.edu |access-date=May 29, 2017}} His thesis, Religious Influences on Crisis Presidential Decision-Making: A New Belief in the Operational Code Analysis of George W. Bush (2017),{{cite web|url=https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/33826499/YAMASHIRO-DOCUMENT-2017.pdf?sequence=1|title=Digital Access To Scholarship At Harvard » Religious Influences on Crisis Presidential Decision-Making: A New Belief in the Operational Code Analysis of George W. Bush |publisher=dash.harvard.edu |access-date=May 18, 2018}} under the direction of David F. Holland from Harvard Divinity School,{{cite web|url=https://www.extension.harvard.edu/inside-extension/daniel-yamashiro |title=Harvard Extension School » Daniel Yamashiro: Student Spotlight |publisher=extension.harvard.edu |access-date=June 20, 2017}} was featured at Harvard's annual ALM Thesis Symposium.{{cite web |url=https://college.harvard.edu/college-events/alm-thesis-symposium-masters-theses-presented-humanities-and-social-biological-and |title=Harvard College » ALM Thesis Symposium |publisher=college.harvard.edu |access-date=May 29, 2017 |archive-date=August 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810012845/https://college.harvard.edu/college-events/alm-thesis-symposium-masters-theses-presented-humanities-and-social-biological-and |url-status=dead }}

He attended the University of Oxford Theology Summer School at Christ Church, Oxford, England (2018, 2019), conducted research at ten presidential library archives (NARA), and earned his Doctor of Philosophy from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School of Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois (2020) under the guidance of Donald C. Guthrie. His dissertation is titled, American Presidents and Childhood Trauma: Intersecting Religious Education from Franklin Roosevelt to Donald Trump.{{cite web|url=https://995theword.com/personality/1201 |title=Danny Yamashiro |publisher=995theword.com |access-date=January 14, 2020}}

Yamashiro studied at Chaminade University (1987) in Honolulu, Hawaii, before transferring to Biola University and Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and Theology (1991) and Master of Arts in Bible Exposition (1993). His thesis, Jesus Christ in Every Biblical Book (1992), directed by A. Boyd Luter, explored types, symbols, prophecies and pictures of Christ in all 66 books of the Bible.{{cite book|title=Jesus Christ in every biblical book |publisher=OCLC World Cat |oclc = 27409715}}

Anela's Club by D. K. Yamashiro was published by Koehler Books in 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dk-yamashiro/anelas-club/ |title=Anela's Club » |publisher=kirkusreviews.com |access-date=April 15, 2025}} In 2025, the novel was named winner for Young Adult Fiction by the American Writing Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.americanwritingawards.com/featured-authors |title=2025 Featured Authors » |publisher=americanwritingawards.com |access-date=April 15, 2025}}

In 2021, Danny Yamashiro became a chaplain at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).{{cite web|url=https://pointofview.net/shows/wednesday-august-18-2021/|title=Point of View Radio Talk Show » Wednesday August 18, 2021 Kerby Anderson with Dr. Danny Yamashiro and Rev. Dave Thom |publisher=pointofview.net |access-date=August 18, 2021}} He is also co-chairperson of the Cambridge Roundtable on Science and Religion. The John Templeton Foundation sponsored program hosts meals each semester at the Harvard Faculty Club for MIT and Harvard faculty and colleagues from nearby schools and colleges to discuss topics on science, philosophy, and religion.{{cite web|url=https://studentlife.mit.edu/orsel/who-we-are |title=Who We Are » |publisher=mit.edu |access-date=September 26, 2022}}

Yamashiro's scholarly work on American presidents and childhood trauma utilizes an interdisciplinary approach in the social sciences that involves educational psychology, presidential history, and religious education in exploring influences on children's developmental trajectory toward leadership formation. His investigations are theoretically grounded in the writings of Lev Vygotsky. American presidents in his research sample include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Yamashiro's earlier research in religious influences on presidential decision-making was built on the work of Herbert A. Simon, Albert Bandura, and Nathan Leites.

In 2022, Yamashiro began hosting the talk show The Good Life with Dr. Danny weekdays on WEZE and WROL, two Christian stations in Boston that are owned by Salem Communications reaching New England.{{cite web|url=https://wezeradio.com/programguidedaily?dayOfWeek=Friday&timeFilter=5 |title=590AM The Word WEZE – Boston, MA |publisher=wezeradio.com |access-date=October 7, 2022}} His podcasts are heard on major podcast platforms. Yamashiro also hosts A Slice of The Good Life which airs daily throughout the United States, internationally in Ontario, Canada; Kent, England; and Malaybalay City, Philippines and formerly aired in Greater Los Angeles on Salem Communications 99.5 KKLA-FM.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kkla.com/ProgramGuide/ |title=Welcome to KKLA 99.5fm – Los Angeles |access-date=March 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116011256/http://www.kkla.com/ProgramGuide/ |archive-date=January 16, 2008 |url-status=dead }} Since 2008 Yamashiro has hosted Hawaii's only locally based daily Christian radio talk show, The Good Life Hawaii, on Salem Communications 99.5 KGU-FM,{{cite web|url=http://www.kguradio.com |title=KGU-FM – Honolulu, HI – Life Changing Christian Radio broadcasts, Programs, Ministries and stations – Listen Online to Christian Teaching and Talk |publisher=Kguradio.com |access-date=October 20, 2011}}

In 1993, he founded Jesus Christ Is Calling You Evangelistic Ministry, Inc. (JCCY) and launched a series of large-scale revival tent meetings throughout Hawaii. Since 1998, his organization formed Paradise Global Mission and expanded to reach several countries worldwide with medical and dental clinics, sports clinics and numerous forms of humanitarian aid by supporting the work of Christian churches in rural locations.{{cite web|url=http://www.iolanibulletin.org/issues/2010/spring/02_the_summer_break_of_a_lifetime |title=The Summer Break of a Lifetime |publisher=Iolani Bulletin |date=July 24, 2009 |access-date=October 20, 2011}}

He was the founding pastor of Christ's Church at Kapolei, affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America, and served as senior pastor for nine years (1998–2007).

File:Danny Yamashiro.Inspirational Talk.jpg

Yamashiro won the Harvard Extension School Commencement Speaker Prize (2017).{{cite web |url=http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic884019.files//2017_FAS_Student_Prize_Winners_1.pdf |title=isites.harvard.edu » Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences 2016-2017 Student Prize Recipients |access-date=June 20, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He was awarded Biola University's Young Alumni Award (2000){{cite web|url=http://magazine.biola.edu/article/13-spring/where-are-they-now/ |title=Biola Magazine » Where Are They Now? |date=May 30, 2013 |publisher=magazine.biola.edu |access-date=June 20, 2017}} and has received numerous certificates of recognition from the Hawaii Senate, Hawaii House of Representatives, Honolulu City Council and the Mayor of Honolulu, Jeremy Harris. Yamashiro was selected for the Pacific Century Fellows and offered a prayer at a celebratory dinner hosted by the Governor of Hawaii, Benjamin Cayetano at the historic "Washington Place" (1999).{{cite web |url=http://www.pacificcenturyfellows.com/index.php?page=alumni-1997-present |title=ALUMNI 1997 – present |publisher=Pacific Century Fellows |access-date=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007184423/http://www.pacificcenturyfellows.com/index.php?page=alumni-1997-present |archive-date=October 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}

Danny Yamashiro is ordained by the Evangelical Free Church of America.

Yamashiro is married to Jamie (née Tokuda) Yamashiro.Yamashiro, Danny, Paradise Calls: A Spellbinding Story of Survival and Hope from Hawaii's Evangelist, (2011), 58 {{ISBN|978-0-9815219-3-0}} They have three children: Allie, Hugh and Luke.{{Cite news|url=http://kalihiunion.org/goodbye-danny/|title=Goodbye Danny|date=2015-07-13|work=Kalihi Union Church|access-date=2018-04-24|language=en-US|archive-date=April 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424140320/http://kalihiunion.org/goodbye-danny/|url-status=dead}}

Yamashiro has authored the following books:

• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=Paradise Calls: Spellbinding Story of Hawaii's Evangelist|publisher=Jesus Christ Is Calling You, Inc|year=1997|isbn=1-890312-00-2}}
• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=Know Your Future Today|publisher=Jesus Christ Is Calling You, Inc|year=1998|isbn=1-890312-01-0}}
• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=Spiritual Reshaping of a Christian Hawaii|publisher=Keauhou Press|year=2000|isbn=1-890312-02-9}}
• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=The Good Life: Encouragement You Need When You Need It|publisher=Kerygma Publishing|year=2003|isbn=1-890312-05-3}}
• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=Building Blocks for Better Living|publisher=Kerygma Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-890312-06-1}}
• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=Discover the Champion in You|publisher=Kerygma Publishing|year=2007|isbn=978-1890312-04-6}}
• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=Successful Evangelism 100% of the Time|publisher=Kerygma Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-0-9815219-0-9}}[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981521908/]
• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=Paradise Calls: A Spellbinding Story of Survival and Hope from Hawaii's Evangelist|publisher=White Mountain Castle Publishing, LLC|year=2011|isbn=978-0-9815219-3-0}}
• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=Winner's Edge|publisher=White Mountain Castle Publishing, LLC|year=2012|isbn=978-0-9847027-0-1}}
• {{cite book|first=Danny|last=Yamashiro|title=Unleashing The Greatness in You|publisher=White Mountain Castle Publishing, LLC|year=2015|isbn=978-0-9863555-0-9}}
• {{cite book|first=D. K.|last=Yamashiro|title=Anela's Club|publisher=Koehler Books|year=2024|isbn=979-8-88824-222-3}}

• {{cite thesis|author1-last=Yamashiro |author1-first=Daniel K. M. |title=Jesus Christ in Every Biblical Book |location=La Mirada |publisher=Biola University |degree=MA |date=1992 }}
• {{cite thesis|author1-last=Yamashiro |author1-first=Daniel K. M. |title=Religious Influences on Crisis Presidential Decision-Making: A New Belief in the Operational Code Analysis of George W. Bush |location=Cambridge |publisher=Harvard University |degree=ALM |date=2017 }}{{cite web|url=https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/33826499/YAMASHIRO-DOCUMENT-2017.pdf?sequence=1|title=Digital Access To Scholarship At Harvard » Religious Influences on Crisis Presidential Decision-Making: A New Belief in the Operational Code Analysis of George W. Bush |publisher=dash.harvard.edu |access-date=May 18, 2018 }}
• {{cite thesis|author1-last=Yamashiro |author1-first=Daniel K. M. |title=American Presidents and Childhood Trauma: Intersecting Religious Education from Franklin Roosevelt to Donald Trump |location=Deerfield |publisher=Trinity International University |degree=PhD |date=2020 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2509228232 |title= American Presidents and Childhood Trauma: Intersecting Religious Education from Franklin Roosevelt to Donald Trump |access-date=April 12, 2021 |id={{ProQuest|2509228232}} }}

• {{cite journal|title=American President's Perception of Childhood Trauma at the Intersection of Religious Education Through the Refracting Prism of Vygotsky's Perezhivanie |journal=Social Science Research Network |date=November 2023 |first=Daniel K. M. |last= Yamashiro |doi=10.2139/ssrn.4629661|doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal|title=Vygotsky's Perezhivanie as a Theoretical Prism to Explore Childhood Trauma at the Intersection of Religious Education of American Presidents |journal=Social Science Research Network |date=September 2024 |first=Daniel K. M. |last= Yamashiro |doi=10.2139/ssrn.4922012|doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal|title=Bill Clinton: How Childhood Trauma at the Intersection of Religion Influenced His Formation as American President |journal=Social Science Research Network |date=October 2024 |first=Daniel K. M. |last= Yamashiro |doi=10.2139/ssrn.4967542|doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal|title=Donald Trump: How Childhood Trauma and a Religious Mentor Influenced His Formation as American President |journal=Social Science Research Network |date=October 2024 |first=Daniel K. M. |last= Yamashiro |doi=10.2139/ssrn.4971754|doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal|title=How Barack Obama's Childhood Trauma and Religious Experiences Influenced His Formation as President |journal=Social Science Research Network |date=December 2024 |first=Daniel K. M. |last= Yamashiro |doi=10.2139/ssrn.4989658|doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal|title=How Ronald Reagan's Childhood Trauma and Religious Experiences Influenced His Formation as President |journal=Social Science Research Network |date=April 2025 |first=Daniel K. M. |last= Yamashiro |doi=10.2139/ssrn.5122872|doi-access=free }}

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• [http://www.dkyamashiro.com/ Official website]

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