Hawaii Move | Shafkat Anowar

Richard Matsui and wife Christine Guo tries to pose for a portrait with their 11-month daughter Maya while grandma Kay Matsui tries to cheer at a small Christmas decoration in Kaka'ako, Hawai‘i on Saturday, December 12, 2020. Matsui grew up in Honolulu, Hawai‘i and upon graduating from a mainland college, he moved to San Francisco. He and his wife lived there for the past 10 years but the chance to work remotely brought them back to Hawai‘i.

Bay Area workers are going remote from Hawai‘i, and some aren't coming back

When the pandemic hit the Bay Area, some residents decided to shift their work remotely to the Aloha State.

Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Richard Matsui, CEO of a solar company, kWh Analytics is one of many Bay Area workers who relocated his workspace to O’ahu to take advantage of the new pandemic-related remote work policies. He and his family are not going back.

A trip that was first intended to be for a month later turned into something permanent.

Written by Tovin Lapan ; Photographed by Shafkat Anowar

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The Matsui family during their weekly neighborhood walk in Kaka'ako, Hawai‘i on Saturday, December 12, 2020.

Matsui and Guo walks past by the Kaka'ako murals with their baby daughter Maya on Saturday, December 12, 2020. At first, the family planned stay in Hawai‘i for two months but eventually decided to extended the stay for over four months.

Richard Matsui, CEO of a solar company, kWh Analytics works from his home office at a condominium in Kaka‘ako on Saturday, December 12, 2020. His usual schedule pre-pandemic was to work face to face with his employees at the office. However, following the closure of Bay Area due to the pandemic, he decided to move back to Hawaii. Now, He's one of many Bay Area workers who have decided to ride out the pandemic in the Hawaiian Islands.

Christine Guo shows a photo with his husband Richard Matsui from their time in San Francisco.

The Matsui family in their Kaka‘ako condominium on Saturday, December 12, 2020. They have been living here for there past six months. Following the closure of Bay Area due the pandemic, the family has decided to work remotely from Hawai‘i without any possible return to San Francisco.

The Matsui family spends time at their condominium in Kaka‘ako on Saturday, December 12, 2020. Matsui’s father’s side has been living in Hawai‘i for four generation and upon graduating college, Matsui moved to San Francisco where he works as a CEO of a solar company. With the pandemic, he and his family relocated to his home island of O‘ahu and started to work remotely from his home office.