Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - An haifi Kono a 1943 a Hilo, Hawaii ga Yoshinori da Atsuko Asayama; kakanninta sun yi ƙaura daga Japan. Daya daga cikin abubuwan da ta tuna da farko shi ne daga tsunami na Afrilu 1 sakamakon girgizar kasa ta 1946 na tsibirin Aleutian
; iyalinta sun rasa gidansu, wanda yake kusa da gefen ruwa inda Liliuokalani Gardens yake a yau, kuma an tilasta su zauna kusa da kakanninta, waɗanda ke aiki da ƙaramin gonar shuka a Kaiwiki. An haife ta a matsayin Buddha Shin, kuma mahaifiyarta da kakarta sun kasance membobin Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin.