Paula Aiko Nakayama (born October 19, 1953) is an American lawyer who served as an associate justice of the Hawaii State Supreme Court from 1993 to 2023.
[3] At a young age, Nakayama moved to San Jose, California where she graduated from Blackford High School.
In 1992, Governor John D. Waiheʻe III appointed Nakayama to the Hawaii State Judiciary as a circuit court judge.
[6] Nakayama's notable written opinions include her 1996 opinion that ruled policyholders can sue insurance companies for acting in "bad faith" for delaying payment of claims, and her 2000 majority opinion rejecting part of the state water commission's landmark decision that divided Waiahole Ditch water between Windward and Leeward Oahu, which reaffirmed the state's commitment to the public trust doctrine "to protect, control and regulate the use of Hawai'i's water resources for the benefit of its people.
"[7] Nakayama is married to attorney Charles Totto, who formerly served as executive director of the Honolulu Ethics Commission.