Y... Luthiers (21s C.)

Gareth Yahiku uses the branding Ana'ole and is based in Pearl City Oahu. He makes a standard range of Soprano, Concert or Tenor Ukuleles in Koa or Spruce top and does custom special orders with odd shaped sound holes or lots of inlay, (or if you want a Baritone). He was the person who started the idea of using the Hawaiian islands as sound holes, (an idea that has been copied by a number of others), and now it features in his standard catalogue. 

Unlike a lot of other makers he doesn't appear to make Guitars but he does make surfboards? 

From Sano, Tochigi Prefecture he has been making Ukuleles since 2002. He studied instrument making at College and then worked for Eiichi Sumi before starting out on his own. He makes acoustic Guitars as well as Ukuleles.

Based in Machida, Tokyo, he learned to make guitars at college and from college he set up the Yamazaki Guitar Workshop, (YGK) a "few years" before 2007. He went on to make Ukuleles as well, and now appears to make predominantly Ukuleles though he still does make the odd electric and acoustic Guitar. On the Ukuleles since around 2007 he has branded them Sofia by YGK, (sometimes on the back of the headstock if he has put something else on the front), and seems to make mainly Concerts though I have seen Sopranos and Tenors as well. Before 2007 I'm not sure if his ukuleles were branded, I have only seen small pictures? He also makes cigar box ukuleles and has possibly made solid body electric ukuleles in the past too? Via translation software

He got his start making Ukuleles for Kamaka from 1958 to 1977, during their "gold label" years. He was employed as one of Kamakas hearing impaired workforce so was presumably, at least partially deaf. Upon retirement he started up on his own and I don't know when he stopped making Ukuleles but the last firm date I have is for the Pineapple in 2001. I have read people say he worked exclusively in koa, this isn't true, he worked mainly in koa but I have seen Ukuleles of his in other native Hawaiian woods.

Toshiyuki Yoshida is based in Inawashiro, Fukushima Prefecture where he moved in 2010 having started his own workshop in 2002. He started out in 1989 working in the ESP Guitar factory, leaving there in 1993 to work for the classical guitar luthier Shuichi Tsutsui and learn the art of Guitar making. He makes Guitars as well as Ukuleles possibly even more so as I haven't seen that many Ukuleles of his, and all the ones I have seen have been Concerts.

He worked for 18 years as a jewellery maker before running into an old schoolfriend, (Teramachi Makoto), in 2003 who taught him the basics of luthiery. From this he went on to found Naturel Ukuleles in 2004 in Shikatsu a northern suburb of Nagoya. He makes Sopranos, Concerts and Tenors definitely, including Pineapples and maybe Sopraninos and some of the long scale models, (the translation is unclear). His jewellery background shows in his subtle inlay work, particularly the fret markers and he also does some copies of famous ukuleles of the past. I have seen his Ukuleles called Naturelele in places too.

Leonard Young was a luthier from Idaho, USA and his Ukuleles have distinctive butterfly bridges. He started his luthiery apprenticeship in 1963 and continued making instruments until he died in 2007.