North Shore NewsThis unique masonry building features hand-cut blocks of lava stone. The front façade is covered with plaster and paint leaving the stone of the remaining exterior walls exposed. It was built by Nosaka Contractors for Matsuji and Hatsune Yoshida, immigrants from Niigata and Kumamoto, Japan.
The Yoshidas operated a general store called Yoshida Store from 1923 through the 1940s, after which Itsuo and Kimiko Sakai ran a grocery called Haleiwa Store until the late 1950s. Tenants that followed include First Baptist Church of Waialua, North Shore Gallery, Kuluwai Irrigation Corporation and ITC Water Management, Country Surfboards, Hidden Treasures Christian Bookstore, Deeni’s Boutique, and Global Creations & Interiors.
The Yoshida Buildings are part of Ke Ali‘i Bernice Pauahi Pākī Bishop’s estate. In 1884, Princess Pauahi bequeathed her ancestral lands to establish Kamehameha Schools, a private trust committed to improving the capability and well-being of Native Hawaiians. As land stewards, Kamehameha Schools preserved this building when they redeveloped the Hale‘iwa Store Lots, completed in 2016. (Plaque Language)