North Shore NewsBy Boyd Ready, Local Historian
For decades at the Waialua Sugar’s company store on the central square of Waialua town, thousands of sugar workers could get food, clothing, and supplies, usually on a charge account keyed to the ‘bango’ number on each worker’s embossed metal tag. Occasionally a worker who got behind, in a hardship case, would have the bill written off.
In the 1950s, as part of the transition to trucking, mechanical harvesting, and unionization, Waialua Sugar Co. sold much of the housing, at depreciated value, to resident workers, and sold the company stores in Kawailoa, Puuiki, and Waialua town itself, to Mr. Ryotaru Fujioka, longtime proprietor of his own family-run store in Mill Camp. Ryotaru formed the R. Fujioka & Sons, Ltd. company to run all four stores. The plantation management was happy to be getting out of dairy, retail, and housing, as unrelated businesses to concentrate on sugar. The name ‘Plantation Store,’ remained (it was not ‘Fujioka Store’) and continued with charge accounts. Both Treasurer Tsutomu and Manager Francis said they never cut anyone off, remembering one who took 15 years to pay. The remote Kawailoa and smaller nearby Puuiki stores were closed in the 1960s.
Arriving with his wife, Take and family, and not under contract to the plantation, Ryotaru started making sandwiches for the workers. He then opened his own store in 1905. The building still stands, in Mill Camp, across the street from Hawai’i’s first Hongwanji school and priest’s residence. Ryotaru, and wife Take, raised nine children in the store’s living quarters and were close friends with Rev. Kashiwa’s family. The store helped support all the Buddhist priests.
After Prohibition ended, son John, who graduated from the first class of Waialua High School, became a dentist in Waialua. This was despite FDRs WWII internment interrupting his education. Older brother Francis Hiroshi, the store’s longtime manager, went to Leilehua, served as a trustee for the Waialua Civic Club, and a Director of Service Motors. He worked in the store his entire life. Treasurer Tsutumi served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s artillery branch in WWII. And in 1947, 1948 and 1949 the ‘Fujioka Store’ softball team had an all-star catcher, was among the strongest in the AJA league, and won three ‘Waialua Commercial League’ championships in a row.
The family business had a setback in 1972 when a fire destroyed the store, leaving only the vault which still stands next to the historic Bank of Hawaii building. They continued in the small original wooden building at Mill Camp. They were known for good meat cutting, running store credit accounts, and for cashing workers’ paychecks. This ensured a steady stream of local customers. The classic old storefront with Mt. Fuji ‘Liquors’ sign was often used as a scene for Hawaii 5-0, Magnum PI, The Black Orchid, Japanese commercials, and a cameo in George of the Jungle.
They had intended to rebuild the main store but instead took the opportunity to buy the ‘Kits’ Supermarket in Haleiwa, reopened as ‘Fujioka Store’ right across from the Sakai family’s ‘Haleiwa IGA.’ In 1984 when Francis Hiroshi died his sons Greg, Lyle, and Norman continued to run the store. Supermarkets back then didn’t accept credit card payments, just checks and cash. Fujioka’s opted in to Bank of Hawaii’s credit card network before any of Oahu’s big chain supermarkets. Their reputation for cashing checks, was a boon to local laborers, and it also meant they were a target. One unfortunate night, thieves broke in and carried off the safe. The supermarket obviously survived that and continued until 2005 when Foodland reopened it as a one of their non-union Malama Markets. The old wooden store building at Milll Camp continues in use as an office for Twin Bridge Farms.