North Shore News66-526 Kamehameha Hwy
Built by Japanese immigrants who came to work at Waialua Plantation, these buildings represent typical plantation vernacular architecture. They are simple and functional with single-wall construction on raised posts, allowing natural ventilation. The buildings were beautifully restored in 2013 after they had been abandoned and derelict for years.
Three generations of Nishimuras lived on this property. Keitaro Nishimura emigrated to Hawaii from Kumamoto, Japan in 1899, and together with his wife Tojiu, established K. Nishimura Tailor in this building in 1915. Their son, Sam, joined his parents in the tailor shop in 1925. Sam married Hisae Matsumoto, who assisted Sam and his father in the business while raising their six children.
Prior to WWII, Sam signed a bank note for a loan to participate in a campaign to buy trucks for the Red Cross in Japan. Under a false suspicion that the loan was to purchase trucks for the Japanese military, he was investigated in April 1942, and later interned at the Honouliuli Internment Camp until January 1944. After the war, he returned to his home and tailoring business where he remained until his death in February 1977.
The buildings were restored beautifully by Scott Wallace. He worked with an architect specializing in historic restoration rather than demolishing them. They used as much of the original material in the building as possible.