Kabuki Restaurant & Deli (1965-2024)

“There was nothing better than a box of Kabuki, this place was all about local families”

Kabuki Restaurant was located at 98-020 Kamehameha Hwy on the line of Aiea and Waimalu. The competition was steep with the main discussion being Gyotaku or Kabuki at Waimalu Shopping Center for eating-in and various other Japanese Restaurants either Local or Authentic. Overtime Kabuki would be survive with their food dishes that were really local with the interior reflecting the times of the plantation where there was a lot of the look and feel as it was when it opened. When people went to the airport a common thing to bring was a bento or okazu filled box they had got from outside or if a student had a kabuki bento for lunch the other students would be envious. Family gatherings were all the rage when eating at the restaurant side with the wooden containers that held the dishes in made it feel old-school fancy with the large chunked sashimi that felt like how fishermen ate it back in the day. It was a place that even though it got older it had a cult like following with people from the area being inspired from the dishes as well as very full from the large value portions that fed all who were hungry.

Kabuki had to compete with a large number of competing okazu-ya that populated the South-side. The Executive chef at the opening of the Kapiolani location was Take Yoshikawa that would serve Local Hawaii Food, Local Japanese Food, and Authentic 1960s style Japanese Food. Being a Family-style restaurant it was called a great spot where you can enjoy a wide range of inexpensive dishes as well as an atmosphere perfect of the plantation days alone at the sushi bar or with friends and family. Longtime customer Michael Okumura would have fun at the sushi bar drinking beer and ordering his favorite Soft-shell crab roll, which many locals would mention as their favorite. A coach named Keith said “the teishoku would be trending from establishments like this one”, meanwhile a older lady inn the back named Alison commented “The Butteryaki on the Hibachi is to die for. Beef, Shrimp, Salmon, ginormous Scallops, vegetables, and delicious sauce”. A couple a bit over 90 was eating in the corner sharing Nabe with udon, shrimp, king crab, chicken, tofu, scallops, and vegetables and always would celebrate family events there, but when asked if it was a family occasion for the couple they said they simply just craved Kabuki.

Kabuki would change ownership to John Afong and Randall Hayashi in 2019 from the previous owner of Kabuki who was ready to retire but couldn’t find anyone interested in taking it over. The local newspaper awarded it “Best Okazuya” in the 2021 people’s choice awards with customers stating the value was amazing and the portions were great with a side of their iconic ginormous and huge cone sushi. In the 1990s seeking even more flavor to the cone sushis people would add their own additions at home for a seafood flavor would mix their diced fried leftover tempura, micro radish sprouts, mayonnaise with fish eggs: diced shrimp tempura cone sushi, diced butterfish cone sushi, diced tempura sweet potato cone sushi, diced tamago egg roll cone sushi, diced soft-shell crab cone sushi. As many establishments in Hawaii the leftovers from a meal in the restaurant would be as important as the dishes themselves turning the last meal into a satisfying next meal. Cone sushi would become one of the most popular types of sushi in Hawaii.

The Kazama Ohana were Niigata-ken from Shiunji, Kitakabahara, around 1907 started with Yoshisaburo Kazama and Hana (Ishii) Kazama. They arrived as many other Niigata Farmers who left for Honolulu Harbor where the Hawaii family history starts in Kauai to work for the Makaweli sugar plantation (Camp IV, Irrigators). Their sons in Kauai: Yoshiichiro Kazama and Isamu Kazama were left with relatives in Japan and Katsumi Kazama, Tomio Kazama, Chiyomi Kazama, and Misao Kazamawould be born later on Oahu. Yoshisaburo would go on to work for Von Hamm Young Co. (car washer) and a Fresh Vegetable Dealer, meanwhile Hana worked at a Barbershop (barber) at 141 N Beretania. Katsumi would go on to make Kabuki Restaurant. The children of Katsumi Kazama and Haruko Kazama would go on to continue running the operations locally inn Aiea/Waimalu (1965), Kapiolani (1985. 1030 1110 N. King Sr at Culick Ave), and in Minnesota (1980s).

Katsumi Kazama, came from the plantations as a hardworking plantation worker that would go on to sell vegetables like the vegetable truck that would come around town and later on on Christmas trees. He would save up money to purchase what was once Taro Land in Waimalu and develop it with his wife Haruko Kazama (1918-1999) from Aiea who supported him through the challenges along the way. It was a struggle to get the materials and steel so much of the things were imported from Japan and that would lead to a “Waimalu Shopping Center”. The shopping center would be designed by civil engineer Kenneth K. Sato and brought to life by contractor Kewalo Steel Company in 1959 and 1962. That would be where the Kazama Ohana would in March 15 1960 go on to open “Waimalu Super Market”. It was one of the earliest Architecture built with a two story mid-century modern appeal with phase one inn 1959, phase two in 1962, and an unbuilt phase three in 1963 that has been filled with other building properties. It was Katsumi’s dream and vision to create a community gathering place for families to shop and dine while having all their daily needs in a single spot.

Staff: Masa Nagamine (sushi chef), Setsuko Nomi, Hiroko, Keri-Ann Oshiro