Legendary Tamashiro Market to close after 80 years of serving Kalihi
Tamashiro Market, renowned for its fresh seafood, will close its doors on April 30 after more than 80 years in business.
After more than eight decades serving fresh fish and building a fiercely loyal customer base in Kalihi, Tamashiro Market will close its doors April 30, bringing an end to a family business rooted in immigration, resilience and community.
For brothers Cyrus Tamashiro, 72, and Guy Tamashiro, 69, the decision was more about timing than a business decline.
"While we're still healthy," Cyrus Tamashiro said, "it would be a good time to maybe enjoy things that we had to sacrifice because of our commitment to our business."
The closure marks the latest chapter in a story that began in 1941, when their grandfather, Chogen Tamashiro, an immigrant from Okinawa, opened the first Tamashiro Market in downtown Hilo.
Chogen Tamashiro arrived in Kahuku on Oahu alone at age 14 before later moving to Hilo on Hawaii island, where he worked as a contract laborer on sugar plantations. Industrious and determined, he branched out beyond plantation work - raising pigs, hauling goods for those without trucks and even attempting to grow rice in the hills above Hilo.
To sell his pork, he opened a small market on Kamehameha Avenue, but it did not last long.
On April 1, 1946, a devastating tsunami struck Hilo, destroying much of the waterfront - including the original Tamashiro Market, which once stood where Mooheau Park is today.
"Within the same week," Cyrus Tamashiro said, "my grandfather found another space to rent and reopened."
But the disaster reshaped the family's future. Recognizing the risks of rebuilding in tsunami-prone Hilo, Chogen moved the family to Honolulu in 1947, purchasing a corner property that would become the foundation of the market customers know today.
In Honolulu, the business evolved under Chogen's son, Hajime "Walter" Tamashiro, who shifted its focus from pork to seafood.
"My father really wanted to build the seafood side of the business," Cyrus Tamashiro said.
With a loan from Central Pacific Bank, Walter constructed the market's current concrete building and steadily built a reputation for quality fish that would define Tamashiro Market for generations.
"My father was an amazing man," Cyrus said. "People knew him for his kindness and his industriousness."
When Walter died in 2002, about 1,000 people attended his funeral - many of whom, Cyrus said, are still customers today.
Cyrus and Guy Tamashiro joined the business full time in the late 1970s after attending the University of Hawaii, taking over active management by the early 1990s.
For decades, they worked long hours in a business where no two days were the same - building relationships with fishermen, suppliers and generations of customers.
"The customers were our reward," Cyrus said. That loyalty extended both ways as many employees stayed with the company for decades - some more than 40 or even 50 years - reflecting the tight-knit culture of the business.
"We're blessed," he said, "to have had so many people stay with us."
The market also became deeply embedded in its neighborhood, maintaining close ties with nearby schools, churches and residents.
"Being part of the community is very, very important," Cyrus said.
Although the family planned to announce the impending closure on Monday, word leaked out on Friday. By Saturday morning, lines stretched outside the store - not just for fish, but for memorabilia.
Customers bought out what was supposed to be a two-month supply of Tamashiro Market T-shirts in a single day.
"They all wanted a piece of Tamashiro Market before they left," Cyrus said.
Unlike many long-running family businesses, Tamashiro Market will not be passed down.
Both brothers have children, but they've pursued careers outside the business - a choice Cyrus supports.
Instead, the brothers are looking ahead to a different pace of life.
Guy plans to spend more time golfing. Cyrus hopes to travel and study languages - Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, even Hawaiian.
For many customers, Cyrus said, the closure raises a simple but emotional question: "Some are asking, 'Where are we going to buy fish now?' and then I always say, 'I don't know, I buy all my fish here!'".
He encourages customers to continue supporting local businesses, especially in a market increasingly dominated by large mainland chains.
"Local businesses need your support," he said. "We want them to thrive."
As the final weeks approach, Cyrus returns often to one message - gratitude.
"Thank you to our customers. Thank you to our employees. Thank you to our fishermen, our vendors, our neighbors," he said. "Without the support of everyone, we would not have been able to thrive this long."
And even after the doors shut, one thing is certain: "Oh yeah," Cyrus said with a laugh when asked if he'll still eat ahi. "But I don't know where we're going to get it from."
