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There are many colorful and story laden neighborhoods in Hilo, and Mamo Street is definitely
one that stands out as a source of wonderful anecdotes and stories of life in old Hawai'i.
Pacific Tsunami Museum board member Barry Taniguchi and former Mamo Street resident himself,
served as Master of Ceremonies for this year's Story Festival.
The blessing was given by Reverend Bruce Nakamura of the
Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin.
Left: Barry Taniguchi Right: Reverend Bruce Nakamura
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The focus of this event was to tell the stories of old Mamo Street, the Mamo Street of the 40's
and 50's, when families lived upstairs of their businesses, their restaurants, their bars and
their pool halls. Even if you didn't live or grow up on Mamo Street, everyone in Hilo, and in fact all of
East Hawai'i, came to Mamo Street at some time or other to partake of the good food and social life in many restaurants and bars on the street. It was family and commerce all wrapped up into one.
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Over thirty businesses lined both sides of the street and it was once considered the busiest street in all Hilo.
Since many lived upstairs of their shops, they stayed open well into the evening hours. It was a
street known for the large number of restaurants and bars who kept even longer hours. Kazuo Ogi said that two a.m. was normal for the Ogi Noodle shop, and Ayato Sakaki likened weekends on Mamo Street to New Orleans, it was open all day and all night.
Left to right: Patricia Kapui, Nick Balingit, Mrs. Carol Diama Brown, Sadao Aoki
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"The Taste of Mamo Street" celebrated the lives and livelihood of ten families who represent a cross section of a fraction of the families who called Mamo Street home.
The dinner was prepared and served by Sadao and Annie Aoki and Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin members. Desserts
were furnished by the Alpha Delta Kappa Society of Hilo.
Seated at the table: Some Alpha Delta Kappa members
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Some of our interviewees relaxing together
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Photos of our Mamo Street interviewees
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Nick Balingit |
Dot Mitamura |
Ronald Sakaki |
Eleanor Oshiro |
Howard Ogi |
Laura Chock |
John Yuen |
Ayato Sakaki |
Ruth Fujimoto |
Ernie Kurohara |
Ann Maesaka |
Kazuo Ogi |
Faith Dulay |
Masaya Miyao |
Carol Brown |
Don Amano |
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To watch video of Eleanor Shinohara Oshiro, a 1946 Mamo Street tsunami survivor, click on the left arrow on the Quicktime screen.
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Elsie's Fountain
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To watch video of Kazuo Ogi, a 1960 Mamo Street tsunami survivor, click on the left arrow on the Quicktime screen.
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Ogi Noodle Shop on Mamo Street
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Centerpiece example
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All materials © Copyright 1996-2010 Pacific Tsunami Museum Inc.
130 Kamehameha Ave Hilo, HI 96720 tel: 808-935-0926 FAX: 808-935-0842
email:
Last Revised July 2010
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