The Kawamoto Building

Originally the Yamada Building c. 1921. On this site stood the Kōloa Dispensary Building which was the only medical facility for the Kōloa Sugar Mill and plantation community from around 1900 to the early 1930s. Dr. Yoshizawa, an independent doctor who was not working directly for the plantation, ran the clinic, which was later relocated to the rear of the building.

It is as the Kawamoto Barber Shop, however, that the site became a landmark for the town of Kōloa. The barber shop building was originally built here in 1931 by a carpenter named Mr. Yamada. The building also housed a gas station, pool hall and beer hall over the years.

Tadao Kawamoto, the famous Barber of Kōloa, stayed in business for 51 years at the same location, and eventually purchased the building in 1965. Because of the economic depression of the era, Kawamoto was able to buy his equipment from a less favored barber in Līhuʻe – he had three professional chairs and well-built mirrors and cabinets for his shop. Kawamoto charged 25 cents per haircut until 1933, 35 cents later, and only very slowly increased his prices until his retirement in 1983. A shave cost about 15 cents. Tadao was the first locally born Japanese to take up the barber trade after training as an unpaid apprentice in downtown Honolulu for six months.

Plantation workers earned a dollar a day and Saturday became a popular day for them to spend their pay on goods, haircuts, and shaves in town. Kawamoto stayed open from 8 am to 9 pm and eventually hired an apprentice and taught his brother the trade. Kawamoto said his great achievement was being able to finish an entire haircut in 15 minutes flat. Generations of satisfied customers returned again and again to the Barber of Kōloa who loved to “talk story” with his customers.

After 1983 (and Hurricane ʻIwa) this building was carefully rebuilt while maintaining its original plantation-era architectural character, including a shed roof along the entire building front, and a false front divided into three bays by pilasters and accented with trim boards.