The USA Building

Building 17

A 1920s building, the Usa Store was originally a house located close to the town and the sugar mill. Its occupants included a hat blocking store and other retail businesses. The Usas, immigrants from Japan, leased the store and hung a sign in their window advertising “Bicycles and Diamond Rings.” They sold vegetables, candies, and canned goods as well.

A 1920s building, the Usa Store was originally a house located close to the town and the sugar mill. Its occupants included a hat blocking store and other retail businesses. The Usas, immigrants from Japan, leased the store and hung a sign in their window advertising “Bicycles and Diamond Rings.” They sold vegetables, candies, and canned goods as well. Mrs. Usa, who had had several husbands but no offspring, loved to take care of a large number of cats. To many, she was the prototype of an independent woman. She was also sought after by people in the Japanese camps for her talent as a marriage broker as well as for her psychic and spiritual guidance as an O-Kamisama Prayer Lady and exorcist.

In Return to Mahaulepu, Charles Tanimoto talks about his friendship with the Usas: “Mr. and Mrs. Usa were both Japanese nationals from the old country. They owned a small family store which carried a limited supply of groceries and odds and ends for the household. Both came to Hawaiʻi as immigrant workers and like the majority of the immigrant laborers, were not highly educated people. Although they had been married for many years they did not have any children. Because of this, they became very attached to me. I used to spend a great deal of my time with them. They were especially pleased when I suggested to them that their family name for the store sign should be written completely in capital letters USA thus giving the public the idea that it was a patriotic store. As predicted, the sign provoked many comments from the non-Japanese customers which pleased Mr. and Mrs. Usa even more.”

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