Fukushima Store founder Tadashi Fukushima dead at 88
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
WAILUKU, Maui — Tadashi Fukushima, a retired Maui County fire chief and founder of Fukushima Store, died Saturday at Maui Memorial Medical Center. He was 88.
From beekeeper to stone mason, Fukushima took on many endeavors, but perhaps his most lasting legacy will be Fukushima Store, a Ha'iku institution that some say still has the best hot dogs on Maui.
Tadashi Fukushima was Maui County's fire chief from 1968 to 1971.
Born Sept. 26, 1912, in Pu'unene, Maui, he was reared in Camp 3 at Spreckelsville, the second eldest son in a family of 10 children. He worked at the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. plantation and was a farmer and beekeeper, among other things, in his early adult years.
Fukushima met and wed Yoshie Ojiri in 1937. During World War II, they owned and operated Wimpy's Corner, a lunch counter in Lower Pa'ia and hangout for many of the Marines stationed on Maui.
Fukushima joined the Maui Fire Department after Wimpy's and also worked as a mason, building chimneys, fireplaces, walls and other structures.
His projects are found islandwide and include recognizable structures, such as the Wailuku Bridge. He also worked on East Maui Irrigation Co. tunnels and helped build irrigation ditches carrying water to the Central Maui isthmus.
He served as fire chief from 1968 to 1971, retiring because of health problems after 25 years of county service. Unable to sit around, he and his wife started Fukushima Store. In the early days, both arose at 2 a.m. to make inari sushi and potato tempura for 10 cents apiece and maki sushi for 50 cents a roll.
Today, Fukushima Store is renowned for its hot dogs, coated with mustard, catsup, mayonnaise, relish, a pickle slice and chopped onions.
Fukushima's son, George, continues to operate the store.
Aside from his wife and son he is survived by daughter Doris Takeuchi; brothers Tsuruo and Dick; sister Namiko Nakagawa; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Makawao Hongwanji Mission, with a dinner reception to follow. The family requests no monetary gifts or flowers.
