ROD OHIRA'S PEOPLE
Judo master still going strong at 100

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Isamu Shishido admits old age may be creeping up on him.

Isamu Shishido, left, and brother Tatsumi chat at Isamu's 100-year birthday celebration at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Captain's Room. Despite his age, Isamu wasn't the oldest person at the party. Tatsumi is 102. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

Shishido, who celebrated his 100th birthday on Feb. 21, is alert, creative and remarkably healthy for a man his age. And, he's not even the oldest person in his family. Brother Tatsumi is 102 years old and in equally good health.

Isamu Shishido's lifestyle reflects the discipline gained from his martial arts experience and a career in Hawai'i spanning 72 years. "No smoke, no drink," he said. "Judo most important my life."

An 8th dan — 10 is judo's highest rank — Shishido was among the first 44 inductees into the U.S. Judo Hall of Fame. Four others from Hawai'i — Kevin Asano, Toshiaki Inouye, Eddie Yamaki and Yasuyuki Sakabe — were inducted with Shishido in October 1994. His association with the Shunyo Kan Judo Club dates back to 1919 or one year after he came to Hawai'i from Fukushima, Japan, at age 16.

In 1976, he and two other local residents — Genkichi Okazaki and Kizo Suzuki — were honored by the emperor of Japan for their contributions toward promoting Japanese martial arts in Hawai'i. Each was awarded a kun rokuto zunihosho (sixth class order of sacred treasure) medal.

The discipline needed for judo helped his father overcome bad health in his childhood and left him mentally tough, said Steve Shishido. The Quality Properties real estate broker and Iolani School varsity golf coach is the youngest of Isamu and the late Kane Shishido's eight children, who range in age from 55 to 72.

"Mentally, he's tough and won't give up," Steve Shishido said. "I think one of the reasons he's lived so long and is healthy has been the goals he sets for himself. Right now, his goal is not so much to live longer but enjoy a quality of life — being able to walk and stay active."

To remain physically fit, Isamu Shishido keeps himself on a daily schedule.

His day begins at 6:15 every morning. After breakfast, Shishido does chores outside his McCully home for an hour. By 8 a.m., he's working out on a stationary bicycle.

"Up until last year, he used to do 10 miles but now he just does five miles," Steve Shishido said.

There's time for a short nap before the start of his favorite television program, "The Price Is Right," at 10 a.m. In between afternoon naps, Isamu Shishido enjoys reading and working on woodcraft projects in his downstairs workshop.

"He can't keep still and loves working with wood," said Elaine Shishido, the second eldest of Shishido's children.

Isamu Shishido attended school for eight years in Japan before joining his father and brother in Hawai'i. His father had come here to work in 1906, leaving behind his wife and four children. Tatsumi Shishido came here in 1916.

Isamu Shishido is still able to recall details about his life in Hawai'i from memory. He can provide accurate dates from written notes of his life here.

The trip from Japan took 10 days by ship, and he arrived here on June 24, 1918, Shishido said. "Didn't know English, very lonesome feeling," Shishido said in broken English of his initial feeling as he stepped off the ship. His father and brother were at Pier 7 to greet him and they spent the night in town before catching the train the next day to Makua, where they worked for the railroad and lived in a cottage with 12 people.

Hard work and life in Makua made him homesick, recalled Shishido.

"No more store, no more road, only train pass in Makua," he said. "For rest of life, I (thought) got to do hard labor. But must help father."

The brothers' goal was to earn enough money to send their father back to Japan. They did that in 1924, and their father never returned to Hawai'i.

Shishido worked for the railroad but had moved from Makua to Palama by 1919. He tried to improve his English by attending night school at Palama Settlement. "Day time hard work, sleep at night," he said of what often happened to him in class.

Isamu Shishido learned a trade and in 1934, he and Tatsumi opened Shishido Brothers Koa Shop at their Kahuna Lane home in Mo'ili'ili. Tatsumi married the former Tatsuno Seto, sister of his brother's wife. Each family had eight children and the 20 people lived in the same house.

The two families moved into the four-bedroom McCully house, where Isamu Shishido has resided for 64 years. As the children grew older, it was decided in 1948 that Tatsumi's family would move out.

By 1954, the brothers dissolved their business partnership and Isamu Shishido opened his own wood-carving business on Ward Avenue and later moved the shop to South Street. After retiring from the wood-carving business in 1964, he worked as a groundskeeper at Mid-Pacific Institute until 1990.

Tatsumi Shishido was also a groundskeeper at MPI.

"Working at Mid-Pac was the best thing for both of them," Elaine Shishido said. "They got to work together again and breathe fresh air."

Isamu Shishido knows that age has no barriers he cannot overcome.

Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.