HONOLULU – The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii will honor five local businesses that have become inspiring stories of success during its annual Celebration of Leadership and Achievement Dinner on Oct. 3. The theme of this year’s event is “Ganbare! – Generations of Success.”

The honorees from each of the major islands are Deja-Vu Surf Apparel on Kauai, Diamond Bakery and Marians Catering/Dots Restaurant on Oahu, Tasaka Guri Guri on Maui, and KTA Superstores on the Big Island.

“There is a well-known Japanese proverb – nana korobi, ya oki – which translates to ‘fall seven times, stand up eight’ which really is the essence of what this night of celebration is all about,” said Lenny Yajima Andrew, JCCH president. “These Japanese-American businesses have found a recipe for success in Hawaii, persevering through tough times, giving back to their communities, and making a difference in the local business arena. It’s truly a privilege to recognize these outstanding organizations.”

The dinner is at 5 p.m. on Oct. 3 at the Manoa Grand Ballroom. Tickets are $175 ($150 for JCCH members). Tables are also available (cost is $2,000/$5,000/$10,000). For more information, visit JCCH.com/clad-2009.asp.

Deja Vu Surf Apparel, formerly known as M. Miura Store, on Kauai has been a family-run and evolving business for 100 years. Mankichi Miura opened the tiny Kapaa store in 1909. What originally began as a Japanese confections store in 1909 selling mochi and other treats, later became a dry goods grocery store, then a clothing store, and is now a surf shop specializing in high-quality local apparel.

Diamond Bakery, located on Oahu, has been in business since 1921 and specializes in Hawaii-made crackers. The bakery was founded by three friends, Hidegoro Murai, Kikutaro Hiruya and Natsu Muramoto, who all enjoyed baking and had a vision to create Hawaii’s first bakery focused on Hawaiian cookies. Diamond Bakery has been open for nearly 90 years and has plans to expand to the Mainland, Japan and the South Pacific.

Marians Catering, located on Oahu, was founded in the 1930s as a market where residents could buy basic groceries. It soon evolved into Dots Restaurant (formerly known as Dots Drive-In) and then into Marians Catering. In the 1950s, the drive-in was a restaurant night club bringing in entertainers from Japan and the Mainland. It was in 1956 when Marians Catering expanded into its islandwide catering business, which extended its services to the Manoa Grand Ballroom at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii in the late 1990s.

Tasaka Guri Guri has been a family-run business for more than 90 years. Tasaka Guri Guri is located in the Maui Mall in Kahului and is very popular among both locals and tourists. The shop sells guri guri, which is a dairy-based icy sherbet. The family has their own secret recipe, which has been passed down from generation to generation. The business dates back to the early 1900s when founder Jokichi Tasaka would sell his sherbet to mostly local plantation workers and their families. Today, people flock to Tasaka Guri Guri to scoop up nearly 1,500 servings a day of the legendary sherbet.

Husband and wife Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi founded KTA Superstores in 1916 in Hilo. Originally, they were not planning on starting a chain of grocery stores but wanted to create a small business that would help the people of Hilo obtain necessary groceries and household items. Koichi would take orders and requests from the people who lived in Hilo and deliver their orders by bicycle. What began as a simple delivery service soon evolved into a successful grocery store. By 1990, there were six KTA Superstores on the Big Island. KTA Superstores continues to thrive and remains a reliable grocery store for the residents of the Big Island.

Founded in 1987 the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, a nonprofit organization, strives to share the history, heritage and culture of the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawaii.