In 1921, Asataro Hirao opened his candy store on King Street in Honolulu with fellow immigrants, including Jokichi Tasaka. At first, he leaned on traditional Japanese recipes for chichi dango, mochi and manju that he learned in Hiroshima.
Tasaka went on to found Tasaka Guri Guri on Maui, but Hirao continued to serve the Japanese community on O‘ahu. Eventually, Nisshodo Candy Store incorporated local flavors into its treats, such as liliko‘i and melona.
Today, the store and manufacturing facility is on Dillingham Boulevard in Iwilei; it’s run by Hirao’s grandson, Michael Hirao, and his wife, Ursula…