Early in the morning, she would gather all her island fruits,
And pack them as she starts another day.
Carefully she makes her way beside the mountain stream,
As she sings an island chant of long ago.
Sweet lady of Waiāhole,
She’s sitting by the highway
Selling her papaya
And green and ripe banana
(“Sweet Lady of Waiāhole”)
(Written by Gordon Broad, performed by Walter Aipolani (Bruddah Waltah.))
“Legendary references to Waiahole suggest that agriculture was being practiced in the valley in the AD 1600s (calculated genealogically at a rate of 25 years/generation). For example, the warrior Kuapunohu is said to have dug up and burned the taro from a patch of four acres.”
“Fornander, in a variation of the same story, notes that because Kapunohu (his spelling) used the taro for firewood, the saying, ‘the hard taro of Waiahole,’ is known from Hawaii to Niihau.” (Archaeological Resources in Waiāhole Valley, Tomonari-Tuggle, 1983)
“[K]uleana awards to commoners were spread out along the banks of the valley streams, from the coast to 2.3 miles inland. Some parcels were situated on the Kaneloa terrace and along the base of the southern spur near the ocean.”
In general, the parcels along the stream edges were used for irrigated taro cultivation. The kula parcels were planted in a variety of crops, including potatoes, melons, sugar cane, awa, and bananas. Houses were usually located with the kula farms and described as being ‘separate and not enclosed.’”
“Awards in the upper gulches and in the delta area of Waiahole Steam did not have kula parcels. Within twenty years, however, subsistence agriculture was supplanted by commercial rice growing. Thrum writes that the rice industry took off with the decline of whaling in the early 1860s, and with such enthusiasm in some cases that good taro was pulled up and terraces replanted in rice.”
“This industry made a tremendous impact on land use and settlement in Waiahole Valley, which was one of the primary rice growing areas in the islands throughout the industry’s life span.”
“Many taro fields were converted to rice cultivation, and Miyagi notes that rice farmers brought new areas into irrigated cultivation through the construction of more canals, particularly those which crossed the top of the Kaneloa terrace.” (Archaeological Resources in Waiāhole Valley, Tomonari-Tuggle, 1983)
“1917 saw the completion of the Waiahole Ditch tunnel by Lincoln Loy McCandless, which changed the valley forever by diverting stream water to the Ewa side of the island for sugar plantations” (Reppun)
“From the turn of the century, the rice industry began a decline which culminated with the final blow caused by the appearance of the rice borer insect in the late 1920s. In Waiahole, rice fields were abandoned as early as 1910, although some rice was being planted as late as 1920.”
“Japanese replaced Chinese on the land during this period and truck farming replaced rice cultivation.” (Archaeological Resources in Waiāhole Valley, Tomonari-Tuggle, 1983)
“Throughout the decades of rice, pineapple, and truck farming, taro continued to be grown, though certainly at a lesser scale than pre-19th century Hawaiian land use. … The Waiahole Poi Factory operated continuously from 1904 to 1971, processing taro from the valley as well as from other areas.” (Archaeological Resources in Waiahole Valley, Tomonari-Tuggle, 1983)
“There were formerly lo‘i throughout the seaward lowlands of Waiahole. Some were in swampy lands, but most of them were irrigated by the stream from which the ahupua‘a takes its name. Groups of lo‘i adjoining Waikane were planted up into recent times.”
“Some kuleana a short way up the main stream, beyond its junction with Waianu, were still cultivated by Hawaiians living in the lower valley in 1935; and small terraces once went well up into what is now forest reserve.”
“There was also a sizable lo‘i section about half a mile up Waianu stream, with evidence of its having extended at least a mile farther inland along both the north and south branches of Waianu.” (Handy, Handy & Pukui)
[In 1961, the “owner of the poi factory [said] that the Kauai taro was a better product because of its lower water content (possibly a result of the shipping time). Even after the factory closed in 1971, taro cultivation continued.” (Archaeological Resources in Waiihole Valley, Tomonari-Tuggle, 1983)
“[M]ost of the productive agricultural area in the Valley was owned by Mrs Elizabeth Marks [McCandless’ daughter] and leased to tenants, with one exception, on revocable leases. …”
“Most of the tenants want to keep the Valley primarily in agriculture and to retain the rural life style.” (Agricultural Feasibility and Environmental Impact Waiāhole Valley Agricultural Park, HHFDC)
Here, one such farmer, Koji Matayoshi, an immigrant from Okinawa, and his father began cultivating undeveloped raw land with their bare hands & planted Okinawan sweet potato, and many other local produce. (Riveira)
Koji Matayoshi married Fujiko Shimabukuro and they wound up in Kahalu‘u, where they had eight children, five daughters and three sons. Fujiko was born in Kohala, Hawai‘i on March 18, 1914 and had moved to Okinawa when she was 3 and returned to Hawai‘i at 18. (McGrath)
They eventually moved from Kahalu‘u to the 10-acre plot of land at Waiāhole. In addition to sweet potato, the Matayoshis grew papaya, banana, mango, watermelon and cucumber. (McGrath)
“After her husband died [February 18, 1966], Fujiko needed a way to support her children, so every day, she would gather all her fruits in a wheelbarrow and wheel them down to sell on Kamehameha Highway.” (McGrath)
“The neighbors, when they saw us, they would always say our mom was the kindest woman. She would make sweet potato tempura and give out to all the kids at the Waiāhole School basketball court.”
“Or she would give to the kids who swam in the swimming hole behind our house. Sometimes she’d make andagi with chocolate or sweet potato inside. She always had something for them to eat.” (Fujikos’ daughter, Nancy; McGrath)
Fujiko became known as the ”Sweet Lady of Waiāhole.” “Being a staple in her community and seen as a symbol of selfless acts of kindness, she was also supportive of grass roots efforts in preservation of their farm community. ‘The Sweet Lady’ had grit and also a feisty side.” (Leilani Rivera) Fujiko passed away on March 30, 1985.
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