Matsumoto's Shave Ice

Matsumoto's Shave Ice is a family-owned shave ice shop in Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. It traces its origins to February 13, 1951, when Mamoru Matsumoto and his wife Helen Momoyo (Ogi) Matsumoto opened M. Matsumoto Store Inc., a small grocery at 66-087 Kamehameha Highway. Mamoru had emigrated from Hiroshima-ken, Japan, as a child, worked on sugar plantations and the railroad, and later became a salesman for the Sakai Store before opening his own business with the help of Mr. Kazuo Tanaka. Helen ran the store and worked as a seamstress while Mamoru peddled goods by bicycle and later by panel truck. As the family grew with three children, Glenn, Janice and Stanley, the Matsumotos expanded. Their location along Oahu's North Shore proved ideal, and they began selling shave ice to serve the warm-weather crowds. Over the decades the shop became a North Shore institution, known for its finely shaved ice, colorful syrups, and add-ons such as ice cream and azuki beans. It remains a popular stop for surfers, locals, and tourists traveling the Kamehameha Highway. The business is still family-run and operates daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm, closing only on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and New Year's Day. It sells online in addition to its Haleiwa storefront. Matsumoto's Shave Ice is a private, independent retailer rather than a chain or franchise, and its long history and cultural significance have made it one of Hawaii's best-known dessert destinations.

Matsumoto's Shave Ice began as M. Matsumoto Store Inc., a grocery store established on February 13, 1951, by Mamoru Matsumoto and his wife Helen Momoyo (Ogi) Matsumoto. Mamoru was born in Honomu, Hawaii, on July 11, 1908, to a family from Hiroshima-ken, Japan. As a toddler he returned to Hiroshima with his family, where he worked as an apprentice at a sake factory and took odd jobs. He and his older brother sailed to Hawaii to supplement the family income; his brother later fell ill and returned to Japan, while Mamoru remained, laboring on a sugar plantation and the railroad before becoming a salesman for the Sakai Store in Haleiwa. He attended night school to learn English and math. Through friends and relatives he met Helen Momoyo Ogi, who was born in Hilo, Hawaii, on July 22, 1911, to a family from Yamaguchi-ken. They married at the Haleiwa Jodo Mission. Helen worked as a seamstress while Mamoru worked long hours. With the help of Mr. Kazuo Tanaka, the Matsumotos opened their own grocery store in the former Tanaka Store at 66-087 Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa. Mamoru initially peddled wares on a bicycle, later using a panel truck to take orders and deliver goods from camp to camp, while Helen ran the store and sewed. As their family grew with children Glenn, Janice and Stanley, they needed more space and income. The store's location along Oahu's North Shore was ideal, and they decided to start selling shave ice to serve the warm-weather crowds. Over the following decades, the shave ice business grew into the primary attraction, and the shop became a beloved North Shore institution. It remained family-owned and operated, drawing locals, surfers, and tourists. The business continues to operate daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm, closing only on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and New Year's Day, and now also sells online. The exact date when the store transitioned fully from grocery to shave ice focus is not specified in the available sources, but the shave ice operation has been central for most of its history.

• 1951

  M. Matsumoto Store Inc. established on February 13 in Haleiwa, Hawaii.

• 1911

  Helen Momoyo Ogi born in Hilo, Hawaii.

• 1908

  Mamoru Matsumoto born in Honomu, Hawaii.

• The Matsumotos begin selling shave ice at their North Shore location.

• The shop becomes a well-known North Shore destination for shave ice.

A historic, family-owned North Shore institution offering traditional Hawaiian shave ice in Haleiwa since 1951.

• Shave ice

  Finely shaved ice topped with flavored syrups.

• Shave ice with ice cream

  Shave ice served with a scoop of ice cream.

• Shave ice with azuki beans

  Shave ice topped with sweet azuki beans.

1. 1Matsumoto Shave Icematsumotoshaveice.com
2. 2About — Matsumoto Shave Icematsumotoshaveice.com