A Kikaida Halloween
The Kikaida brothers take on the dark forces of Professor Gill and Hakaida as Shirokiya celebrates 50 years in Hawaii
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The Kikaida brothers take on the dark forces of Professor Gill and Hakaida as Shirokiya celebrates 50 years in Hawaii
The battle of good versus evil perseveres at Shirokiya - and it’s not the one going on in your head deciding whether to indulge in their many ono-kine grinds.
This Halloween, Inazuman and Sanagiman take on the dark forces of Hakaida and Professor Gill at the Kikaida Halloween Bash.
“In the Kikaida series there is an evil person called Professor Gill. He blows the flute to drive the hero crazy,” says Joanne Ninomiya, president of JN Productions, the company responsible for bringing Kikaida shows back to DVD. “We decided to revive this character and bring him back for this Halloween bash.”
The four Kikaida stars will meet with fans on Saturday, Oct . 31, along with original Kikaida celebrity Ban Daisuke. Happening from 3:30 to 5 p.m., fans will have photo opportunities with each of the characters.
The event also will include free balloons, Kikaida-oke, prize drawings and more. Kids are encouraged to dress up in costume and join the Halloween Bash parade. A few will walk away with valuable DVD sets produced by Generation Kikaida.
Shirokiya will have many Japan-made and locally made Kikaida items on sale, including new designs and one-of-a-kind collectibles.
All this to celebrate Kikaida’s 35th and Shirokiya’s 50th anniversary in Hawaii.
Shirokiya’s history dates back to 1662 when Hikotaro Omura opened Shirokiya in Nihonbashidori, Edo (now Tokyo), making it Japan’s oldest department store. Lucky for us, on Oct. 29, 1959 Shirokiya opened its first location outside of Japan, at Ala Moana Center.
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That makes 50 years of providing Hawaii with sought-after Japan products.
“When they first opened, they brought in more museum-quality merchandise to show off what Japan makes, but they slowly learned that they needed to adapt to Hawaii’s market,” says Anna Mae Sakaki, advertising manager of Shirokiya. “They started bringing in different types of items, home living, housewares and food.”
Now locally owned, Shirokiya has become a mainstay in the cultural community of Hawaii, hosting many events, food/product fairs and cultural demonstrations.
One of the most popular is the Kikaida meet-and-greets, which is why Shirokiya teamed up again with the superheroes to present the Kikaida Halloween Bash.
Kikaida took Hawaii by storm when the Japanese action series began airing in the Islands in 1974 (two years after its debut in Japan) - making 35 years.
The show was so popular that Kikaida 01 was later created to continue the storyline.
“We revived the characters in late 2001, and Shirokiya has been with us from the beginning,” says Ninomiya. “The frenzy was so surprising that all the retailers were scrambling for products from Japan. And the demand from Hawaii was so great that they had to bring some back into print.”
Today, 35 years later, Kikaida mania continues. To meet the growing demand, products are now being produced locally by Generation Kikaida.
“We licensed T-shirt makers and we came up with mouse pads, luggage tags, mugs, key chains, clocks and of course posters,” adds Ninomiya. “And they are available only in Hawaii.”
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Kikaida is one of the many longtime products that Shirokiya has remained committed to offering at its store. Other products include the latest designs in home furnishings, Sanrio gifts, jewelry, toys, fashion accessories, makeup, books and (my favorite) food!
Located on the second floor, Shirokiya’s Food Corners received a makeover in 2004. After the dust settled, what emerged was an expanded food area with new sitting and cooking demonstration areas. And there’s no shortage of Japan-inspired and -made goodies.
The aisles burst with snacks, sushi, bentos, noodles, teas, andagi, mochi, pickled vegetables and lots more.
It’s a Japanese food oasis that Hawaii has grown to rely on for quick bites, omiyage and specialty ingredients.
“The food section gets really busy, and right now that’s about 70 percent of our sales,” says Sakaki.
The newest in-house addition is the White Wood Store, located on the mall level next to the toys. Filled with traditional notions and artisan crafts, it has items such as craft supplies, fabrics, tools and accessories.
Also now available are fresh floral arrangements and flower lei next to the White Wood store.
And more renovations and improvements are scheduled throughout the year.
“We’re going on with the renovations, especially in the food section,” adds Sakaki. “We’re going to have new concessions coming in and new vendors from Japan.”
For the past 50 years, Shirokiya has brought Japan to Hawaii shores, offering residents and tourists tastes and products that otherwise would require a flight halfway around the world.
With roots in Japan dating back more than 300 years and local ownership that understands its buyers, Shirokiya has remained Hawaii’s favorite one-stop shop for all things Japanese.
Happy 35th, Kikaida, and happy 50th, Shirokiya!
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