Meet the Ohana at Kiso Store
To celebrate the stone supplier’s 80th anniversary, we spent a morning at its Waipahu yard.
Featured photo: The Kiso Store ohana gathers for a group shot. From left to right: Myles Osakoda, Dorothy Osakoda, Paul Tamanaha and Russell Tamanaha.
At Hawaii Home + Remodeling, we appreciate our longtime local partners. One of our legacy favorites is Kiso Store, a family-run business that has served landscapers, contractors and homeowners for eight decades.
Founded in 1945 by Kiso Tamanaha, Kiso Store initially supplied plantation workers with hand-sewn clothing, dry goods, and hardware. In the 1970s, Tamanaha shifted the business to focus on masonry and concrete products. Today, Kiso Store is a popular destination for industry professionals and DIY-ers seeking gravel, stone, landscaping materials and lawn statues.
In honor of Kiso Store’s 80th anniversary, our Hawaii Home + Remodeling team visited Waipahu to meet the family behind the business. Catty-corner from the Filipino Community Center, behind a chain-link fence, sits an open lot where Kiso Store operates with the rhythm of a business refined over multiple generations. Kiso Tamanaha’s son Paul Tamanaha and daughter Dorothy Osakoda anchor the operation. Paul’s son, Russell Tamanaha, manages day-to-day operations, while Osakoda’s sons, Myles and Todd Osakoda, are part of the team as well.
Myles Osakoda keeps things moving at Kiso Store, loading up cement with his forklift.
Dorothy Osakoda manages the Kiso Store office and handles bookkeeping.
Paul Tamanaha (above) and his son, Russell (below), carry on the family business started by Paul’s father, Kiso Tamanaha, in 1945. During our visit, Paul oversaw customer flow while Russell loaded gravel for clients.
Customers drive in, pick up materials, and head out — no wandering through aisles like at big-box stores. Contractors and homeowners know exactly what they need, and the family-run team keeps things moving with knowledgeable, local-style service.
“Our loyal customers have kept us going all these years,” says Russell Tamanaha. “They’ve become friends of our family. We wouldn’t be here without them.”
By mid-morning, Kiso Store is bustling. Russell Tamanaha maneuvers the loader with ease, pouring gravel into waiting trucks. The steady hum of diesel engines and loaders fills the air, reflecting the store’s efficient, fast-paced operation. The entire business runs on a solid foundation of experience, reliability and strong community support — values that have sustained Kiso Store for 80 years.
“It was nice to see people supporting a longtime business,” notes our photographer Aaron K. Yoshino. “Visiting Kiso Store was nostalgic for me. I’m local Japanese, and they make a lot of the lawn ornaments my family has in their gardens.”
Stop by Kiso Store at 94-995 Waipahu St. or call (808) 671-7482 to learn more.
Editor’s Note: This article has been slightly modified from the original print version for optimal online reading. To view the full print story, pick up your copy of Hawaii Home + Remodeling at one of our partner locations.
