Mamoru Takitani's Story: In Honor of AANHPI Heritage Month
Aiko and Mamoru Takitani, Founders of Hawaiian Host
As we celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month, we honor the remarkable contributions of those who have shaped our diverse and vibrant community.
Among these pioneers are our founders, Mamoru and Aiko Takitani. Mamoru was a true innovator and Aiko played a key role in launching local distribution. Together, their efforts formed the foundation of an extraordinary global community of chocolate lovers who continue to adore our products to this day. Their ingenuity and dedication gave birth to Hawaiian Host nearly a century ago.
Mamoru Takitani’s Upbringing
The Takitani Siblings
Our founder's story dates back to 1912 when Mamoru Takitani was born in Yamaguchi, Japan. After graduating high school, he moved to Maui in 1932. His father, Kanichi, owned eight thriving businesses operating as K. Takitani Enterprises and had plans to set up Mamoru and his siblings in each one of his businesses. Although Mamoru’s future was set, he wanted to do more and was determined to go into the candy-making business using macadamia nuts.
Moving to Big City, Honolulu
Mamoru decided to tackle the big city, Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu. He asked his father for a five-year leave of absence. Mamoru knew that he could always fall back on K. Takitani Enterprises if he failed in Honolulu, but his determination and grit is what led him to create Hawaiian Host.
The Beginning of Something Sweet
Hawaiian Host Factory in Kaimukī
In 1959, he heard of Ellen Dye Candies in Kaimukī, which was up for sale. Mamoru acted quickly, bought the store, and lost no time in concocting a chocolate and macadamia nut product. He started with six employees and worked 16-hour days but was only able to yield $800 in sales in the first month.
Dynamic Duo
Mamoru and Aiko Takitani
This didn’t stop his desire to succeed. After years of moderate sales, Mamoru called his wife, Aiko, to Honolulu. They worked day and night, side-by-side, and tripled production. The entire team gave it their all and projections showed it would take less than five years to turn to profit.
Expansion and Global Growth
The Grand Opening Ceremony of the factory in Mōʻiliʻili
By 1970, Hawaiian Host had outgrown the Kaimukī factory. Mamoru found a lot in Mōʻiliʻili where he built a new production facility. His newly automated equipment would be installed and would churn out six million boxes of chocolate per year. With the factory expansion, the Hawaiian Host team also grew. What started as a team with six employees grew to 65 employees.
With the capabilities to produce more, distribution grew as well. Maps on the wall in Mamoru's new office featured potential sales locations circled in red- Japan, the mainland, Guam, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore. And with the growth of the tourism market from Japan in the 80’s, Mamoru founded M.A.T. Trading Tokyo for faster and wider distribution of his products in Japan.
A True Innovator
Maui Caramacs
Mamoru's method of operation was to look towards the future, constantly creating new, better, and innovative products. He knew that a best-selling item would eventually wane in popularity, so he was always innovating.
He developed hand-carry cartons of multiple boxes of chocolates. This was perfect for the Japanese omiyage gift-giving tradition and sales soared. Also, after constructing a new factory in Los Angeles, Maui Caramacs were also conceived there and named by Mamoru himself, with caramel as a new key ingredient.
A Different Challenge
Mamoru Takitani at the Papaya Farm
Mamoru’s resilience was tested when he was diagnosed with cancer. Mamoru knew his time was running out and he told several friends, “I’m lucky that I know about the cancer now, at least I have time to plan.”
His last goal was to export papayas to Japan, but the country’s strict import laws prohibited using chemicals to combat insects and diseases. Always the innovator, he remembered seeing a non-chemical steaming machine used to dry tobacco and had it modified to treat papayas at a new facility in Hilo.
The papaya export business was sadly to be Mamoru Takitani’s last milestone. He passed away on February 20, 1988, fulfilling a lifetime of dreams and perhaps much more than his bucket list. Mamoru Takitani left the world with ever-lasting ideas, and he made impossible things possible with tenacity and determination.
For the full Mamoru Takitani Story, you can view the video HERE.