Kalaʻi Miller/Host: Flowers are emotional with bouquets and
arrangments conveying messages of love, gratitude and even sympathy. For more than a hundred years,
Fujikami Florist has helped thousands of customers mark their special occasions.
And for the owner of Hawaiʻi’s oldest florist, it’s about continuing a proud family legacy.
Eileen Miura / Fujikami Florist 3rd-Generation Owner:
I love all the flowers when they come in.
They're all different and unique and some smell good. Some are pokey like this one.
My name is Eileen Miura, I'm the third generation owner of Fujikami Florist.
George Shikuzawa / Principal Advisor & Eileen’s Stepdad:
My name is George and I started working with Fujikami's roughly 30 years ago.
I am part of the family as well. I'm married to a Fujikami daughter.
I started in 1993. My wife, of course, was already affiliated with Fujikami's working there every
day. We kind of hit it off. And three years later, we got married on a lark in Las Vegas.
Eileen Miura / Fujikami Florist 3rd-Generation Owner:
My grandfather Walter Fujikami started Fujikami Florist in 1919.
I just remember grandpa loved flowers and he loved people.
George Shikuzawa / Principal Advisor & Eileen’s Stepdad:
Walter established the first shop at the corner of Fort Street and Pauahi Street.
He had a background in business. He was a student for a brief amount of time at the Honolulu
Business College. He was a veteran of World War One, he enlisted at the age of 21 and then was
honorably discharged in 1919. And five months later, he was opening his first flower shop.
He really established himself in the business here in the business community. He was very,
very prominent, not only in the Japanese community, but across the board. He was
just that type of a man and very civic minded, and had a lot of impetus for the community. And people
used to say that you know that if you needed help, or you needed advice, if you need anything,
Walter was a, was a good person to go see, because he was always willing to help people.
Eileen Miura / Fujikami Florist 3rd-Generation Owner:
My favorite memory of grandpa, coming to the shop, going to get icee at the Kress Store.
It’s not always working though. Every Sunday we'd go to the beach and then go to KC Drive
Inn to get a waffle dog and peanut butter shake. But flowers have always just been a part of us.
So, these are the South American roses. Uncle Stephen was the first to bring these in I
think. They're really long about 30 inches. The buds the heads are really pretty. They're about
two inches. They bloom really nice. There's different varieties, but red is always nice.
Literally I grew up in the florist shop. So, when I would be going to the Bishop
Street store, Grandpa was retired and so uncle owned the store. Mom was there
working alongside him. George Shikuzawa /
Principal Advisor & Eileen’s Stepdad: In the late, mid to late 70s, he was he was
getting on in his years, turning 80 or so. And so his eldest son, Stephen, who had been very much
involved in the business, took over the reins. Stephen decided in 1987, to take Fujikami
to the next step and the next level and a new location over on Pensacola and South Beretania.
Steve implemented many, many changes,
innovations in that day. People may recall that in the 80s, it was a time of
catalogs. Your mailbox will be crammed with catalogs from all of these mainland companies.
And Steve took that idea. He published catalogs with his best designs, new and innovative designs.
And people utilized those catalogs. They were a great, terrific tool. And they stimulated the
business. And to this day, 20 years later, since the last catalog went out of print,
people still call us, our old customers, and they order by the catalog number of an arrangement.
Eileen Miura / Fujikami Florist 3rd-Generation Owner:
Anthuriums drink from the face. Even when you have them at home, you could always spray them
with water. And you always cut the stems at an angle so that they drink well in the bucket.
George Shikuzawa / Principal Advisor & Eileen’s Stepdad:
Steve was getting ready to retire. I think it was about 2010.
My wife and I, Steve's sister, Amy - we decided that we would like to pursue it and
we would like to take it over and, and continue. We used the Pensacola and, and Beretania location.
And after about five or six years Eileen, who is Amy's daughter, and had been working
for us for oh, a good many years expressed an interest and a desire to take up the reins.
And we said, go for it, it's, it's all yours. Now we're back here on Pali Highway and Kukui
Street only a couple of blocks from where Walter started 104 years ago.
Eileen Miura / Fujikami Florist 3rd-Generation Owner:
So, I actually started working here in my 20s. So, I started under uncle Stephen at the Pensacola
Street location. And I had to learn everything. I didn't know anything. I didn't know flower names.
I didn't know the mechanics. I didn't know how to process the flowers. So, I learned all that.
I had to learn how to design because when mom and George were running the shop, we had designers but
it's always hard to find a designer that can design your work. Anybody can copy,
but it always comes down to their mechanics. Our style it's been the same almost,
through the generations that oriental style is what we're known for.
George Shikuzawa / Principal Advisor & Eileen’s Stepdad:
It's a blend of different elements that you see feature flowers, secondary flowers, and there's
always a lot of line in these arrangements to give not only the perspective, but just a certain
amount of verticality and that kind of thing. Elements like these create a negative space.
But the arrangement encompasses that space. And so the dimension is there by and large and increased
without actually increasing the volume. Those are all parts of the the Oriental sort of, I guess,
feel or motif of the arrangement and it's a very serene one. But the most important thing
is balance. If there's no balance, then there's no serene feeling that you get from looking at this.
Eileen Miura / Fujikami Florist 3rd-Generation Owner:
Getting flowers every week, you know, it's like opening a Christmas present every week. Even
though it's a box of flowers, it's pretty and I get to touch it. I get to clean it. You know,
put it away, get it ready for the order for that occasion for our customers.
I love talking to them I like to know what they're doing.
Over the generations growing up with our family it's always been that way. So, talking to the
customer, treating them like your family almost getting to know them. It's a part of the process.
I like making arrangements, because it’s relaxing for me I think. I’m making someone’s day.
George Shikuzawa / Principal Advisor & Eileen’s Stepdad:
Fortunately for us, there has been a good carryover from generation to generation.
You know, this is where my mother and father, got their wedding flowers,
you hear that often. This is where my dad used to come to buy prom flowers for my mom,
or this is where my father sent me. There's a lot of generational transfer, if you will,
of information. So, that kind of word of mouth is very good. And it's the best reference,
I think that you can have. Eileen Miura / Fujikami
Florist 3rd-Generation Owner: Oh, I love getting feedback from the customers.
I get a lot of customers that call and say oh, you sent the flowers to so and so and they loved it.
Thank you so much. It inspires me for the next occasion to make something special. You know,
I take pride in what we do. George Shikuzawa / Principal
Advisor & Eileen’s Stepdad: When you realize how important
the occasions are, and that people have actually come out to honor those occasions, by sending
flowers and sending your flowers. That type of a thing is, you know, really meaningful for me.
Eileen Miura / Fujikami Florist 3rd-Generation Owner:
Working in the family business, it's a lot of work. But it's also fun.
George Shikuzawa / Principal Advisor & Eileen’s Stepdad:
She's exhibited a great deal of, of work ethic, and perseverance and the talent.
And she's always had a great way with people. So, I look at what Walter had when he started.
And it's the same set of tools. Eileen Miura / Fujikami
Florist 3rd-Generation Owner: I love what I do. I mean, who can
say that they love what they do. I love working with flowers. I love meeting the people. I love
our customers. You know, I love coming to work every day. And so hopefully, I can continue this.