ALOHA & MAHALO, HARI KOJIMA

Describing Hari Kojima as a “fish cutter” is like calling Jim Leahey a “word reader” or “Jesse Kuhaulua” a “big guy.”

I first met Hari in the 1970s. We were both involved in those still-pioneer days of Hawaii television. I sold myself as “Whodaguy?” Hari told the world about Tamashiro Market. Thanks mostly to the tube I became bigger than just KKUA Radio and Hari himself evolved into a brand name, way beyond just a worker at a North King Street fish store. It was even easier in those days to become a “celebrity” in our little home town.

My choice memory of Hari at his finest is from the summer of 1978. It was my daughter’s baby luau, my first and only as a proud papa. Plenty musician-friends volunteered to play at the party. They usually brought their instruments to luau for the informal cha-lang-a-lang that inevitably breaks out when you bring a bunch of entertainers together on their day off, feed them non-stop and provide continuous beverage service.

I wouldn't put that chore on the performers who comprised more than half the guest list. Neighbor Don Ho had an off-island gig that afternoon. He dropped by early in the morning and spent a half-hour with adoring grandparents and so on. That afternoon the crowd of musicians and civilians were entertained by one group that volunteered to play for the entire luau: The Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau. I first met the boys when Skippy and Israel were teenagers; they performed live on one of my first Aloha Friday morning radio shows in 1976.

The guys stopped by my Diamond Head home the day before the big party. They wanted to be sure that I had chairs strong enough to hold them without collapsing for what turned out to be five straight hours. No moving to go to the lua. No changing seats. The quartet just plopped into the heavy wood and leather chairs and never moved. Guests enchanted by the music fought for the chance to bring them plates of food to Skip, Iz, Moon and Jerome, all of which came from one of the best lunch wagons in Kaka’ako. And they never repeated a song. Just one humongous medley, from "Hi'ilawe" to "Sloop John B." As awesome as the taste treats.

Besides ono plate lunch of every variety there were chocolate chip cookies freshly baked by my friend Wally Amos. We met during my Hollywood days in the Sixties when he was becoming the very Famous Amos. Standing beside Wally's commandeered oven was brother Hari Kojima. “I’ll handle the fish, RJ,” Hari volunteered when I invited him to what I hoped would be Keiki Luau of the Year.

On luau day Hari was at the dock before the sun came up. Of course Hari had first crack at everything hauled from the sea. He arrived at our house by 8:00 a.m. and began doing delicious things to ultra-fresh fish that he showed us on TV all those years. Fresh aku poke made by Kojima-san himself, served by a beautiful wahine dancer from the Makaha Sons halau (that they brought along as a surprise), placed under the nose of Israel Kamakawiwi’ole while singing and strumming was a scene that I’ll never forget, ever.

Hari and Wally did all this out of the goodness of their hearts—both as large and generous as anyone I’ve ever known. When I brought up the subject of even reimbursing the Makaha Sons for gasoline, Skippy replied “no way” with a stink eye.

“But, you guys played six hours straight, no break, brought dancers and everything, bra,” I told the older Kamakawiwi’ole brother. Skip replied, “No sweat, RJ. We already did two hours at OCCC before coming over here.” (For the uninformed that is The Oahu Community Correctional Center, the largest jail facility in the State of Hawaii.)

So now Hari is off with the brothers and so many others there that day nearly thirty years ago, dear folks waiting to share again in his love of life and people. The pioneer group Videololo shot much of Miki’ala’s luau on then-new Betamax tape. The images flicker by. Hari is there, cheerful as ever. Not on TV, but in my kitchen, slicing, dicing and smiling. Along with Skippy & Iz, Dave Donnelly, Teddy Randazzo, and so many other friends who have moved on. How happy they will be when Hari shows up.