Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

’s Liliha location, there’s good news — the popular shave ice spot just soft opened in Kapolei Shopping Center. The store is located right next to Sushi Bay, and it’s so new that, at the time of this article, the store sign isn’t up yet.  

The original Shimazu Store opened in Liliha in 2006 on School Street, according to business owner Kalyn Kim. The business is known for its generous shave ice portions and huge selection of flavors.

“I bought the business in 2017; I’ve had it for eight years now,” she says. “When I moved to Kapolei 10 years ago, I looked at this place and I thought it would be a great spot for us. When the realtor called and told me a spot opened up in Kapolei Shopping Center, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”

Kim says parking at the business’s former Liliha location was one of the biggest complaints for customers. In late January, the shave ice spot announced on social media that it was closing its Liliha location; the last day at the Liliha store was Feb. 23.

“When they built the store back in the 1960s, people didn’t drive that much,” Kim says. “It was a walking neighborhood. The Liliha location has been open since 2006, but it was actually B&S before that. I remember when it was B&S; I grew up with it. That was my childhood; my mom used to bring me there after school. I know it’s been part of the community for so long.”

The menu is mostly the same as before. Customers can choose from three sizes — keiki ($4.50), small ($6.25) and large ($7). Additional toppings like vanilla ice cream ($1.25), mochi squares ($1.25), azuki beans ($1.25) and li hing powder ($1) are available for an extra cost.

The store just added new specialty combinations ($9 each), located under the “Shimazu Favorites” section of the menu. Choose from creations like vanilla berry — strawberry, blue vanilla, condensed milk topping, vanilla Dave’s Ice Cream and homemade mochi — and Matcha-zuki, a combo of matcha latte, condensed milk topping, vanilla Dave’s ice cream and azuki beans.

Kim says they created the Shimazu’s Favorites menu back in January, but decided to launch it when the new location opened, since they received the building permit soon after.

“We said, ‘When we come here, we’ll start everything new and we’ll add it in,’” she says. “I like the matcha azuki.    

“The most popular flavor is strawberry; the second most-popular is strawberry cream,” she adds. “Hawaiʻi people love strawberry. I always tell customers, ‘Think of strawberry like jeans — it just matches anything.’ Condensed milk is the most popular topping.”

Kim also makes the mochi and azuki toppings in-house.                   

“Our mochi has no preservatives; it’s just fresh,” she says. “I think it tastes better when it’s homemade. I make my own azuki too; I know it’s more work, but to me, it’s about quality.”

When things are more settled, the store will announce a grand opening date on social media, according to Kim.

“I’m excited; I love out here and I love Kapolei,” she says. “This side has really built up since I moved out here. I’m hoping that this place will become a part of this Kapolei community for a long time.”

Open 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays

Shimazu Store Kapolei rainbow shave ice 031825

<title>Shimazu Store is now open in Kapolei | Aloha State Daily</title>

The popular shave ice store just soft-opened in Kapolei Shopping Center.

Shimazu Store is now open in Kapolei

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Micah Kāne plans to move to greener pastures … literally! By September, he will become Parker Ranch Inc.’s next CEO, overseeing 135,000 acres of land and about 40 employees.

The current CEO and president of Hawaiʻi Community Foundation – the state’s largest philanthropic foundation – plans to split his time between HCF and the ranch over the next several months until relocating to Hawaiʻi Island. 

Kāne will start full-time at the helm of Parker Ranch on Sept. 1, in place of board chair Mike Fujimoto, who has served as interim CEO since June 2024. Prior to that, Neil "Dutch” Kuyper led the ranch, which is operated by Parker Ranch Foundation Trust. The trust’s beneficiaries include HCF, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, Queen’s North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital and Parker School.

“Micah is an extremely talented and multidimensional leader who will immediately gel and inspire the team,” Fujimoto told Aloha State Daily by email. “He is definitely worth the wait for many reasons. For example, it is important for us that he has an opportunity to lead a smooth transition of leadership at HCF.”

Fujimoto added that initially, Kāne “will be downloading an immense amount of information from our cowboys, land managers, cultural advisors and administrative and operational folks,” in addition to board members, beneficiaries and the community at-large.

ASD spoke with Kāne about what attracted him to this new position. Here’s five reasons why he said this was the right time and place for his next move:

[{"text":"Because of the existing team at Parker Ranch…","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

“I did have an opportunity to meet some of them, both in my role as CEO at HCF, as well as during this transition, and I met some really wonderful, very committed people. And you can just see that they wear their passion for their work and for their community on their sleeves. I'm looking forward to learning all that I can from them and the community leaders that are there about the history of that place and the role that Parker Ranch can play … I think there's a great foundation for us to build from.”

[{"text":"Because of existing ties to Hawaiʻi Island…","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

“My wife being born on Hawaiʻi Island was a special part of this decision. We've spent a lot of time on that island over the course of our marriage of almost 30 years. A couple of years back, we bought a place with one of my uncles on the island over in Volcano. It's a place where my wife and I have  refueled, refilled our souls and charged up to do the work we're doing.”

[{"text":"Because HCF is in a good spot…","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

“When I joined the board, leadership saw HCFʻs business model needed to change in order to be relevant – to restructure with strategic impact. That's what really inspired me to join the management side of the organization. I was privileged to take that position of CEO to be a more effective community partner in addressing some of the more crisis-oriented issues, like the disaster funds, then relief for Covid and the Maui fires. We really adopted a data informed platform that we called the 

. We've been able to attract a lot of really good talent and leaders. Thatʻs the reason why I think the organization has done as well as it has. 

“For any CEO of an organization, it is prudent that from the day you walk in, you're preparing a successor. It's my job to ensure the organization/the board has options. We have very strong internal candidates and there's also some strong options externally. But at the end of the day, I think the board is going to make a determination on directionally where they want to take the organization. And it's a different time, too, right now, than when I took the job 10 years ago and so, having someone who mirrors my skill sets may not be the right person. 

“I feel like we have one of the strongest, most cohesive teams in the state, and the way in which we collaborate and work through issues is something that has been really special for me as a leader. So, the next CEO will find that HCF is an amazing environment to do your best work.”

Because of prior leadership experience and passions…

“I'm a very passionate leader that loves to see the people around them do well. I enjoy building teams. I really enjoy working hard. It starts with your core values. I don't treat work any differently than I treat my family. I mean, we have to have our house in order first, if we expect to be effective in the community. We can always find that 80% that we agree on and oftentimes we spend too much time on the 20% we don't agree on. I've always been one who really locks in on the 80% and chips away at the 20%. That's what I would continue to bring to Parker Ranch.

“I interfaced with that community during my eight years as the director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and saw some of the challenges and historical issues that the homestead community was facing. During my 12 years at Kamehameha Schools as a trustee, we also interacted with Hawai’i Island leaders to benefit the community.”

Because of creating positive change in Hawaiʻi …

“What ultimately drove me to be a part of Parker Ranch was the potential for Waimea to model what Hawaiʻi can be, with all the challenges that Hawaiʻi is facing with the outmigration of its local people. Ultimately, you’re there to serve a beneficiary group and the community – and that’s exciting!

“HCF is a beneficiary of the Parker Ranch Foundation Trust, so having that lens gives me a unique perspective on things. I'm intimately aware of the fiduciary duties that the trust has to its beneficiaries, and I hope that brings value to my role there. Seeing Hawaiʻi achieving what it’s capable of, drives my time and the work I choose to do for employment and as a volunteer.”

Parker Ranch is one of the oldest working cattle ranches in the country and 

the second largest private landowner in the state, 

spanning 135,000 acres on the Northern region of Hawaiʻi Island. In 2023, the Parker Ranch Foundation Trust, which manages the ranch’s assets, had a total revenue of $6.23 million,

HCF is a nonprofit that stewards charitable funds from donors to invest in other local nonprofits statewide. 

In 2023, HCF managed more than 1,000 funds statewide. distributing over $107 million in grants to organizations serving the local community. For more information, visit 

Micah Kāne 2025 Headshot

<title>5 reasons why Micah Kāne decided to move to Waimea’s Parker Ranch | Aloha State Daily</title>

Kāne has led Hawaiʻi Community Foundation for nearly 10 years, in addition to serving on its board seven years prior. Now, he’s preparing to move to Hawaiʻi Island in September, where he will lead Parker Ranch Inc., home of the paniolo since 1847.

5 reasons why Micah Kāne decided to move to Waimea’s Parker Ranch

Letters to the Editor

Columnists

Viewpoints

Hawaii History

On the Wai‘anae Coast near Mākua is Kāneana Cave. In distant ages, the cave was underwater and the home of the shark god, Kāmohoali‘i. His romance with a mortal woman produced a son with a terrifying nature.

Kaneana 2023 2

The cave of an ancient shark god

Opinion

<title>Hawaii Voices: Talking story about values | Aloha State Daily</title>

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

April 1 declared "Ninth Island Liberation Day"

News

Government & Politics

Sports

Business & Tourism

Real Estate

Food & Dining

Entertainment

Arts & Culture

Aloha Spirit

Hawaii History

Opinion

Daily Features

News

Government & Politics

Sports

Business & Tourism

Real Estate

Food & Dining

Entertainment

Arts & Culture

Aloha Spirit

Hawaii History

Opinion

Daily Features

Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green annexes Las Vegas

The cave of an ancient shark god

Columnists