Born in Hawaii, Mamoru Matsumoto returned to Hiroshima with his family and worked various jobs to make ends meet. He later returned to Hawaii, where he worked on a sugar plantation, on the railroad, and as a salesman.
Through friends and relatives, he met and married Helen. With the help of Kazuo Tanaka, he opened M. Matsumoto Store. Initially selling goods from a bicycle, he expanded the business with a panel truck and started selling shave ice.
Today, this store, located on Oahu’s North Shore, serves over 1,000 shave ice daily and is the only family-owned dessert shop beloved by customers from around the world.