manju

In Hawaii, "manju" leads a double life. To most, it is a beloved traditional Japanese pastry filled with sweet red bean paste, commonly brought as an omiyage (gift) or bought at local bakeries. However, in local slang, calling someone "manju" means they are incredibly cheap, stingy, or tight-fisted with their money.

The slang usage likely evolved from the physical characteristics of the pastry itself—dense, heavy, and tightly packed—translating metaphorically to someone who holds their wallet too tightly. It is most commonly used among friends and family to playfully guilt someone into paying their fair share of a bill or contributing to a potluck. While usually said in a joking manner, calling a stranger or an elder "manju" can be seen as highly disrespectful and insulting.

The afternoon sun baked the red dirt along the main drag of Waimea town, slowing everything down to a crawl. Mike, Alaka'i, and Makoa were leaning against the tailgate of Makoa's faded Toyota, trying to scrape together enough cash for a couple plates from Ishihara Market before they closed. It felt exactly like their high school days, back when pooling pocket change was a daily survival tactic. Alaka'i tossed a crumpled ten-dollar bill onto the truck bed, and Makoa added a handful of quarters and a five.

They both looked at Mike, who was suddenly very interested in inspecting the tread on his slippahs. He patted his boardshorts pockets slowly, claiming he only had two dollars on him, even though they all knew he just cashed his paycheck from the county the day before.

"Eh, no be so manju," Alaka'i groaned, shaking his head at the pathetic two singles Mike finally produced. "You still get your whole check from yesterday. Stop acting like one broke kid and cough up the rest for the spicy ahi, or you eating plain rice today."