RAFU STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday voted to recognize Kame Restaurant, which opened in 1884, as the first Japanese-owned business in Little Tokyo.
The first Japanese immigrated to L.A. as early as 1869. The restaurant, which is no longer in business, was opened at a time when there were only about 70 people of Japanese descent in Los Angeles, according to Councilmember Kevin de Leon, who introduced the motion.
A cook named Hamanosuke Shigeta, also known as Charles Hama, opened the restaurant at 340 E. First St. after arriving in Los Angeles, marking what is now known to historians as the “Birth of Little Tokyo” in 1884.
The site of the restaurant is now Bunkado, which the motion described as a “treasured gift shop whose name means ‘House of Culture.’” The council said that the shop’s third-generation owner, Irene Tsukada Simonian, is committed to carrying on the “entrepreneurial spirit of Shigeta.”
“Legacy family businesses are vital to the preservation of Little Tokyo, one of the few remaining Japantowns in the United States,” the motion states.
The city will install a sign on a street-light pole in front of the property to mark the location’s history.
Speaking to The Rafu, Simonian said, “What a nice surprise that in 2022, right after our 75thanniversary, we’re getting this recognition.”
Bunkado was founded 1946 by Simonian’s aunt and uncle, Suye and Tokio Ueyama. She recalled that in the 1990s, two staff from the now-defunct CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) came to Bunkado and took measurements of the building.
“I said, ‘Can I help you?’ They said, ‘We’re from the CRA and we found out that this is the site of the first Japanese-owned business in L.A. called Kame Restaurant.’”
She said at the time there were plans to install a plaque on the sidewalk to note the site’s historic importance, but those plans fell through.
However, Simonian was able to share the news with her mom, Kayoko Tsukada.
“The thing she loved the most was it was called Kame (Turtle) Restaurant, a symbol of longevity,” Simonian said. “My mom, who loved symbolism, said that’s a lucky sign.”
Selena Gomez opens up about her aunt immigrating to the U.S. 'in the back of a truck'Tesla owners immediately tested the new Smart Summon in parking lotsI'm actually scared to see 'Joker' in theaters nowReview: The Hydro Flask is a fantastic water bottleScore up to 50% off during this huge AllSaints sale'Minecraft Earth' opens to the public soon and you can sign up now'The Walkinig Dead' is coming back for Season 11Facebook to selectively pay media orgs desperate for its news tab scrapsApple to launch iPad and MacBook with advanced displays in 2020 or 2021, report claimsMom crochets awesome ‘Alien’ and Skeletor Halloween costumes for her kids Reading of Play Based on Yuri Kochiyama’s WWII Experience BingX Launchpool Lists Legend of Arcadia's ARCA Token Friendship City Ties Proposed Between Torrance, Ohtani and Yamamoto’s Hometowns Wirex Works with Banking Circle to Revolutionize Global Financial Operations ICN Joins Lisbon's Crypto AI:CON 2024 BingX Labs Invests in AgentLayer to Drive Autonomous AI Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation Becomes Smithsonian Affiliate Ohtani Happy with Married Life But Keeps Wife’s Name Secret Pitch n' Slay: Bitget and Morph Join Forces to Spotlight Females Monrovia Names Park After Issei Pioneer
0.2374s , 9846.1796875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【video lucah malaysia】L.A. Honors Former Restaurant as First Japanese,Feature Flash