Day 358: Fugetsu-Do, Los Angeles, California
📌APIA Every Day (358) - Fugetsu-Do, a confectionary shop founded in 1903, is the oldest operating Japanese business in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo (APIA Every Day 27). Established and maintained by the Kito family for over 120 years, the enterprise witnessed several prominent developments in the district’s history: surviving the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and various periods of economic decline. Symbolizing the resilience of the Japanese American community, the store continues to be celebrated as a Los Angeles city icon.
Fugetsu-Do was first established and overseen by Seichi Kito, who immigrated to the U.S. from Gifu, Japan in 1903. For the next 25 years, he managed his business with the help of his wife Tei, their six children, and Tei’s brother, Sakuma. The busiest time of the year for the Kito family were the weeks leading up to January 1st, when local families would order large quantities of their mochi and manju for Japanese New Year celebrations.
In 1941, the Kito family was among the thousands of Japanese Americans forcibly removed from the West Coast under Executive Order 9066 and were incarcerated at Heart Mountain in Wyoming. While there, Seiichi and Tei’s son, Roy Kito, made mochi and manju for fellow detainees using donated sugar rations. It was also at this time that Roy met and married his wife, Kazuko. After the war, Roy and Kazuko returned to Los Angeles and struggled to reopen Fugetsu-Do, which was burdened with four years of backlogged rent. Eventually with support from the Tanahashi family, they successfully revived the business on East First Street. The store was temporarily moved to Second Street in the mid-1950s when the building was slated for demolition, but was moved back to its previous location in 1957, where it still operates today.
In 1980, Roy and Kazuko’s son, Brian Kito, took over the family shop and kept the business afloat through periods of economic hardship in Little Tokyo. With a declining Japanese American population in the neighborhood, much of Fugetsu-Do’s earnings at the time came from local Buddhist temples and local Japanese grocers. The year of the store’s centennial in 2003, Brian began offering new artisanal flavors of mochi to attract a younger clientele while also retaining traditional offerings for loyal customers.
In 1995, the district of Little Tokyo including Fugetsu-Do was designated a National Historic Landmark. Later in 2023, the business celebrated its 120th anniversary and received a commemorative proclamation from Los Angeles Assemblyman Miguel Santiago honoring its long standing achievement. Currently, Brian continues to manage Fugetsu-Do, preparing to pass the legacy on to his son, Korey Kito, with hopes of keeping the family tradition alive for another century.
Written by Avneet Dhaliwal
LEARN MORE:
Discover Los Angeles: Fugetsu-Do: The Story of an LA Icon
Rafu Shimpo: 120 Years of Fugetsu-Do
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