"The finest name in Japanese pastries since 1910"

 
About Us

Since 1910 Mikawaya has taken pride in the manufacture and sales of traditional Japanese pastries known as "Wagashi"

In April of 1994, Mikawaya, the creators of Mochi Ice Cream, began to sell this ice cream novelty. This new product is quite possibly the most unique ice cream dessert to come along in 50 years.

History

Celebrating nearly a century of bringing Japanese pastry to America. 2008 is the 99^th anniversary of Mikawaya in Los Angeles, California. Just after the turn of the last century 2 Japanese, one of whom was from the Mikawa, a prefecture in Aichiken, Japan, thereby giving the pastry company its name. The "ya" at the end of the name means 'store' in Japanese.

In 1910 Ryuzaburo Hashimoto purchased the company that was then located at 365 East First St. Fifteen years later, nephew Koroku Hashimoto and his wife Haru took over the operations and reopened the facility at the newly built Olympic Hotel on North San Pedro Street. Five years later they moved back to First Street where they continued in business until 1942.

From 1942 until December 1945 Mikawaya was closed due to the Hashimoto family being relocated to Poston, Arizona for the duration of World War II. On December 23, 1945 they reopened at 244 East First Street, next door to their pre-war location.

Frances Hashimoto

In 1970 Frances Hashimoto, their youngest daughter, took over the business. Believing that the area around First Street would be a prime redevelopment area, she planned and built a new bakery on 4th Street, which was completed in 1974.

As a result of the new bakery, Mikawaya was able to expand its retail operations.

The 244 E. First Street shop was closed in 1990 but presently Mikawaya has retail stores in Japanese Village Plaza, Little Tokyo Square,Pacific Square Shopping Center in Torrance,Mitsuwa Marketplace in Gardena and Shirokiya Department Store in Honolulu, Hawaii.