Fugetsu-Do
Electrical tape on paper
18" x 24"
Electrical tape on paper
18" x 24"
Seiichi Kito immigrated to the United States in 1903 and settled in Los Angeles’s East First Street district, where a growing Japanese immigrant community had formed. With two business partners, he began making traditional Japanese confections and co-founded Fugetsu-Do. After his partners passed away, Seiichi managed the shop on his own for the next 25 years.
His youngest son, Roy Kito, was born in the U.S. but raised and educated in Japan. Upon returning to Los Angeles in 1935, Roy joined the family business. After the outbreak of World War II and the signing of Executive Order 9066, the Kito family was incarcerated at Heart Mountain in Wyoming. While at camp, Roy met and married Kazuko. After the war, they returned to Little Tokyo and reopened Fugetsu-Do in 1946.
Roy and Kazuko’s youngest son, Brian, showed entrepreneurial promise early on. In 1980, he took over the family business, blending innovation with tradition. Today, his son, Korey Kito, is preparing to become the fourth-generation owner of Fugetsu-Do—a cherished symbol of Japanese American heritage and resilience.
All images courtesy of the Fugetsu‑Do family archives, via fugetsu-do.com.