The Kawafuku Archive is a curated digital collection documenting the postwar history and cultural significance of Kawafuku, a Japanese American restaurant in Los Angeles.
Following their incarceration during World War II at the Poston War Relocation Center, Chihoko and Tokijiro Nakashima acquired and operated Kawafuku in the postwar period. Through photographs, newspaper clippings, menus, and personal materials, the archive preserves the story of a family-run business during a time of rebuilding and transition for the Japanese American community.
Archival materials document that on March 15, 1961, Kawafuku began serving sushi, marking an early and significant moment in the introduction of sushi in the United States. This development is especially meaningful in understanding how Japanese cuisine gradually gained broader visibility and acceptance in American cultural life, and how these shifts contributed to broader trajectories within Asian American history.
The archive also respectfully acknowledges the restaurant’s prewar foundations in Little Tokyo and the Kato family, who established Kawafuku as a meaningful community gathering place prior to World War II. Their early contributions helped create a space for cultural continuity, connection, and shared experience within the Japanese American community.
This archive focuses on verified materials and supports research, education, and public access, with the goal of preserving and sharing historically grounded documentation.
Submissions of images and firsthand accounts related to Kawafuku are welcome at kawafukuarchive@gmail.com. Please include any available details (dates, names, context). By submitting, you confirm you have the right to share these materials and grant permission for their use in this archive, including potential publication and related uses for research and educational purposes.
The Kawafuku Archive is currently being catalogued and organized, with the goal of supporting future public access for research, education, and potential institutional collaboration.
About the Archivist:
The Kawafuku Archive is curated by Mari Kono, a Los Angeles–based educator and visual artist. She is the niece of Chihoko and Tokijiro Nakashima, who operated Kawafuku in the postwar period. The archive is dedicated to the preservation and documentation of this history.