Fugetsu-Do

Fugetsu-Do, Los Angeles, California © _e.t | Flickr

Fugestsu-Do, a family owned mochi shop, has been quietly supplying Los Angeles with delectable Japanese treats since 1903. It is the oldest shop in LittleTokyo and continues to produce high-quality desserts.

Mochi is a confection made from sweet rice flour normally associated with New Year. Mochi is pounded from glutinous rice flour and eaten fresh. Fugestsu-Do specializes in seasonal mochi; flavors vary but can include kinako (roasted soy bean flour), manju (sweet red bean paste), soy sauce dip and seaweed. These sticky desserts can be sweet or savory; savory are a perfect treat between meals.

For three generations, the Kito family maintained a high standard of mochi-making and become an icon of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo Historic Plaza. The shop is conveniently located near the Gold Line Metro and provides a perfect stop after a meal in Little Tokyo.

The current owner, Brian Kito, is as dedicated to the shop as his father and grandfather before him. Yet, tradition does not hold back the shop from experimenting with new flavors. In 2003, Fugetsu-Do celebrated its 100^th anniversary and Brian celebrated with a new flavor — strawberry mochi with peanut butter filling. Be sure to visit Fugetsu-Do when in Little Tokyo; the experience will take you on a flavorful adventure into Little Tokyo’s past.