WHAT IS YOUR IMMIGRATION STORY?
Mamoru Tokuda is the owner of Kouraku restaurant.
Okay first I came to United States was 2002. After graduated school, I was looking for a job and I was, I'm from countryside so I didn't have that much opportunity for work. So I decided to come to United States to look for more opportunities. That's the main reason why I came here. First I came, I was living in Glendora, West Covina. I moved to Riverside, came back to Temple City. I was living in downtown LA a little bit. I moved to Boy Heights and now I live in Little Tokyo, in Los Angeles. I was doing a restaurant. I was a sushi chef. I was working in the same company but they have different locations. So I moved around with the same company but different locations for the restaurant.
WHAT DOES YOUR CURRENT JOURNEY LOOK LIKE?
I have a wife and two-year-old daughter and I own the restaurant in Little Tokyo, downtown LA. My wife is also a first generation immigrant from Japan. I was working for the restaurant for 15 years and then I left the company because I received my citizenship and then I tried to do my own business and then Covid pandemic came and then I was helping the small restaurant businesses in the little Tokyo and Unfortunately, one of the Korakus owner passed away in 2021 so I talked to his family and we decided to start taking over the business since 2023. And our restaurant is now officially the oldest ramen restaurant in the United States. So my mission is to keep continue this business to next generation.
REFLECTIONS
What does the future hold for you?
"I've been living in the United States for 20 plus years. I'm a citizen of the United States, but also I'm still Japanese, like halfway. And since I'm the owner of the legacy business in Little Tokyo, so I have to protect the community in Little Tokyo to the next generation. That is my mission and my goal."
— Mamoru Tokuda, the owner of Kouraku restaurant.
