Courtesy Carol Tanita
Rafu Bussan’s window shattered after being hit by some kind of projectile.
By J.K. YAMAMOTO
RAFU SHIMPO
The front window of Rafu Bussan, a legacy business located in Little Tokyo’s Honda Plaza, was shattered on Sept. 19.
Owner Carol Tanita recalled, “I was here with customers … It was about 1 p.m. when we heard a ping, saw a small hole in the glass, then it started to crackle. It took about an hour but the window started to cave inwards, but so glad it didn’t shatter outside. Fridays are busy in the plaza.”
The store, which specializes in Japanese dishes, dolls, collectibles, giftware, tea ceremony items and novelties, is still open for business. Tanita said that the window was supposed to be replaced on Sept.29, but “there was a setback, and we are now hoping it’ll be installed this Wednesday (Oct. 1).”
She noted that nothing else was stolen or damaged. “We were more concerned about our customers’ safety because it was such a mess.”
Tanita, who has worked at Rafu Bussan for 53 years, added, “The outpouring of concern and care from the community and our Little Tokyo organizations has been so heartwarm-ing and truly appreciated.”
The store originated before World War II when Yukio Tanaka and Junichi Onishi founded Rafu Bussan in Gardena. After the war, they start-ed the business up again, delivering items such as rice, tea, rice bowls and chopsticks to Japanese Americans in Orange County and the South Bay.
Kiyoshi “Skip” Kawaratani and his wife Aiko left Japan, settled in Los Angeles in 1956, and began working for Rafu Bussan, then located at 344 E. First St. in Little Tokyio. Onishi retired in 1958 and sold Kawaratani his share of the part-nership. Eight years later, Kawaratani bought out Tanaka and the couple became sole owners of the business.
In 1979, the Community Rede-velopment Agency purchased and demolished the First Street building to make way for Japanese Village Plaza. In preparation for relocation, Kawaratani entered into a long-term lease in 1977 for the vacant Sho To-kyo Japanese Movie Theater building on Second Street, and remodeling was completed in 1978.
Skip Kawaratani passed away in 2014 at age 88 and Aiko in 2023 at age 95. The store moved to its current location in 2016, with Rev. Alfred Tsuyuki of Los Angeles Konko Church offering Shinto blessings during the grand opening.
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