[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 112 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FUGESTU-DO AND THE KITO FAMILY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 25, 2003

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Fugetsu-Do, 
a family-run bakery in my Congressional District, who this year 
celebrates its 100th anniversary.
  In 1903, Seiichi Kito and his family began working in a small shop to 
produce batches of mochi, manju, and other Japanese sweets. This 
burgeoning business, however, was unexpectedly closed in 1942 when 
Executive Order 9066 forced the Kito family to relocate to an 
internment camp in Heart Mountain, Wyoming.
  Like countless other Japanese American families, the Kitos endured 
dehumanizing and often cruel living conditions--including brutally cold 
and windy winters and scorching summers. Yet despite these hardships, 
Mr. Kito and his son Roy, a pastry chef, gave comfort to their fellow 
internees by creating dessert from their meager sugar rations.
  At the end of the war, the Kito family returned to Los Angeles where 
Roy and his wife reopened the doors of Fugetsu-Do, overcoming great 
financial obstacles.
  Today, Brian Kito--youngest son of Roy and Kazuko Kito and grandson 
of Seiichi--continues the legacy of Fugetsu-Do as head of the family 
business. Brian continues his family's tradition of community loyalty 
as an active member of the Little Tokyo community. Several times a 
year, he demonstrates to youngsters in the community how to make the 
tasty treats sold in his shop and he coordinates a citizen safety 
patrol in Little Tokyo with the Los Angeles Police Department.
  As part of Fugetsu-Do's 100th anniversary celebration, more than 150 
members of the Kito family will come together for a family reunion in 
Little Tokyo from August 7th through the 12th. It is my pleasure to 
welcome them to my congressional district and to express my best wishes 
for a successful reunion.
  For a century, the Kito family's dedication to the values of hard 
work and meticulous care in confectionary production has led Fugetsu-Do 
to much success.
  Mr. Speaker, the 100th anniversary of Fugetsu-Do is yet another 
milestone in the rich history of the Kito family, the Little Tokyo 
community, and the City of Los Angeles and I join them in celebrating 
this wonderful legacy.

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