The Little Tokyo Business Association (LTBA) will pay tribute to the woman who was its leader for more than a decade with a special retrospective on Thursday, Feb. 7, from 6:30 p.m. during the annual LTBA Installation Dinner and New Year’s Party at the Miyako Hotel.
Frances K. Hashimoto, LTBA’s president from 1994-2006 and head of Mikawaya, will be honored along with Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry, who has been a champion of Little Tokyo merchants since her election to the council in 2001.
Hashimoto, who passed away on Nov. 4, was involved in numerous community organizations, including the Nisei Week Foundation, Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California, Little Tokyo Community Council, and others. In 2011, she received the Japanese Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays for her role in promoting friendship between the United States and Japan.
On Nov. 15, Perry was joined by Councilmember Jose Huizar in successfully introducing a motion that dedicated a section of Little Tokyo as Frances K. Hashimoto Plaza. The ceremony drew nearly 200 friends and colleagues of the late community leader.
The Feb. 7 event is presented in conjunction with the Little Tokyo Business Improvement District (LTBID). The Miyako Hotel is located in Little Tokyo at 328 E. First St. Dinner reservations at $55 per person may be made by calling (213) 620-0764 or emailing yshikai@neufeldmarks.com.