Fugetsu-Do is an intimate portrait of a sweet shop that has been an anchor for the Japanese American community in Little Tokyo since 1903. The ingredients of the brightly-colored pieces of mochi-gashi that line the shop’s wood-paneled cases include so much more than rice flour and sweet bean paste. Mixed inside are stories of joy and pain, tradition and racism, legacy and loss. Survival is never easy; it’s complicated and messy, full of contradictions and surprises. In the three generations that the Kito Family has been running Fugetsu-Do, the store has become a memory bank for the community and the stories that line its walls could not be more relevant in today’s America.
On March 30, we hosted an online discussion with Brian Kito (sweet shop owner and Heart Mountain descendant) and the filmmaker, Kaia Rose. Check out that conversation HERE.
Follow the Fugetsu-Do Facebook page or check out filmmaker Kaia Rose’s website for updates on upcoming screenings!
This program is provided through the support of the Embassy of Japan in the United States.