NW26 | Nisei Week 2026 Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Awards Honoree | Mutual Trading Co. Inc.
The Frances K. Hashimoto Community Service Award recognizes individuals and organizations whose dedication, leadership, and service have strengthened the Japanese American community and helped preserve its culture, history, and legacy. The honorees will be recognized during the 2026 Nisei Week Coronation and Awards Celebration on Saturday, August 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Theatre Center’s Tom Bradley Theatre, 514 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles. Tickets are $105 (orchestra) or $75 (balcony) per person. For ticket information visit the NiseiWeek.org website.
Mutual Trading Co., Inc.
Mutual Trading Company, Inc. was founded in Los Angeles by Sadagoro Hoshizaki in 1926 as a co-op operation importing basic Japanese foods for the early Japanese immigrants. Following WWII, the company provided familiar foods to uplift the much-needed sense of security for the former internee community.
In 1965, Mutual Trading set off an epic transformation impacting the American dining scene by introducing sushi. General manager Noritoshi Kanai traveled to Tokyo with Harry Wolff Jr., a Jewish business consultant, on a dare and took him to a sushi bar. Exclaiming, “What could be fresher than foods prepared in front of my eyes?”, Wolff devoured one sushi after another. For Kanai, this was the “aha moment” that convinced him that Americans will eat and love raw fish.
Sushi arrived in Little Tokyo as Toyota and other Japanese corporations were just entering the U.S. market. Expat businessmen would head to sushi bars, their American counterparts in tow, and on a dare, enjoy watching them eat raw fish for the first time.
Other pioneering endeavors followed, including the first frozen edamame in the world and the launch of the ramen and premium sake boom. In addition, they introduced super frozen seafood at a cryogenic temperature, minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit, delivering the “just caught” freshness, and most recently, became the country’s top Wagyu importer.
As a trade pioneer and global trendsetter, Mutual Trading strengthens collaborations with dedicated suppliers devoted to their craft, and talented chefs demonstrating their culinary wonderment. Shouldering the “Culinary Ambassador” role, the company safeguards the art of traditional Japanese cuisine through key sustainability programs. Their Miyako Sushi & Washoku School trains next-generation sushi chefs. Likewise, their Sake School of America certifies sake enthusiasts pursuing higher knowledge of the category.
This spring, Mutual Trading celebrated its centennial anniversary. For 100 years, through the universal yet humble medium of food, the company has made meaningful societal impact: Comforting former internees, embedding sushi in the American dining scene, enriching lifestyles through joyful and healthy eating. Through this process, they’ve fostered cross-cultural understanding while following their forever corporate mission: Bringing the flavors of Japan to people around the world.