111-Year-Old Mochi Ice Cream Shop Mikawaya In Little Tokyo Closes For Good

At least their beloved mochi ice cream will still be available in stores.

After more than a century of delighting Angelenos with chewy frozen treats, Mikawaya has served its last patron and closed up shop permanently. The Little Tokyo Gem began offering Japanese pastries and desserts in 1910 and was named after founder Ryuzaburo Hashimoto’s hometown in the Mikawa province of Japan.

The secret dough recipe has helped the family business remain a local hotspot and when it was combined with sweet, creamy ice cream it became a national sensation. These traditional frozen desserts can no be found in the freezer section at various retailers like Whole Foods.

News of its closure came when a Twitter user Sean Miura noticed a paper sign on the window of the First Street shop that read “Effective 6/29/21 Mikawaya will be closed permanently.” This has been a storefront for since 1945 and as of June 30, it won’t be anymore.