Benkyodo

The storefront of Benkyôdô, in San Francisco's Nihonmachi.
  • Established: 1906, Okamura Suyeichi
  • Japanese: 勉強堂 (benkyoudou)

Benkyôdô is a sandwiches and sweets shop in San Francisco's Nihonmachi (Japantown) often credited with inventing or popularizing the fortune cookie.

The shop was one of the first businesses to open in Japantown following the great earthquake and fire that struck the Bay Area in 1906, opening at that time as "Benkyôdô Candy Factory," and specializing in manjû. The founder, Okamura Suyeichi, later passed on the shop to his son Hirofumi, who in turn passed it down to his sons, Ricky and Bobby.

Today, Benkyôdô is the last remaining original manjû and mochi shop in Japantown.

References

  • Plaque on-site.

External Links