Tonki restaurant was founded 73 years ago and while surfing just a bit, I ran into an article about this and then found a post from the past. I’ve been to the shop, and it’s an amazing place. (Japantimes – Tonki) Here’s a post from 2010 on a visit there. It just happens that it’s located near the station and it’s just a cool place. It’s not exactly cheap, but it’s worth the visit. There is something special about the wood counters, seating, and it’s cleanliness for a place that’s cooking in oil. It feels great and clean and they’ll also give you as much cabbage as you handle – sometimes it’s the underdog item. (GR – Tonki)

Here’s a video of the shop

Any excuse to write about Brian’s Shave Ice is a great one. But this time it’s more than just about Shave Ice, it’s about Camp Musubi. They were having a fundraiser. Until just a bit earlier in the day, I’ve never heard of this Camp. It’s a Japanese American Day Camp for middle schoolers to learn a little bit of something about their history.

In our world that’s increasingly getting busier and bombarded with news from almost everywhere except Asian America, this is important. I’ll also add it’s important for Japanese Americans especially when it seems that “our” numbers are shrinking along with visibility in many public arenas. Sometimes when visiting film festivals, art schools etc, I wonder where the Japanese Americans are? There’s often none.

That’s filmmaker Tad Nakamura enjoying a very tiny serving of shave ice. Go large!

That’s Erika Olsen devouring size large. POG, Rootbeer, and Lihing Mui with Dole Whip in the center. That’s how the champs do it.

Tempt1 or Tony used to work out of an office near GR years ago. While I can’t say I knew him in any kind of personal capacity except seeing him around and interviewing him one time, he’s now the subject of a documentary. It’s not exactly a happy tale since he’s now fighting ALS and can only move his eyes. The Eyewriter invention (something that was developed with Kickstarter funds) has changed his living quality. He can now draw and such with the movement of his eyes.

He once published a graf mag and I do recall him telling me how he chose to always look where no one else was looking in finding content. Of course, I do want to see this film and I hope it leads to more great things for him.

LA Weekly write up on David Horvath Sun-min Kim and Uglydoll. It’s still an amazing ride that they’re taking. From a walk in at the shop to still going strong. They’re solid Angelinos. I’m glad to be part of the history and it’s amazing that people walk in to the store and mention the story back. It matters to many, and that’s why we keep stocking Uglydoll at GR – and it’s why we often get olds and ends that the other shops don’t. It’s only fair. The story is now 11 years old and continues on, since it happened.

Here’s an except as written by Gendy Alimurung

“Kim sewed that drawing into a doll made of soft felt and mailed it to Horvath. It had a simple, funny charm. When he received it he was so excited, he wanted to call her. But it was nighttime in Korea. Instead he ran over to visit his friend Eric Nakamura, who had just opened the store Giant Robot on Sawtelle in West L.A. “OK,” said Nakamura, examining the doll, “I’ll take 20.”

“He thought I was pitching a product,” Horvath recalls.

Kim sewed the dolls. Those initial 20 sold out in one day. “I was horrified,” Horvath says. “We were going to send people there to look at them. It didn’t make sense.” But Nakamura ordered 20 more. Then 40 more.”

The Eclipse peaked at 6:38. This was at that moment across from Giant Robot store

This is a closer view.

That’s Tru Nguyen with her eclipse viewer!