Suehiro Founder Junko Suzuki Passes at Age 84
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Junko Suzuki in the kitchen of Suehiro Cafe in Little Tokyo. She founded the First Street restaurant with her sister Yuriko in 1972.
By ELLEN ENDO, Rafu Shimpo
Junko Suzuki, the woman who co-founded one of Little Tokyo’s most enduring restaurants, Suehiro Café on First Street, has passed away at the age of 84.
Junko immigrated to the U.S. in 1969 from Gunma-ken, Japan. Although neither she nor her sister, Yuriko, possessed previous restaurant experience, they established Suehiro in 1972, serving authentic home-style Japanese dishes. Her approach to the menu was simple. “Just serve what I like to eat.” she once told her son, Kenji, 57.