Anzen Hardware is located at 220 E. First St. and is currently open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, as well as by appointment.

Appointments can be made through the Anzen Instagram account, by emailing the store at anzenhardwarelt1946@gmail.com, or calling the store at (213) 628-7600.

When you visit, you’ll likely see Rockett Ito Wong, Michael Okamura, and Jo Ann Hirose at the counter. We asked them a few questions to get their perspective on Anzen’s reopening, and these are their answers.

With Anzen reopening, what are you most excited about?

Michael: For me with Anzen’s reopening, it will be akin to welcoming a long-time friend back to the old neighborhood. It was never a question of “if” you would return but “when” you would come back. What makes the reopening exciting to me is that this legacy business is back in the hands of the family of the original owner, Mr. Tsutomu Maehara.

Jo Ann: With Anzen opening, I am most excited about seeing returning customers and offering new customers all that Anzen has to offer: specialty items as well as everyday needs all in our community space.

Rockett: I am most excited about our knives. I’ve been learning a lot about our suppliers in Japan, and I’m currently practicing sharpening knives using whetstones.

How does Anzen fit into Little Tokyo, and Los Angeles, in 2025?+

Rockett: The way I see Anzen Hardware’s place in Little Tokyo is maintaining the Japanese American soul and providing a space that can help maintain connections.

Michael: Anzen Hardware has built a solid reputation of being a family-owned and operated small business over the many decades that generations of Japanese Americans and many others from across the U.S. and globally have relied upon for imports from Japan, such as unique gardening tools, high quality knives, flower and vegetable seeds and other small items that you would find in a typical neighborhood kanamonoten hardware store from the Shōwa era. Anzen remains a relevant business in the fabric of Little Tokyo respecting its past and evolving for the future.

Jo Ann: We offer items which could introduce a novice into our culture, and we also have specialized tools for Japanese carpentry and gardening. I think this is emblematic of the contemporary Japanese diaspora in Los Angeles, because this city is a beautiful blend of many cultures. Learning about one another’s culture helps us to connect and support each other especially during this time in history.

What do you think people should know about Anzen? And what should they know about you?

Jo Ann: I am the youngest child of the original owner of Anzen and the wife of the past chef/owner of Azay. Anzen was opened in 1946 by my father, Tsutomu Maehara, as Anzen Hotel Supply Co., and supplied essential items to all the SRO (single residency occupancy) hotels and apartments owned by many Japanese and Americans after the war.

Michael: Anzen has always been a family-owned and operated small business that supports Little Tokyo and many other communities, and over the many decades Little Tokyo neighborhood people have relied on Anzen for carrying just what they needed or something that they decided to purchase upon browsing the many unique hardware items. Community members have supported Anzen for many decades.

I’ve been involved with the Little Tokyo Historical Society and JANM (Japanese American National Museum) for many years, so I love meeting people, asking them about their adventures as they visit historic Little Tokyo, and sharing the unique stories of our neighborhood.

Rockett: People should definitely know about the history of our location. And people should know that I am interested in other people’s crafts. Please come talk to me about your woodworking projects or your passions!

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