Takahashi Trading Company

Last updated
Takahashi Trading Company Building
Location map San Francisco County.png
Red pog.svg
Location of Takahashi Trading Company Building in San Francisco County
Location200 Rhode Island Street,
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Coordinates 37°46′01″N122°24′11″W / 37.766983°N 122.402994°W / 37.766983; -122.402994
Built1912 (1912)
Architect Gustave Albert Lansburgh
DesignatedSeptember 22, 2022 [1]
Reference no.305

Takahashi Trading Company is a former Japanese-import home goods retail and wholesale business in the United States, and is the name of a 1912 warehouse building that once housed the business headquarters in the Potrero Hill neighborhood in San Francisco, California, U.S.. The business was active from 1945 until 2019, and had various retail locations nationwide. It was founded by the Japanese–American couple, Henri Takahashi and Tomoye "Tami" Takahashi. [2] [3]

Contents

Since 2022, the warehouse building has been listed by the city as a San Francisco Designated Landmark. [4]

Architecture of 200 Rhode Island Street

The five-story brick warehouse building was designed in 1912 by architect G. Albert Lansburgh for H. Levi & Co.. [1] It has a trapezoidal floor plan, designed to fit in the triangular parcel. [1] It once abutted a former Western Pacific Railroad track that bisected the block. [1]

In 1965, the 200 Rhode Island Street building became the Takahashi Trading Company. [1]

History of the Takahashi Trading Company

During World War II (c. 1945), Henri Takahashi (1915–2002) and Tomoye "Tami" Takahashi (née Nozawa; 1915–2016) were forced into an internment camp at the Topaz War Relocation Center. [1] [5] [6] While incarcerated they imagined creating an import home goods store.

After the war in 1945, the Takahashi Trading Company opened on 1661–1663 Post Street in San Francisco's Japantown. [6] It started as a small dry goods store and wholesaler. [6] Many of the Japanese items imported to the United States for the business were handcrafted, or of high quality including folk arts and crafts, origami materials, tea ceremony accessories, baskets, and musical instruments. [6] As a form of community service they obtained an export license to send care packages and pharmaceuticals to post-war Japan for the next 10 years. [6]

In 1959 the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency seized their Post Street property, which was demolished to create the Japan Center mall (built 1962–1968). [2] The Takahashi Trading Company moved the warehouse to 200 Rhode Island Street in 1965. [1] At their peak they had retail stores nationwide, including at 57th Street in New York City; Bridgeway in Sausalito, California; Grant Avenue at the corner of Geary Boulevard in Downtown San Francisco; and in Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. [6] Tomoye’s sister Masako Martha Suzuki joined the business and helped with the business operations. [4] [6] The business occupied the 200 Rhode Island Street building until 2019, a few years after the death of Tomoyo. [4]

From 1985 to 2016, the Takahashi's operated the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation, which supported numerous nonprofits in the United States that encouraged an understanding of Japanese culture and arts. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghirardelli Chocolate Company</span> American confectioner founded in 1852, subsidiary of Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is an American confectioner, wholly owned by Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli. The company was founded by and is named after Italian chocolatier Domenico Ghirardelli, who, after working in South America, moved to California. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was incorporated in 1852, and is the third-oldest chocolate company in the US, after Baker's Chocolate and Whitman's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warehouse</span> Building for storing goods and giving services

A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities, towns, or villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japantown, San Francisco</span> Neighborhood in San Francisco, California, United States

Japantown, also known historically as Japanese Town, is a neighborhood in the Western Addition district of San Francisco, California. Japantown comprises about six city blocks and is considered one of the largest and oldest ethnic enclaves in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japantown, San Jose</span> Neighborhood of San Jose in Santa Clara, California, United States

Japantown, commonly known as J Town, is a historic cultural district of San Jose, California, north of Downtown San Jose. Historically a center for San Jose's Japanese American and Chinese American communities, San Jose's Japantown is one of only three Japantowns that still exist in the United States, alongside San Francisco's Japantown and Los Angeles's Little Tokyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocean State Job Lot</span> American discount store chain

Ocean State Job Lot is an northeastern American chain of discount closeout retailers founded in Rhode Island in 1977. In addition to its origin state, it operates stores throughout the Northeastern United States, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, and New Jersey. The company is headquartered in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Market (store)</span> Retail store chain in the United States

World Market, formerly Cost Plus World Market, is an American chain of specialty/import retail stores, selling home furniture, decor, curtains, rugs, gifts, apparel, coffee, wine, craft beer, and international food products. The brand's original name came from the initial concept, since abandoned, of selling items for "cost plus 10%". The company was owned by Bed Bath & Beyond from 2012 to 2021, and is currently headquartered in Alameda, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shopping in Hong Kong</span>

Shopping is a popular social activity in Hong Kong, where basic items for sale do not draw any duties, sales taxation, or import taxation. Only specific import goods such as alcohol, tobacco, perfumes, cosmetics, cars and petroleum products have associated taxes. For companies, there is a 17.5% corporate tax, which is lower than international standards. Shoppers reportedly spend over US$5.2 billion a month in Hong Kong shops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinaman (porcelain)</span>

A chinaman is a dealer in porcelain and chinaware, especially in 18th-century London, where this was a recognised trade; a "toyman" dealt additionally in fashionable trifles, such as snuffboxes. Chinamen bought large quantities of Chinese export porcelain and Japanese export porcelain landed by the East India Company, who held auctions twice a year in London. The traders then distributed chinaware throughout England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitsui & Co.</span> Japanese corporation

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. is one of the largest sogo shosha in Japan; it is part of the Mitsui Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hills Bros. Coffee</span> American coffee manufacturer

Hills Bros. Coffee is a maker of packaged coffee, founded in San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Warehouse No. 1</span> United States historic place

Municipal Warehouse No. 1 is a six-story warehouse built in 1917 on the outermost point of land on the main channel at the Port of Los Angeles. It played an important part in the establishment of Los Angeles as a major center of international trade and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role in the development of the region's international trade and commerce.

Applause Inc. was a company that produced stuffed toys and collectible figurines. Its principal subsidiaries included Dakin Inc. and International Tropic-Cal Inc. The Applause brand survives as part of Kid Brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nakajima USA</span> American Toy Company

Nakajima USA, Inc., is an American toy manufacturer, founded in 2000. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nakajima Japan, a family run company founded in 1919. A seasoned company in the design and manufacture of licensed plush, collectible and seasonal toys and gifts, Nakajima USA currently produces and distributes a wide range of lifestyle products under a master license agreement for Sanrio Inc. as well as the company’s signature characters.

Takahashi is a Japanese surname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery Park (Portland, Oregon)</span> Historic building in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Montgomery Park is an office building and former Montgomery Ward mail-order catalog warehouse and department store located in Portland, Oregon, United States, built in 1920. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under its historic name Montgomery Ward & Company Building. The building is located on property once used for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, of 1905. It was occupied by Montgomery Ward from 1920 until 1985, although the majority of the company's operations at this location ended in 1982. The building is the third-largest office building in Portland with 756,055 square feet (70,239.8 m2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prologis</span> American real estate company

Prologis, Inc. is a real estate investment trust headquartered in San Francisco, California that invests in logistics facilities. The company was formed through the merger of AMB Property Corporation and Prologis in June 2011, which made Prologis the largest industrial real estate company in the world. As of December 2022, the company owned 5,495 buildings comprising about 1.2 billion square feet in 19 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. According to The Economist, its business strategy is focused on warehouses that are located close to huge urban areas where land is scarce. It serves about 6,600 tenants. Prologis began to expand its non-real estate business, Essentials, in 2022, offering customers solar power, racking systems, forklifts, generators, and EV charging infrastructure. and other logistics tech equipment for purchase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Escolta Street</span> Historic street in Manila, Philippines

Escolta Street is a historic east–west street located in the old downtown district of Binondo in Manila, Philippines. It runs parallel to the Pasig River, from Quintin Paredes Road to Plaza Santa Cruz Road. The street is home to several fine examples of early skyscraper design in the Philippines. In Spanish, it is known as calle de la Escolta. Its definition as a historic financial district includes Escolta and other surrounding streets of Binondo and Santa Cruz. It currently carries one-way eastbound traffic towards Santa Cruz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Reid Community Arts Centre</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Walter Reid Community Arts Centre is a heritage-listed former warehouse and now community arts centre at 203 East Street, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Hutton & Hockings and built from 1900 to 1902 by Dennis Kelleher. It is also known as Walter Reid & Co. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The White House (department store)</span> San Francisco department store, 1854–1965

The White House was the first department store in San Francisco; it opened in 1854 and closed in 1965. It was originally named Davidson & Lane, then J.W. Davidson & Company, and finally, in 1870, when it moved to a large new building, took the name "The White House".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "San Francisco Landmark 305: Takahashi Trading Company". noehill.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  2. 1 2 Oda, Meredith (2019-01-03). The Gateway to the Pacific: Japanese Americans and the Remaking of San Francisco. University of Chicago Press. pp. 1–2, 106. ISBN   978-0-226-59274-9.
  3. "Philanthropist Tomoye Takahashi Dies at 100". The Rafu Shimpo. June 10, 2016. Retrieved 2024-03-12 via Discover Nikkei.
  4. 1 2 3 Young, Kerri (2021-09-01). "Takahashi Trading Co. Building Approved for Landmark Work Program". San Francisco Heritage. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  5. Kim, Ryan (April 19, 2002). "Henri Takahashi". SFGATE . Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Community philanthropist Tomoye (Tami) Takahashi dies at 100". Nichi Bei News . 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2024-03-12.