By P.C. Staff
Kyoto-born Akira Hirose, whose long and esteemed career as a chef and restaurateur was most recently exemplified through his Little Tokyo restaurant, Azay, died Sept. 26. He was 70.
The appreciation for his commitment and ties to the Japanese American community in general and the Little Tokyo community in particular was such that both the Japanese American National Museum and the Go for Broke National Education Center issued statements after news of his death was disseminated.
“We are devastated by the loss of Chef Akira, whose food, hospitality, and kindness were part of the cultural fabric of the museum and the neighborhood,” said JANM President and CEO Ann Burroughs. “Whether serving a grand dinner at a gala or a bento lunch for local seniors, the quality, authenticity and originality of his food was always evident. He will be greatly missed.”.
“We are honored and grateful for Chef Hirose’s participation and culinary talents at many Go for Broke events, in particular at our annual Evening of Aloha Gala dinners,” said GFBNEC President and CEO Mitch Maki. “We will always remember and cherish his dedication to the community and his shared commitment in support of our Nisei veterans.”
The Sayonara Gala dinner at the 2023 JACL National Convention was prepared by Hirose’s Azay restaurant.
Trained in France, Hirose would go on to utilize French and his native Japanese cuisines to acclaim in Los Angeles at L’Orangerie and Belvedere at the Peninsula Beverly Hills.
With his American wife, Jo Ann Maehara, Hirose returned to Japan and they operated Azay-le-Rideau in his hometown. Returning to Southern California, they opened Maison Akira in Pasadena in 1998. It closed in 2019, after which Hirose opened Azay in the former site of Little Tokyo’s Anzen Hardware.
In recent years, Hirose faced such health challenges as a liver transplant and eyesight issues. He is survived by his wife, Jo Ann; their children, Michelle and Philip; and other relatives in the U.S. and Japan.
