Frances Hashimoto
Frances Hashimoto | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 26, 1943 Poston War Relocation Center, Yuma County, Arizona, United States |
| Died | November 4, 2012 (aged 69) Pasadena, California, United States |
| Monuments | Frances Hashimoto Plaza, Los Angeles |
| Nationality | Japanese-American |
| Education | Hollenbeck Junior High School Theodore Roosevelt High School |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman, social activist, schoolteacher |
| Spouse | Joel Friedman |
| Children | 2 |
| Honours | Order of the Rising Sun (5th Class) |
Frances Kazuko Hashimoto (August 26, 1943 – November 4, 2012) was an American businesswoman, schoolteacher, and social activist. She was a key figure and proponent of Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood. She was the head of Mikawaya confectionery company since 1970, where Hashimoto, the inventor of mochi ice cream, also introduced the dessert to American consumers.