These days, stopping by a gas station or taking your car to a service center may be seen as a necessary inconvenience but once upon a time, gas and service stations could be like informal neighborhood hubs: a place to stop and chat, even if only for the few minutes it took to top off your gas, check your oil, etc.
This was especially true in Southern California where countless Japanese Americans ran stations through the region. If you grew up here, chances are, you remember a few of your favorite stations. Some of you may even remember the names of the people who used to run them.
As part of our forthcoming exhibition on Japanese American car culture in Southern California, we are asking for your help to identify all the different Japanese American owned or run gas stations and service centers in the region.
If all you remember is the intersection where the station is or was, that’s useful to us. If you remember the name of the station and/or the name(s) of the Japanese American owner(s), even better.
We’re also interested in seeing any photos that people may have of those stations and the people who worked there.
Please fill out this form to submit your response. We’ll use this information to create a database and interactive map of all the gas/service stations in the region, based on all your replies. Thank you!
Do I have a story for you!
When WWII ended, we moved to Chicago. My dad worked at a gas station and garage. He worked as a mechanic. In 1948 we moved back to California where my parents were born and raised. My dad opened a gas station and garage on Colden(96th St ) and San Pedro St. It was called San Pedro Service. He owned that gas station garage for over 25 years. He was into drag racing. He used to build engines for race cars. We had 1940 Willys with a 426 hilborn injected Hemi. My brother and I were raised on the tracks. We use to go to the drags every other Sunday. The Sunday that we didn’t go was for my mother. He would take her out to dinner and dance. After he sold San Pedro Service, he open an auto parts store. He ran that auto parts store for over 30 years and retired.
My parents left Manzanar early to work; my mother in Detroit and my father in Idaho picking sugar beets. My father was drafted and after the war returned to Detroit then moved back to Los Angeles, where both parents were born in 1951. My dad had repaired buses in Detroit so he was able to secure a mechanics job shortly after arriving back in LA. A few years later, he joined partners who had a garage in Silver Lake. There my father, Medori Ned Tsuma would stay for almost 50 years to run an auto repair shop. My dad retired when he was forced to at age 83 because one partner’s wife, who was still living, needed the money and her trustee forced the sale. Carroll & Peter Auto was a reputable business with loyal customers for decades. An honest mechanic was what he was. He didn’t make a lot of money, but he did a good, reliable job for customers and charged reasonable, sometimes too cheap, for his work. I have photos.
Jack’s Auto Service was right in the heart of Little Tokyo LA. 2nd and San Pedro. Pretty much a fixture of the J-Town community, post camp and through the sixties.
Al Morita ARCO station on the corner of Jefferson & Crenshaw in So LA. When you got your gas it was like a muscle car show. Camaros, Novas, Chevelles, Corvettes. 1960s-1970s.
Higuchi brothers owned the Shell on Western Avenue and Redondo Beach Blvd in Gardena in 70s and 80s. I remember in the late 80s Higuchi Shell would still pump your gas, wipe windows, and check under hood. Other stations were starting self service.
Ben and Yoshi Honda owned and operated a gas station in Fresno Ca for over 40 years. They raised 3 children and attended the Japanese Congregational Church.
The gas station was an Esso/ Exon station. As a youth, we had car washes to raise funds for summer camp. Good memories at this gas station. My brother worked for Ben Honda all through his college years.
Hi, Neil, Carol,and Alan
Art Kudo started Gardena Toyota dealership on Western Ave and 182nd Street. It opened in 1967. One of the largest dealerships in the United States. Now South Bay Toyota.
Got our first Toyota cam there cool love history and my granddaughter loves and wants to go to Japan so here I am googling museums and Japan history I’m planning to take her to pearl harbour
Hi, I think the last name is Kubo
Fred’s Shell on the corner of Brightwood and Monterey Pass Rd. This was technically in Monterey Park but actually only yards away from East L.A’s intersection of Mednik and Floral. I believe Fred’s last name was Horiguchi. It became a very popular service station at a time when there was a mass movement of Nisei to the Monterey Park suburbs. I recall gas was in the neighborhood of 28.9/gal. then.
I was a young police officer in Monterey Park and became very good friends with Fred Horiguchi and his family and friends at Fred’s Shell station, located at Brightwood and Monterey Pass Road ln MPK. It was more than just a gas station. Customers became friends and diversity was warmly welcomed. Fred was interned during WWIi but never complained and was very patriotic despite that ordeal. He was very fair and honest with his customers. I have nothing but good memories of being Fred’s loyal customer and good friend. I am so happy to be able to share these fond memories with you.
I am researching the area for my brother’s genealogy. In 1932 my Aunt Amy’s future husband’s family (the Deems) moved to Monterey Park (from Utah). I believe that James and Amy ran the pony rides. The Deem family lived on the on the triangular piece of property on the corner of Monterey Pass Road and Kern. The family offered pony rides for 10 cents a ride. Their granddaughter Ruby wrote about the Davidson’s brick company and the gas station where a guy named Tom worked (future husband of Annie). It had to be Fred’s Shell. She was also talking about her Uncle Aaron having a good friend who was Japanese, Possibly Fred’s son. Are there any websites etc. that might have photos and stories. Amy information that you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
I am researching the area for my brother’s genealogy. In 1932 my Aunt Amy’s future husband’s family (the Deems) moved to Monterey Park (from Utah). I believe that James and Amy ran the pony rides. The Deem family lived on the on the triangular piece of property on the corner of Monterey Pass Road and Kern. The family offered pony rides for 10 cents a ride. Their granddaughter Ruby wrote about the Davidson’s brick company and the gas station where a guy named Tom worked (future husband of Annie). It had to be Fred’s Shell. She was also talking about her Uncle Aaron having a good friend who was Japanese, Possibly Fred’s son. Are there any websites etc. that might have photos and stories. Amy information that you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Brothers Mamo and Goro Takeuchi owned Union 76 – now Unocal- gas stations in Santa Barbara for several decades. While not quite on subject for service stations, the Takeuchis were related to Mr. Caesar Uyesaka who owned Caesar’s Auto Parts in Santa Barbara.
Haruo “Ham” Murakami had a Mobil Station on W. Adams at about 10th Ave, then moved it to South La Cienega Ave. in Ladera Heights. He always employed a number of young men who learned on the job mechanical skills and life lessons. I was a neighborhood kid and he lent me hand tools to work on my own car in the side yard. I observed that a number of friends would often be visiting Ham socially.
Ray Nakagama had a Chevron station at Venice and Western Ave. He also employed a number of young men and taught skills and responsibility. I had a summer job and learned to do brake jobs, change tires, top off ATF and tire pressures, change wiper blades in the rain (every August there was one rain). We pumped gas with no seals on the filler tube.
George and Jim’s Arco was on Geary and Arguello Streets in San Francisco back in the 70s, maybe 60s too. Greg Nakamura (Jim’s son) now runs the auto repair in a different location. There was a couple of gas stations and repair shops in SF Japantown back in the 60s, but I can’t remember the names now.
Gene Kubota owned a Golden Eagle (independent dealership) at First and Boyle in the 50’s. His sons worked there, too. I remember going there with my father, his brother, when I was very young.
Mas and Isamu’s Mobil – Masao Awakuni and Isamu Shiroma
First location Normandie and Compton (Marine) 1958 followed by Normandie and Redondo Beach Blvd. In Gardena.
We had the best crew and best customers. Full service and mechanical repairs.
My dad Frank Segawa owned a gas station and garage on Colden(96st) and San Pedro St. In the early 50’s to the early 70’s. It was called San Pedro Service