Toshiyuki "TOSHI" Kihara

Los Angeles Restaurateur and Teen Pop Singer in Japan, Passes Away, Age 70

Toshiyuki "Toshi" Kihara, former managing partner of the successful West Los Angeles restaurant Hamasaku, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2017. Born the youngest of four children in Kyushu, Japan. As a teen, Toshi rose to fame as a pop singer in his native Japan but, rather pursuing his fame or going into his father's manufacturing business, Toshi struck out on his own and set his sights on the LA he saw in the movies.

Toshi's first job in LA was at Patrick Terrail's famed restaurant Ma Maison where Wolfgang Puck also worked. When Ma Maison closed, Wolfgang Puck brought Toshi in to run the front of the house at the original Spago on Sunset. In 1993, Toshi moved on from Spago and embarked on his venture as a restaurateur with the opening of Melrose Place.

His real legacy was established when he opened Hamasaku, his creation of extraordinary sushi and traditional Japanese cuisine restaurant, in 2000. Toshi was the ultimate host to his loyal patrons and celebrity clientele.

In recent years Toshi was an active member of the Los Angeles Japanese community, producing concerts to bring Japanese singers and traditional Japanese music like Enka-Ichiya from Japan, performing in several charity events and teaching music and singing classes in from his own studio in Little Tokyo.

He is survived by his sister, Norie Yamamoto and her husband Jimmy Yamamoto of Los Angeles and their son Jason Yamamoto and his wife Erina and their three children Trisha, Jaryn & Emlyn all of Japan. He also leaves behind his sister, Kunie Tomoda and her husband Yukio Tomoda, his brother, Yasuhiro Kihara and his wife Ayoko Kihara, all of Japan, cousin Janet and her husband Eddy Kamia of Torrance. Along with close friends Hiroshi Fukushima & Everett Peña of Los Angeles and several other beloved friends, nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws both here and in Japan. A lovely memorial service was held at Fukui Mortuary Saturday, February 4, 2017 at 11:00am.