Ricky Okamura and Mark Leno

SACRAMENTO - San Francisco Japantown's Benkyodo was one of 80 recipients of the California Small Business of the Year award at a ceremony held May 28 in Sacramento.

Benkyodo, which specializes in making manju, was chosen by Assemblyman Mark Leno of the 13th Assembly District as a small business that exemplifies the contributions of California's 3.7 million small business owners to the stateﾕs economy.

A crowd of 500 business leaders, legislators, and corporate partners attended the gala luncheon to pay tribute to the honorees, who came from throughout California.

The presentation to Benkyodo was made to co-owners Ricky and Bobby Okamura by Leno, who stated that family-run businesses like Benkyodo, which was established 102 years ago, are important to the community.

The company was founded by the Okamura brothers' grandparents and opened on Geary Street in Japantown in 1906. It is now located at Sutter and Buchanan. Only during the war years was the business closed due to the internment of Japanese Americans, Leno explained.

"We are humbled and truly grateful to have been selected for this award ... We truly feel it is a tribute to our family and to our employees, but most of it is a tribute to all of our customers and most of all to the community," said Ricky Okamura. (Bobby was unable to attend the event.)

He thanked Paul Osaki, executive director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC), for nominating Benkyodo, Lori Matoba Wun of JCCCNC for providing the necessary documentation to the Small Business Committee, and Leno for making the final selection.

Okamura was accompanied by Japantown community leader Benh Nakajo, a retired Japan Airlines executive who has also worked behind the counter at Benkyodo for many years.

"It was a very proud moment when Ricky stood to receive the award," Nakajo said. "I remembered the faces of his grandparents, Suyeichi and Aiko Okamura, and his parents, Hirofumi (Hippo) and Sue Okamura, and aunties Kimi, Yuki and Dorothy, who worked at the shop ...

"I thought back to realize and appreciate what a tremendous contribution Benkyodo has made to the Japanese American community in San Francisco and Northern California and to the greater community at large, who have been able to enjoy for so many years delicious omochi, mochigashi and omanju."