Help Asian Grocery Store Recover After Shooting

My name is Koji Sado and I live in Cincinnati OH. I'm raising funds to help a local Asian American business owner and friend to recover after a shooting incident at their store.

Tokyo Foods Grocery store has been one of the few local Japanese stores in Cincinnati for the last 35 years. Owners Tozan (93) and Kimiko (78) Matsuda have run the store by themselves for over three decades providing fresh and unique Japanese groceries to Greater Cincinnati.

On Sunday evening January 22nd, a man fired at least a dozen rounds from a handgun into the front windows of Tokyo Foods. He did not know the owners, and thankfully Mr. & Mrs. Matsuda were unharmed as the store was closed. The man's reason for shooting into the store was because he claimed he was the "President of Tokyo" and that Tokyo Foods was "not in compliance". The man was arrested and in custody for multiple felonious charges.

The next day, I visited the store to see if they were both ok and offered help and comfort from the incident. They were understandably shaken up, but resilient. As they began telling me their story, it became apparent that this violent incident was just one of a series of hardships the Matsudas have faced in recent years.

On top of this, the pandemic has devastated their business and they're struggling to keep their shelves stocked due to supply shortages. They are now the last Japanese grocery store in Greater Cincinnati.

Even after everything they have gone through, the 93-year-old Mr. Matsuda still talks about the goodness in people, the community, and how he does not want to trouble others.

My hope is to raise enough funds for Mr. & Mrs. Matsuda to recover from these tragedies and to live the rest of their lives in peace. They've supported the community for 35 years, now it's our turn to support them.

All funds will be given to Mr. & Mrs. Matsuda to repair damages, pay rent & insurance, and provide savings to assist in day-to-day living expenses.