Hayahiko Takase, 88: Little Tokyo Architect

The vision of Hayahiko Takase is omnipresent in Little Tokyo. The architect, who passed away on Dec. 27 at age 88, left his mark on the Japanese American neighborhood as the designer of some of its most iconic buildings.

Born in Tokyo on April 22, 1930, Takase was sent to Los Angeles in 1964 from Kajima Corporation in Japan to establish Kajima International, Inc. as the director of design. In 1977 he left Kajima and established his own firm, Takase Associates.

published on January 17, 2019