Atlanta restaurant owner reflects on family’s ties to President Jimmy Carter

ATLANTA - The official business relationship between Japan and the state of Georgia was launched in 1973, during then-Gov. Jimmy Carter’s time in office. According to the owner of Atlanta's Nakato, the restaurant was there to help "feed" that exciting new partnership.

Nakato Japanese Restaurant first opened in 1972 and brought an authentic taste of Japan to Atlanta. It became a key gathering place for the city’s Japanese population.

"My grandmother was doing a southern tour and fell in love with Atlanta," says current owner Sachi Nakato Takahara. "Before she even went back to Japan, she already had the property staked out and was ready to start a business at the young age of 62."

Not only did the public immediately take notice of the unique new restaurant, but so did then-Gov. Jimmy Carter.

"He was trying to influence international businesses to come to invest in Georgia," says Takahara. "We didn't have a Japanese Embassy in Atlanta yet, and so we were that hub of cultural exchange and meetings, and my grandmother loved being a part of that and helping other immigrants and expats to come to Georgia."

According to the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, official business ties were established in 1973 with the opening of the Georgia State Department of Industry, Trade, and Tourism office in Tokyo. That was followed in April 1974 by the creation of the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta.

Those ties remain strong today, as we learned from JapanFest Atlanta spokesperson Yoshi Domoto during our visit to the popular event last September.

"Now there are over 600 Japanese-affiliated companies here in Georgia, and they've invested $11 billion in our state's economy," said Domoto.

Today, Sachi Nakato Takahara says she’s proud of her family’s legacy and its connection to the man who became the 39th president of the United States.

"I feel like I'm part of history," she says. "I’m in awe of how he acted locally, statewide, nationwide, and globally throughout his career. So, it's very inspiring."