The Hokubei Mainichi printed its last edition today after 61 years of publishing — San Francisco’s second Japanese American weekly to close in two months.

Here is a letter president and chief executive Don Yamate wrote to readers:

As a result of our worsening financial situation, the board of Hokubei Manichi Newspaper has decided at its Oct. 26 meeting to halt publication after the Oct. 30 issue. 

We, the staff members of the Hokubei, sincerely regret having to give the bad news so suddenly to you, our readers. Since the closure of the Nichi Bei Times, we made the decision to redouble our efforts and serve an even more important and broader function in the community than before. 

We are extremely disappointed that we were unable to meet our readers’ expectations. While the editorial, advertising and subscription departments involved in the daily production of the newspaper will be closed, the company will continue to seek investors and make every effort to once again become a media outlet serving the community. We would be grateful for your continued support. 

We offer our thanks to everyone who has helped us over the years, including long-time subscribers, advertisers and contributors.