Who is Walnut Creek's soap guy? And why does he call the soap "Hope"

My Walnut Creek Patch colleague, Ayako Mie, just published a lovely story on our site about the man you see selling soap at the corner of Mt. Diablo Boulevard and North Main Street. He talks about how he's struggled in his life, and the next business he wants to open remodeling trailer homes for disabled people, like himself. Ayako did a nice job. She's a smart and friendly visitor to the United States from Japan. She's here on a Fulbright Scholarship, having just graduated from UC Berkeley, and she loves Walnut Creek.