This article has multiple issues. Please help improve the article or discuss these issues on the talk page. It does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve it by citing reliable sources. Tagged since May 2007. It needs to be expanded. Tagged since September 2007. It may require general cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.Tagged since September 2007.

Japanese Village Plaza, the center of the Little Tokyo area.

The Kyoto Grand Hotel is the tallest hotel in the Little Tokyo area.

Little Tokyo is an ethnic Japanese American district in downtown Los Angeles, one of three official Japantowns left in the United States. Founded around the beginning of the 20th century, the area, sometimes called Lil' Tokyo, J-Town, or Shō-tokyo (Japanese), is the cultural center for Japanese Americans in Southern California. Shigeri Akabane, known by his ringname Little Tokyo, is a retired Japanese professional midget wrestler who has competed in North American promotions during the 1970s and 1980s including Herb Abrams Universal Wrestling Federation, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation, most notably appearing at WrestleMania III in a... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Skyline of downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. ... Japantown is a common name for official Japanese American or Japanese Canadian communities in big cities. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Serving from 1999 to 2003, Army General Eric Shinseki of Hawaii became the first Asian American military chief of staff. ... This article is about the region of Southern California. ...

At its peak, Little Tokyo had approximately 30,000 Japanese Americans living in the area. While a shadow of what it once was in terms of population (only about 1,000 mostly elderly residents actually live there now), Little Tokyo is still a cultural focal point for Los Angeles's Japanese American population. It is mainly a work, cultural, religious, restaurant and shopping district, because Japanese Americans today are likely to live in nearby cities such as Torrance, Gardena, and Monterey Park. However, the recent boom in downtown residential construction may change the nature of Little Tokyo. Motto: A Balanced City Location of Torrance in the County of Los Angeles Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles Government  - Mayor Frank Scotto Area  - Total 20. ... Seal of Gardena Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Location of Monterey Park in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , State County Government  - Mayor David Lau  - City council Sharon Martinez (Vice Mayor) Benjamin Frank Venti Mitchell Ing Anthony Wong Area  - City 19. ...

What is left of the original Little Tokyo can be found in roughly four large city blocks. It is bounded on the west by Los Angeles Street, on the east by Alameda Street, on the south by 3rd Street, and on the north by First Street and the Los Angeles Civic Center. More broadly, Little Tokyo is bordered by the Los Angeles River to the east, downtown Los Angeles to the west, L.A. City Hall and the Parker Center to the north, and the newly named Artist District (made up of warehouses converted into live-work lofts) to the south. 3rd Street in Los Angeles is a major east/west street. ... Los Angeles City Hall stands at the southern border of the Los Angeles Civic Center. ... The Los Angeles River, highlighted in red (on the left). ... Los Angeles City Hall is the center of government in the city of Los Angeles, California. ... Parker Center Parker Center is the headquarters for the Los Angeles Police Department, and is located in Downtown LA. It is named for former LAPD chief William H. Parker. ...

Attractions

Cultural attractions

The original Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist temple. Across from the building is the Japanese American National Museum opened in 1992—50 years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the internment of Japanese Americans.

The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center is located in Little Tokyo, as well as the Japanese American National Museum. The extension of the Museum of Contemporary Art, formerly called the Temporary Contemporary and now known as the Geffen Contemporary (named after David Geffen), is also in Little Tokyo. East West Players, one of the nation's first Asian American theatre companies, specializing in live theater written and performed by Asian American artists, is located in Little Tokyo, performing in the David Henry Hwang Theater. There is also the Aratani/Japan America Theater, which features plays and musical performances. Visual Communications, an Asian Pacific American media arts organization, has its offices in Little Tokyo, and each May, annually presents VC FilmFest (Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival), in several venues around Little Tokyo. FDR redirects here. ... The Japanese American National Museum, located in the Little Tokyo area near downtown Los Angeles, California, is devoted to preserving the history and culture of Japanese-Americans. ... MOCA, Downtown Los Angeles. ... David Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer, philanthropist. ... Category: ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... David Henry Hwang (born August 11, 1957) is a contemporary American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S. He was born in Los Angeles, California and was educated at Stanford University and the Yale School of Drama. ... Visual Communications (Southern California Asian American Studies Central Inc. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... VC FilmFest – the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival – is an annual film festival presented by Visual Communications (VC). ...

The Nisei Week festival is held every August, and includes a large parade, a pageant, athletic events, exhibits of Japanese art and culture, a taiko drum festival, and other events. The LA Tofu Festival is a subcommittee of Nisei Week and is also held during the month. Nisei Week is a annual festival celebrating Japanese American culture and history in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. ... It has been suggested that Japanese_Taiko_Drumming be merged into this article or section. ... Tofu Festival is a weekend matsuri held in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, every August. ...

Little Tokyo has quite a few public sculptures and artwork, including a monument to Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka, a Japanese American from Hawaiʻi who was a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Challenger when it exploded during takeoff in 1986. There are also two Japanese gardens in the area open to the public—one is next to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center and the other is a rooftop garden in the Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens, formerly the New Otani Hotel. The Go For Broke Monument commemorates Japanese Americans who served in the United States Military during World War II. The multi-purpose theatre, The ImaginAsian Center will be open fall 2007. Ellison Shoji Onizuka (June 24, 1946 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut from Hawaii who died during the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, where he was serving as mission specialist on mission STS-51-L. Onizuka received a Bachelors degree in aerospace engineering in June 1969, and... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASAs second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia being the first. ... The launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission 51L/STS-33, the 25th of the STS (Space Transportation System) program, began at an estimated time of 16:38:00. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... This view from the Symbolic Mountain Lookout in Cowra, NSW shows many of the typical elements of a Japanese garden Stone lantern amid plants. ... The Go For Broke Monument in Los Angeles The Go For Broke Monument in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California commemorates Japanese Americans who served overseas in the United States Military during World War II. It notes the segregated military units: the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The ImaginAsian Center is a movie/event theatre in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles, California, operated by ImaginAsian Entertainment and owned by Orange County, Californias Cinema Properties Group. ...

Shopping and dining

Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Street with Weller Court, Challenger Memorial and Los Angeles City Hall in background.

There are numerous Japanese restaurants, catering to both Japanese and non-Japanese clientele. Many of them specialize in one type of Japanese cuisine, such as Donburi, Japanese noodles (both soba and udon), shabu-shabu (which translated from Japanese means 'swish-swish', referring to the motion of dipping meat and vegetables in a communal bowl of boiling water), or Japanese curry. There are also a number of Korean barbecue restaurants, where meat is often cooked on a small grill built into the center of the table. Los Angeles City Hall is the center of government in the city of Los Angeles, California. ... There are many views as to what defines Japanese cuisine, as the everyday food of the Japanese people has diversified immensely over the past century or so. ... Donburi (丼, lit. ... A cook making hand-pulled noodles. ... Soba served on a zaru Soba ) is the Japanese word for buckwheat. ... This article is about the Japanese noodle dish. ... Shabu-shabu (Japanese: しゃぶしゃぶ), also spelled syabu-syabu, is a Japanese dish prepared nabemono style, and consists of thinly sliced meat and vegetables usually served with dipping sauces. ... Galbi or kalbi is a Korean dish made from beef short ribs, though it can also be made with pork ribs. ...

Little Tokyo has several shops that specialize in Japanese-language videos and DVDs, while other shops specialize in Japanese electronics and video games. These are a great way to find Japanese video games that were never translated into English. Bottom view of VHS videotape cassette with magnetic tape exposed Videotape is a means of recording images and sound onto magnetic tape as opposed to movie film. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... Consumer electronics is a term used to describe the category of electronic equipment intended for everyday use by people, the consumers. ... Computer and video games redirects here. ...

The Weller Court shopping mall has several restaurants, karaoke clubs, and a Bubble Tea cafe. For tourists visiting from Japan, there are a number of shops specializing in expensive name brand products such as Coach handbags. There is also a large bookstore, Kinokuniya, that is part of a well-known Japanese chain. They have a large selection of Japanese-language books, magazines, music CDs, manga, and anime, as well as a selection of English-language books on Japanese subjects and translated manga and anime. Pearl milk tea typically found in Taiwan Bubble tea is a tea beverage that originated in Taiwan[1] in the 1980s. ... For other uses, see Brand (disambiguation). ... Coach Inc. ... Books Kinokuniya (紀伊國屋書店) is a Japanese bookstore company, founded in 1927, with its first store located in Shinjuku, Tokyo. ... This article is about the comics created in Japan. ... Animé redirects here. ...

The Japanese Village Plaza is located roughly in the center of Little Tokyo. There are several restaurants in the plaza, plus a number of shops geared towards tourists.

History

The Far East Café (Chop Suey), a landmark 1896 Beaux-Arts building in Little Tokyo, and subject of a $3.8 million restoration that received county, state, and federal funds.

The original boundaries of Little Tokyo extended east and south of the present location, and covered approximately one square mile. The area was a magnet for immigrating Japanese until the Exclusion Act of 1924 halted any further migration. Shops were along First Street, and vegetable markets were along Central Avenue to the south. Japanese Americans were a significant ethnic group in the vegetable trade, due to the number of successful Japanese American truck farms across Southern California. The United States Immigration Act of 1924, also known as the National Origins Act or the Johnson-Reed Act, limited the number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country to 2% of the number of person from that country who were already living in the United States in...

The internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War emptied Little Tokyo. For a brief time, the area became known as Bronzeville as African Americans moved into the vacated properties and opened up nightclubs and restaurants. After the internment ended, the Bronzeville residents mainly moved to other areas. Jerome Relocation Camp The Japanese American internment refers to the exclusion and subsequent removal of approximately 112,000 to 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans, officially described as persons of Japanese ancestry, 62% of whom were United States citizens, from the west coast of the United States during World War... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

After the war, due to lack of housing in Little Tokyo, Japanese Americans returning from the camps moved into areas surrounding the downtown, into apartments and boarding houses. Notably, Boyle Heights, just east of Little Tokyo, had a large Japanese American population in the 1950s (as it had before the internment). Boyle Heights is a district just east of Downtown Los Angeles on the East Side of Los Angeles, California, USA. The neighborhood was once known for its diverse demographics, including large Jewish American, Japanese American & Mexican American populations, as well as Russian American and Yugoslav populations. ... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ...

In the late 1970s, a redevelopment movement started as Japanese corporations expanded overseas operations and many of them set up their US headquarters in the Los Angeles area. Several new shopping plazas and hotels opened, along with branches of some major Japanese banks. Although this redevelopment resulted in many new buildings and shopping centers, there are still some of the original Little Tokyo buildings and restaurants, especially along First Street. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Walt Disney Concert Hall, Frank Gehry, architect The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, (not to be confused with the Los Angeles Metro Area which includes only Los Angeles and Orange Counties) is the agglomeration of urbanized area around the county of Los Angeles, California, United States. ...

During the 1970s and 1980s, artists began to move into nearby aging warehouse spaces in the area, forming a hidden community in the industrialized area. Al's Bar, Gorky's, the Atomic Cafe, and LA Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) are some well-known sites. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ...

Downtown Los Angeles from Little Tokyo, with Cathedral of St. Vibiana in foreground.

Land use has been a contentious issue in Little Tokyo due to its history, the proximity to the Los Angeles Civic Center, the role of Los Angeles as a site of business between Japan and America, and the increasing influx of residents into the Artist District. Unlike a traditional ethnic enclave, there are relatively few Japanese residents in the area because of evacuation and internment. Consequently, Little Tokyo, like other ethnic urban enclaves, is constantly threatened with development that could eradicate it. Conversely, because the Japanese American community was politicized by the internment and subsequent Redress and Reparations effort, and because of the global and local growth of overseas Japanese investment, Little Tokyo has resisted eradication and has continued to exist as a tourist attraction, community center, and home to Japanese American senior citizens and others. St. ... Land use is the pattern of construction and activity land is used for. ...

The current site of Parker Center, the Los Angeles Police Department's headquarters, was the former site of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist temple. The area south of the site was part of the First Street business strip. The warehouses and new condominiums to the east of Little Tokyo were once residential areas of the district. The Weller Court mall was opposed by some people in the community because it redeveloped a strip of family-owned small businesses. Community activists established First Street as a historic district in 1986, In 2004, they helped reopen the Far East Cafe, an acknowledged community hub. Parker Center Parker Center is the headquarters for the Los Angeles Police Department, and is located in Downtown LA. It is named for former LAPD chief William H. Parker. ... LAPD and L.A.P.D. redirect here. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Education

St. Vibiana complex today with the Little Tokyo Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library

The area is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District ^[1]. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California. ... The Los Angeles Unified School District (the LAUSD) is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. ...

• 9th Street Elementary School
• Hollenbeck Middle School
• Belmont High School

Los Angeles Public Library operates the Little Tokyo Branch. Belmont Senior High School is a public high school located at 1575 West 2nd Street in Downtown Los Angeles. ... The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California. ...

Religion

Koyasan Buddhist temple in Little Tokyo

There are several Buddhist temples in the area, including Zenshuji Soto Mission (the first Soto Zen temple in North America) and a few Japanese Christian churches. A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... For the vegetable, see Celosia. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ...

One of the roots of Pentecostalism started in Little Tokyo. Where the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center Plaza is now located was once the home of the First Pentecostal Church, a multiracial congregation called the Azusa Street Mission. This is where the Azusa Street Revival started in 1906. Earlier, it was also the site of the First AME Church. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Pentecostal... The Azusa Street Revival was a Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. ... The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church, is a Christian denomination founded by Bishop Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816. ...

The former Catholic Cathedral of Saint Vibiana is just to the west of Little Tokyo. After being heavily damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the Archdiocese moved to a new site (now the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels) and the old site was redeveloped with the former cathedral converted into a performing arts space and non-historic buildings on the site demolished and replaced with a new Little Tokyo Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The former Cathedral of Saint Vibiana was the motherchurch of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... The Northridge earthquake occurred on January 17, 1994 at 4:31 AM Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California. ...

External links

• Little Tokyo Community Council
• Little Tokyo Unplugged
• Visit Little Tokyo
• Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
• Japanese American National Museum
• Little Tokyo Service Center
• East West Players
• Historic Bronzeville, Los Angeles
• Little Tokyo Metro Adventure
• Japanese American Network - Little Tokyo
• Nisei Week
• Los Angeles Tofu Festival
• Rafu Shimpo
• Nikkei Federation
• Strategies for the Preservation of Little Tokyo as an Historic Community

References

v • d • e City of Los Angeles Topics History · Transportation · Culture · Landmarks · Maps · Notable people · Mayors · Other elected officials Regions Downtown · Eastside · Harbor Area · Greater Hollywood · Westlake & Silver Lake/Los Feliz · San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys · South Los Angeles · Westside · Wilshire

v • d • e Downtown area, Los Angeles, California Districts and neighborhoods Arts District · Bunker Hill · Chinatown · Civic Center · Fashion District · Financial District · Gallery Row · Historic Core · Jewelry District · Little Tokyo · Skid Row · South Park · Old Bank District · Toy District · Wholesale District Points of interest Angels Flight · Convention Center · Music Center · Olvera Street · Staples Center Downtown · Eastside · Harbor Area · Greater Hollywood · Westlake/Silver Lake/Los Feliz · San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys · South Los Angeles · Westside · Wilshire

Coordinates: 34°03′05″N, 118°14′33″W Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The arts and culture of Los Angeles are varied. ... The following is a list of important sites of interest in and around the city of Los Angeles, California. ... These thematic maps (a map without a legend and/or a scale is no longer a map, but only a nice pict) of Los Angeles County California illustrate the different neighborhoods and the contrasting demographics of the diverse county. ... The following notable people were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Los Angeles, California. ... Los Angeles City Hall The mayor of Los Angeles is the Chief Executive Officer of the City. ... This is a list of elected officials serving the city of Los Angeles, California. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Los_Angeles,_California. ... Downtown Los Angeles skyline This is a list of districts and neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles // Map depicting boundaries of Los Angeles city Map of Los Angeles in 1970 Los Angeles neighborhoods display a degree of diversity well befitting the second-largest city in the United States. ... Skyline of downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Street level in the Artist District The Arts District, previously known as the Warehouse District, occupies the eastern side of Downtown Los Angeles. ... Bunker Hill as seen from Los Angeles City Hall Bunker Hill, in the downtown area of Los Angeles, California, is a short, developed hill with its peak located roughly around 3rd Street. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dominated by the large Los angeles Civic Center the neighborhood was mostly warehouses and industrial business. ... People in the Fashion District The Fashion District is a design, warehouse, and distribution nexus of the clothing, accessories and fabric industry in Downtown Los Angeles. ... The Financial District of Downtown Los Angeles as viewed from Bunker Hill The centerpoint of Downtown Los Angeles, the Financial District was built adjacent to and parallel with the redevelopment of Bunker Hill. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Downtown Los Angeles Historic Core consists of the area between Hill and Los Angeles streets. ... The Jewelry District is the largest jewelry district in the United States (according to the Los Angeles Convention Center and Visitors Bureau) and is a section of Downtown Los Angeles where a variety of jeweled products are sold. ... Skid Row, Los Angeles Skid Row is an area of Downtown Los Angeles. ... South Park is an unincorporated village in: Sonoma County, California (CA), United States, North America. ... A part of the Historic Core of Los Angeles, the Old Bank District is a small group of turn-of-the-century buildings centering on on 4th street. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Wholesale District of Los Angeles, California is a group of warehouses located mostly south east part of Downtown Los Angeles. ... Current view 1903 view, with the Third Street Tunnel at right Angels Flight is a landmark funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of downtown Los Angeles, California, United States, which claims to be the shortest railway in the world. ... The Los Angeles Convention Center is a convention center in Los Angeles. ... The Los Angeles Music Center (its actual name is the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County) is a complex of four entertainment venues located on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, United States. ... Olvera Street Market in December, 2005 Olvera Street is in the oldest part of Downtown Los Angeles, California, and is otherwise known as the birthplace of the City of Angels or El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument and is a department within the city. ... Staples Center is a multipurpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles, California adjacent to the LA Live development. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...