Southern California has been called one of the most culturally diverse places in the world, leading to many unique ethnic communities that have long been a part of the state’s history. One such community is Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, a vibrant, historic little town in the middle of the city that is well worth exploring.
The area now known as Little Tokyo was established in downtown Los Angeles in 1885 when a Japanese sailor opened a restaurant on First Street. Several other Japanese-owned restaurants followed and by 1905, the community had a population of about 3,500 Japanese and an estimated 10,000 in Los Angeles who made this their social center.
The Far East Cafe (“Chop Suey”) is a landmark Beaux-Arts building from 1896, one of the earliest structures in Little Tokyo. This historic district is now a designated historic landmark.
Little Tokyo, the largest of the only three official “Japantowns” in the US, is a section of the city rich in history and culture, blending the old and the new, with Eastern architecture, huge wall murals and public art pieces, commemorative monuments, and museums.
In the center of Little Tokyo, the Japanese Village Plaza is a historic cultural center full of restaurants and shops, many of which are geared toward tourists.
The plaza has a festive, old-world atmosphere with its pretty storefront designs, paper lanterns, old-fashioned street lamps, public artwork, and more.
Little Tokyo is the perfect place to shop for Japanese electronics, video games (especially those never released in the States), manga and anime-related products, Japanese-language videos, etc.
Every August, Little Tokyo becomes a hub of festive activities, parades, street fairs, competitions, etc. during the annual Nisei Week Festival which showcases Japanese culture through music, activities, entertainment, and food.
The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center has a lovely little Japanese garden – a pretty green oasis in the city with water features, bridges, and paths to wander.
There are actually two lovely little Japanese gardens in Little Tokyo, the second one being a rooftop garden at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.
Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Street with its Challenger monument commemorates the Japanese-American mission specialist who was aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.
This is also where the Weller Court mall is located – a shopping center with restaurants, karaoke clubs, a “bubble tea” shop, a well-known Japanese book store, and American name-brand shops especially for tourists from Japan.
If you visit Little Tokyo, be sure to stop into Fugetsu-Do Confectionery. Established in 1903, it is believed to be the oldest continuously-operating food establishment here.
Fugetsu-Do is known for its “wagashi” (Japanese sweets) including a huge variety of mochi and manju.
Little Tokyo is one of Southern California’s largest and most captivating historic communities. Have you explored this little Japanese town in LA? We would love to hear what your favorite shops or attractions are. One of the best ways to experience the various cultures in SoCal is through food and Little Tokyo is one of the communities on this awesome LA Culinary Tour!
