Little Tokyo

As the heart of the Japanese American community in Southern California, Little Tokyo has undergone dramatic shifts in demographics and urban development. From its early days as the the city's crossroads of immigrant cultures, through the turbulent years of World War II, to its recent resurgence and future as a major transportation hub, the neighborhood has maintained -- though not without struggles -- its traditions and importance to the Japanese American community in Los Angeles.

What remains today in Little Tokyo is the spirit of a small town, with an impressive set of family owned businesses, much of which have been in L.A. since the neighborhood's halcyon days in the early 1900s, and a tight-knit group of tenacious community leaders that protect its legacy while securing its role for the future.

Departures: Little Tokyo explores the social and cultural history of this unique neighborhood. With help from community members, leaders, and organizations such as the Little Tokyo Service Center, Japanese American National Museum, and Rafu Shimpo, and through interviews, historical research, photographs and essays, we aim to create a narrative that weaves together the social fabric of the community, and reveal just what it is that makes this neighborhood an important part of the city's history.

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Round Table Discussion: Five Former Nisei Week Queens

While the Nisei Week Festival arouses cheer for seven days of celebration, the duties of the Nisei Week Queen are everlasting.

Visual Communications: Reinterpreting Asian American History

The collective began in 1970 with the aim to accurately portray and raise awareness of Asian Americans and their place in history through media arts.

Bunkado: First and Last Record Store in Little Tokyo

Specializing in enka and J-Pop, the upstairs music section of the long-standing gift shop has struggled for years to attract customers to its extensive collection.

Japanese American Memorial Marker

On April 25, 1942, hundreds of Japanese Americans reported to 933 1/2 Venice Boulevard, near the intersection of Lincoln and Venice Boulevard in response to Civilian Exclusion Order No. 7 which ordered the evacuation of people of Japanese ancestry/

Toyo Miyatake: Preserving History Through a Lens

Toyo Miyatake and his photography studio has captured and told the story of Little Tokyo and surrounding Japanese American community for decades.

Two Lives in Times of War

The U.S. government, which had imprisoned Hayami and Hoshizaki for looking like the enemy, was now asking the youths to join the very army that was guarding them at Heart Mountain.

Death is Part of Life for the Fukui Family in Little Tokyo

Fukui Mortuary has served the Japanese American community of Los Angeles for five generations.

The Kawana Family Keeps the Surimi Tradition Alive

Since 1938, the Kawana family has been serving the Japanese-American community and more with their traditional and innovative food products.

Japanese Americans and Cultural Pride at the 1932 Olympics

The success of Japanese athletes at the 1932 Olympics offers insight to an interesting issue: do you root for the country you live in or the country you (or your ancestors) come from?