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Little Tokyo

Little Tokyo is an area in Downtown Los Angeles that is considered one of only 3 official Japantowns in the entire United States. All three of the official Japantowns are located in California with the other two being in San Francisco and San Jose. Little Tokyo, the cultural center for Japanese American residents in Southern California was declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1995.

History of Little Tokyo

Originally, Little Tokyo was was a bit larger than it is today spanning farther to the east and south of the current location which now covers an area less than one square mile. Historically, the Little Tokyo area was a place for Japanese immigrants but the Exclusion Act of 1924 prevented any further migration of the Japanese into Little Tokyo.

During the late 1970s the area of Little Tokyo was redeveloped and many Japanese corporations began to set up headquarters in the area. Many new shopping centers and hotels were opened in the area and various Japanese bank branches were also opened in Little Tokyo at this time. The redevelopment resulted in many artists moving into the Little Tokyo area in the early 1980s.

Los Angeles Little Tokyo Description

Little Tokyo is a small neighborhood in Los Angeles that is the cultural focal point for the Japanese American population. The area spans roughly five city blocks and is bounded by Los Angeles Street, Alameda Street, 3^rd Street and First Street. Additionally, part of the block just north of First Street and to the immediate west of Alameda is also considered a part of Little Tokyo and is where the Japanese American National Museum is located as well as many historic shops which are from the Old Little Tokyo prior to the 1930s.

The Los Angeles Little Tokyo area is serviced by the Los Angeles Metro Gold line as well as the Red Line and the Purple Lines. Union Station and Civic Center station are both within close walking distance of Little Tokyo but the area also has it's own station that is located on the norhteastern side of Little Tokyo called the Little Tokyo/Arts District station.

Residents of Little Tokyo

Little Tokyo Los Angeles spans just over one tenth of a square mile and is home to about 1,137 residents. The median age of residents living in Little Tokyo is 70 years old as the area is no longer home to many people but there are thousands of Japanese Americans who work and attend worship in Little Tokyo but whom live just outside the neighborhood in Torrence, Gardena and Monterey Park. The median household income for Little Tokyo residents is far below the Los Angeles average of $48,882 with most Little Tokyo residents having a household income of just over $12,000 per year.

Los Angeles Little Tokyo Rentals

Little Tokyo rentals are hard to come by as the area is the primarily built of shops, religious institutions and restaurants that have a Japanese culture appeal. The majority of the real estate in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles tends to be commercial type real estate but there are some Little Tokyo rentals scattered in between. The median rent for Little Tokyo is only $327 which is about 1/3 of the median rent paid in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Little Tokyo rentals do range in price from below $500 to about $1,000 but the majority of the rentals in the area are priced very low.

Fun Things to do in Los Angeles Little Tokyo

Little Tokyo is home to many Japanese American cultural attractions including the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, the Japanese American National Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The Asian American theater, East West Players, is also located in Little Tokyo and features Japanese style plays and musicals.

Each year in August, the Nisei Week festival is held in Little Tokyo. This event includes a parade, pageant and various athletic events in addition to a Japanese Festival Street Faire, a car show and various other Japanese cultural events. There is much to see and do in the area with roots in Japanese culture. Various Japanese style restaurants are scattered throughout Little Tokyo and several shopping plazas are also located throughout the neighborhood.