By DAISUKE IGARASHI/ Correspondent
May 3, 2024 at 17:00 JST
A mural of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers was recently completed at the Miyako Hotel Los Angeles, located in the heart of Little Tokyo. (Daisuke Igarashi)
Little Tokyo in Los Angeles has been named as one of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places” by the National Trust Historic Preservation, a U.S. nonprofit organization.
Japanese-American organizations aiming to revitalize the community and attract interest from a wide range of people had pushed hard for Little Tokyo’s inclusion on the list, which was released on May 1.
Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, Little Tokyo has a history of about 140 years. It survived the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
More than 400 small businesses remain in the district, which is close to Dodger Stadium.
A mural of star slugger Shohei Ohtani was recently completed at the Miyako Hotel Los Angeles in Little Tokyo.
On weekends, the area is crowded with people seeking Japanese cuisine.
However, the community has been under pressure from evictions and redevelopment as land prices soar.
“Little Tokyo and its multigenerational restaurants, businesses and cultural institutions are a distinctive part of Los Angeles’ history and character, as one of the only remaining Japantowns in the United States,” Carol Quillen, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said in a statement.
“We hope that by bringing attention to displacement and gentrification occurring in the neighborhood, Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo can get the support and policy protections needed so that the community can thrive long into the future,” she said.
The privately funded NPO, which works to preserve historic U.S. places, releases the list annually.
This year’s list included New Salem Baptist Church in West Virginia and Tangier American Legation in Morocco, the first property located abroad to be named.
People can sign a petition to support the preservation of Little Tokyo and other sites on the organization’s website at https://savingplaces.org/.
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