Perfiles de la comunidad de Little Tokyo - 2010
En la primavera de 2010, Discover Nikkei se asoció con el profesor Morgan Pitelka del Occidental College y sus estudiantes en el seminario “Japanofilia: orientalismo, nacionalismo, transnacionalismo” en un importante proyecto de documentación comunitaria. Los estudiantes entrevistaron a propietarios de cinco antiguos negocios de Little Tokyo para escribir diez artículos y crear cinco álbumes en el Nikkei Album. Los artículos se publicarán uno cada semana los lunes sucesivos.
Este proyecto es una continuación de la serie de perfiles de la comunidad de Little Tokyo de 2009 .
Historias de Esta Serie
The Tsunami of Little Tokyo - An Interview with Mr. Akimoto of Frying Fish Restaurant
28 de junio de 2010 • Kent Taroh Tonozuka
Editor’s note: Discover Nikkei is an archive of stories representing different communities, voices, and perspectives. The following article presents the opinions of a Little Tokyo business owner and does not represent the views of Discover Nikkei and the Japanese American National Museum. Discover Nikkei publishes these stories as a way to share different perspectives expressed within the community.“You cannot hold a tsunami by yourself.” These are the words of Mr. Akimoto as he ponders the future of Little Tokyo. His …
The Renaissance of the Rafu Shimpo after WWII
21 de junio de 2010 • Vedette Philip
Following the events of World War II, Akira Komai, with the help of three other businessmen, helped the Rafu Shimpo newspaper restart on January 1, 1946. After the bank refused to give funding to the project, three of Komai’s friends offered their savings to restore the newspaper to its former glory. The existence of the Rafu Shimpo after World War II was especially significant for friends and relatives divided by the Japanese internment camps. The newspaper provided valuable information to …
Mitsuru Grill: Feel Good Fusion
14 de junio de 2010 • Jonathan Gartrelle
Mitsuru Sushi & Grill is a cozy restaurant located by 1st Street and San Pedro of Little Tokyo. Its atmosphere projects an air of unassuming invitation. The main store window displays an amazing and colorful array of plastic sushi pieces, organized in the manner in which they may be ordered and prepared. In the very front of the restaurant is a simple sushi bar where one has complete visual access to witness the traditional manner of making sushi. The restaurant …
A Lasting Commitment: Rafu Bussan Inc.
7 de junio de 2010 • Katrina Senn
It is hard to miss this wonderful gem of Los Angeles’s Little Tokyo District. With its big orange sign shaped like a fan and wide storefront windows to match, Rafu Bussan Inc. stands out as a landmark in the neighborhood. The front window displays a wide collection of Japanese import products—from books, to dolls, ceramics, chopsticks, earthenware, and vases—a selection which exemplifies the diversity of this 7,000 square foot store at the heart of Little Tokyo. Rafu Bussan holds one …
America’s First Ramen Noodle Restaurant is Los Angeles’ Best Midnight Snack
31 de mayo de 2010 • Alexander LaRose
Koraku Japanese Restaurant opened in 1976 on 2nd Street in Little Tokyo and was the first Japanese ramen noodle restaurant in the United States. Although one notices several other ramen establishments in the area, some of which insist that they were the first ramen restaurant in America, Koraku’s proprietor, Mr. Hiroshi Yamauchi, hastily sets the record straight whenever the question arises. Mr. Yamauchi, who arrived in the United States in 1976 to study English, spent only ten years in the United …
Frying Fish: In for the Long Haul
24 de mayo de 2010 • David Minguez
As a young man, Sadahiko Akimoto met his wife Yuko when she emigrated from Japan to the U.S. after college because his mother and uncle told him that Yuko was the one he should marry. Once married, Yuko Akimoto experienced a difficult cultural adjustment, and became frustrated with feeling foreign in her new home. When the time came to start a business, Sadahiko and Yuko turned to Japanese food distribution, and started a ramen business, which was sold after only …
