Kristin Fukushima speaks on Wednesday in Mineta Plaza as the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that Little Tokyo is on the list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Also in attendance were (from left) Carol Tanita, Bill Watanabe, Glenda Hayashi, Hirokazu Kosaka, Linda Dishman and Kristen Hayashi.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced on May 1 that the historic Little Tokyo district in Downtown Los Angeles is on the trust’s annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
Established in 1884, Little Tokyo has endured over a century of adversities, including the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, demolition and construction, gentrification, and urban renewal. The neighborhood is central to the Japanese American community, which fought to designate one block of the commercial corridor as a National Historic Landmark in the 1990s.
The Japanese American National Museum and Little Tokyo Community Council, with other partners from the Sustainable Little Tokyo coalition, led a joint effort to receive the designation.
Today, Little Tokyo is home to over 400 small businesses, including about 50 legacy businesses, but the community continues to fight for preservation of their neighborhood. Organizations like the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, JANM, the Little Tokyo Community Council, and the Little Tokyo Service Center form the Sustainable Little Tokyo coalition to shape a community vision that protects the neighborhood’s culture, residents, and businesses.
Residents, business owners, and supporters are also seeking a voice in infrastructure projects to prioritize Little Tokyo’s culture and preservation. Attention, support, and investment in initiatives like the L.A. Legacy Business program, the Little Tokyo Community Investment Fund, and a potential cultural district program could help protect the people, places and institutions that make Little Tokyo distinct and irreplaceable.
“Little Tokyo and its multigenerational restaurants, businesses, and cultural institutions are a distinctive part of Los Angeles’s history and character, as one of the only remaining Japantowns in the United States,” said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “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.”
“The museum is proud to be a part of a community coalition to preserve and protect the legacy and culture of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo for future generations while being a steward of the Historic Building, one of the museum’s oldest and largest artifacts on its campus,” said Ann Burroughs, president and CEO of JANM.
“JACCC is proud to celebrate this historic designation along with our many community supporters and sister organizations,” said Patricia Wyatt, CEO and president of JACCC. “We remain committed to preserving and advancing our shared history at this authentic crossroads of culture in Little Tokyo.”
“It is particularly meaningful for Little Tokyo to receive this designation this year, while we commemorate 140 years of Little Tokyo,” said Kristin Fukushima, managing director of the Little Tokyo Community Council. “Together, they serve as a testament to generations of community working towards the preservation of this historic community, as well as the ongoing fight for Little Tokyo’s future. 2024 also marks the 25th anniversary of LTCC, and the 10th year since the publishing of the SLT Vision, and LTCC is proud of how these coalitions has pushed Little Tokyo to adapt in the face of the threats to its existence.”
Kristen Hayashi, collections manager at the Japanese American National Museum, discusses the importance of the designation to the preservation of Little Tokyo’s cultural heritage.
“A cornerstone of Little Tokyo Service Center’s mission is to preserve Little Tokyo as a historic cultural neighborhood and an equitable home to low-income residents, seniors, and longtime small businesses,” said Erich Nakano, executive director of Little Tokyo Service Center. “We are proud to steward the preservation and reuse for community benefit of four historic buildings in the National Landmark Little Tokyo Historic District, as well as to be a partner in the Little Tokyo Community Council and Sustainable Little Tokyo, to fight for control over the neighborhood’s future development and growth.”
The other places on the endangered list are:
Cindy Walker House, Mexia, Texas
Eatonville, Fla.
Estate Whim Museum, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, Hud-son River, N.Y.
Minute Man National Historical Park, Walden, and nearby landmarks, Massachusetts
Theodore Roosevelt High School, Gary, Ind.
Sitka Tlingit Clan Houses, Sitka, Alaska
Tangier American Legation, Tangier, Morocco
Wilderness Battlefield Area, Or-ange County, Va.
For more information, visit: https://savingplaces.org/stories/11-most-endangered-historic-plac-es-2024