Nestled in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, just south of city hall, Little Tokyo is a cultural and civic center for Japanese Americans living in Southern California [1]. Spanning about five city blocks, Little Tokyo is home to anime-themed shops, traditional Japanese restaurants, and the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) — the first museum in the country dedicated to the Japanese American experience [2]. 

L.A.’s Little Tokyo formed during a wave of Japanese immigration to the West Coast in the 1800s. As Japanese immigrants continued to fill agricultural labor shortages left by the Chinese Exclusion Act, they tended to settle together in ethnic enclaves. These communities of Japanese Americans later became known as nihonmachi, or Japantowns [3].

At their height, more than 80 Japantowns existed across the U.S., at least 40 of which were located in California [4]. In addition to providing a familiar linguistic and cultural environment for Japanese immigrants, Japantowns also provided critical services to the Japanese community, including employment, legal aid, and immigration services [5]. 

Although immigration from Japan has slowed in recent decades, Japantowns remain a centerpiece of the Japanese American community. Most importantly, Japantowns are essential means by which Japanese communities preserve their culture. Despite a proportionally shrinking Japanese population in Japantowns, Japantowns still host Japanese festivals, events, and political activities [6]. In this way, Japantowns preserve Japanese culture for future generations and, as popular tourist destinations, help educate others about Japanese culture [7].

Japantowns also provide an opportunity for the Japanese community to open small businesses. Historically, Japanese immigrants almost exclusively found employment in Japantowns. Although such restrictions have changed, the concentration of Japanese Americans in Japantowns still allows businesses to be close to both their customers and workers of Japanese heritage. Being close to other Japanese businesses also enables small businesses to exchange information, credit, and other forms of mutual support [8]. 

Despite this, Japantowns are on the decline across the country. There are currently only three officially designated Japantowns in the country: the Japantowns in San Francisco, San Jose, and L.A., all of which are nowhere near as big as they historically were [9]. For instance, San Francisco’s Japantown, which used to encompass nearly 40 blocks, now only claims four to six blocks [10]. In L.A.’s Little Tokyo, historical businesses are closing at an alarming rate. Nearly 10 percent of the community’s 415 registered small enterprises have shuttered or moved. Just last year, NPR designated Little Tokyo one of the 11 most endangered historic places in the U.S. [11].

Several factors influenced this decline, including Japanese incarceration during WWII, redevelopment in the late 1900s, and competition from corporations in recent years. Recent grassroots movements have worked to maintain Japantowns for both their symbolic and practical importance to the Japanese American community, but further preservation requires cooperation from local leaders in government.

Historic Displacement and Redevelopment

The most apparent cause of the decline of Japantowns was the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. In response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese military in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which caused the forced removal of over 100,000 Japanese immigrants and citizens living on the West Coast to camps in the U.S. interior [12]. 

As incarceration forced thousands of Japanese out of their businesses and properties, an influx of Black migrants from the south took over the vacant properties [13]. Although some Japanese merchants and homeowners successfully signed new leases after incarceration was lifted in 1946, as many as a third of residents relocated away from Japantowns after WWII [14]. 

Resettlers to Japantowns returned to neighborhoods facing extreme disrepair and overcrowding, enhancing the neighborhoods’ images as slums. By the late 1940s, Japantowns were primary targets for what city officials called “urban renewal” [15]. In an effort to revamp Japantowns, city officials embarked on massive development projects such as the sprawling Japan Center Peace Plaza in San Francisco’s Japantown. Using eminent domain laws to seize private property, city governments displaced thousands of Japanese and African Americans living in Japantowns during the mid-1900s. In San Francisco, as many as 2,500 families and 150 businesses were affected by developments. Even though eminent domain laws require fair compensation for property, many former Japantown residents received less than $100,000 for classic Victorian houses that would be worth millions today [16]. In addition to the physical removal of hundreds of Japanese families and businesses, urban renewal also significantly demoralized Japantowns [17].

Competition and Corporate Ownership

Besides government-sanctioned redevelopment projects, private actors have also encroached on Japantowns. This problem first came to light during the period of redevelopment in the 20th century. As local governments worked to increase the tourist draw of Japantowns, city officials sought investment from Japan. Although several Japanese American merchants desired a piece of the pie, previous incarceration stripped most Japanese Americans of the financial capital to put enough pressure on the city. Most of the land was ultimately given to corporate developers [18].

After over half a century, the situation remains largely the same. In San Francisco’s Japantown, two private corporations—Kinokuniya Bookstores of America and 3D Investments—own the three malls that comprise the “Japan Center Malls.” Although L.A.’s Little Tokyo has a slightly more fractured ownership structure, private landlords own its two main outdoor shopping complexes—Weller Court and Japanese Village Plaza [19]. 

Because most private corporations tend to care more about their bottom line than cultural preservation, corporate land ownership has strained businesses in Japantowns. In Little Tokyo, an estimated 70 percent of businesses have had to defer at least one month of rent payment [20]. In other Japantowns, where corporate ownership is more consolidated, the rent situation is worse. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the situation in Japantowns, as many legacy businesses were forced to either limit operations or close permanently [21].

Corporate owners also heavily engage in gentrifying Japantowns across California. In Little Tokyo, the years-long construction of the Little Tokyo/Arts District Metro station displaced several businesses and reshaped the busy corner across from JANM. The completion of the station in 2023 also brought developers looking to be part of the neighborhood’s growing popularity among tourists. Properties like surface parking lots and mixed-use residential spaces increasingly push local Japanese American residents and businesses out of Little Tokyo [22]. The recent renovation of the San Francisco Japantown Peace Plaza saw similar concerns from local merchants and residents [23].

Such financial struggles have hurt historical Japanese American businesses. In 2023, Japanese comfort food restaurant Suehiro Cafe was forced to leave Little Tokyo due to massive rent increases, sparking days of community protests [24]. However, without these culturally relevant businesses, there can be no ethnic cultural district. Any effort to preserve Japantowns requires engaging landlords and reigning in their predatory policies.

Hope for the Future

Despite these struggles, grassroots organizations have mobilized to preserve California’s three remaining Japantowns. Most significantly, Little Tokyo was officially recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1995 and designated a California Cultural District in 2017 [25]. These designations increase Little Tokyo’s visibility and tourist appeal and provide government technical assistance and funding for its preservation [26, 27].

Various community organizations and local activists have also lobbied local governments, protested rent hikes, and spoken out against harmful redevelopment projects. Some organizations, such as the Little Tokyo Service Center, have bought property to lease to Japanese American businesses at lower rates [28]. 

However, local governments should also play a part in preserving Japantowns. For one, elected officials should ensure that local and nonprofit developers have a “first right to ownership” on foreclosed properties in Japantowns [29]. This would prevent large corporations from buying more land in Japantowns and crowding small businesses out. Local governments should also use incentives to encourage corporations already in Little Tokyo to prioritize local businesses or designate areas of Japantown for “legacy businesses,” which have been in operation for over 20 years [30]. 

Local governments should also provide resources and training to help Japantown businesses promote themselves on social media [31]. Many Japantown businesses, including Fugetsu-Do, have already seen increased traffic thanks to social media campaigns [32]. Directed and government-supported social media campaigns, aimed either at specific businesses or Japantown in general, could significantly boost the local tourist economy and uplift local business owners. 

The preservation of California’s Japantowns is not just about preserving historic landmarks. It is about safeguarding Japanese Americans' history, identity, and culture. Although Japantowns have historically faced threats from redevelopment projects and corporate interests, grassroots organizers continue fighting for the local businesses that maintain their neighborhood’s cultures. With cooperation from local governments, there is hope to reverse the trend of decline for Japantowns. By supporting these efforts, communities can ensure that Japantowns continue to thrive and preserve the Japanese American culture for future generations.