A guide to local favorites in Little Tokyo Los Angeles
Little Tokyo is quickly changing, as the loft apartments, boutiques and trendy restaurants of the neighboring Arts District spread across the border. The northeast corner of downtown L.A. has been a cultural hub for Japanese Americans since before their forced removal during World War II, and many community organizations, artists and activists are still here, using the concentration camp story to advocate for immigrant and minority groups facing discrimination today.
Meet your local
Mia was born in Pasadena and moved seven times across the country before finishing high school in L.A.’s South Bay. After going to college in Vermont, she came back to L.A. in 2010 and has lived here since. Before going freelance, she worked on staff at the Rafu Shimpo, the local Japanese American community newspaper, based in Little Tokyo.
miagabb miagabbWant to get in touch? Email bytheway@washpost.com
Where I live:
On the Eastside, near the L.A. River. My parents still live in the South Bay, which my mom brags is always 10 degrees cooler than where I live.
Best way to get around the city:
L.A. was famously built for cars and, unfortunately, they’re still the most reliable way to get around. If you plan strategically, though, you can access a lot by Metro, and many neighborhoods are walkable.
Don’t leave without having:
A moment at the ocean. If you’re here on a weekday, take advantage of the lull and go to El Matador State Beach in Malibu, which has gorgeous, dramatic rock formations and is always crowded on weekends.
But the local favorite is really:
The wide-ranging food culture. The city mourned when Jonathan Gold, the first restaurant critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, died in 2018. He wrote about L.A.’s food with awareness and respect for the people and cultures behind it, and many of the best stories written about the city are still told through the lens of food.
If I moved, I’d most miss:
Being able to see actors, comedians and artists, both at the top of their game and just getting started, perform and talk about their work, often at free or affordable events, while still getting to live in a relatively quiet, residential neighborhood.
Little Tokyo
Japanese American National Museum
The museum has a permanent exhibit, “Common Ground,” dedicated to the timeline of Japanese American history, from immigration to the World War II concentration camps to the redress movement of the 1980s.
Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Ave. Los Angeles, Calif. 90012
Suehiro Cafe
In a neighborhood quickly filling with expensive food, long live the oasis of Suehiro’s lunch special. For $6.50, you can have a full meal.
Suehiro Cafe, 337 E. First St. Los Angeles, Calif. 90012
Fugetsu-Do
This Japanese dessert shop sells bulk mochi bits to frozen-yogurt shops, but that’s only the beginning of what it can do with rice flour. Fugetsu-Do’s sweets range from traditional Japanese red-bean-paste-filled daifuku to very American interpretations like peanut butter mochi.
Fugetsu-Do, 315 E. First St. Los Angeles, Calif. 90012
Cafe Dulce
Everything at Cafe Dulce seems designed to inspire delight, from the colorful pastries to the adorably illustrated cup sleeves. Go for the tapioca rolls or dino-egg rolls, both chewy and subtly sweet beneath a thin crust.
Cafe Dulce, 134 Japanese Village Plaza Mall Los Angeles, Calif. 90012
Cafe Demitasse
The first location in a small local chain, this coffee shop always has interesting seasonal drinks, like the sparkling sour cherry iced tea. Its pastries come from local Sugarbloom Bakery and include the kimchi spam croissant, the answer to your umami craving.
Cafe Demitasse, 135 San Pedro St. Los Angeles, Calif. 90012
Mia Nakaji Monnier
Mia was born in Pasadena and moved seven times across the country before finishing high school in L.A.’s South Bay. After going to college in Vermont, she came back to L.A. in 2010 and has lived here since. Before going freelance, she worked on staff at the Rafu Shimpo, the local Japanese American community newspaper, based in Little Tokyo.
@miagabb @miagabbLisa Corson
Lisa is a contributing photographer to The Washington Post based in Los Angeles.
@lisacorsonphoto
