bmwracer wrote:
I didn't see him: the admission charge was too steep. :beaten:
yeah who wants to see taiko drums when you can pay money to see that guy :P
yeah who wants to see taiko drums when you can pay money to see that guy :P
Nisei Week Festival/Little Tokyo/Related
Started by bmwracer · 11 Aug 2003 · 1,910 replies
General Discussion
yeah who wants to see taiko drums when you can pay money to see that guy :P
![[image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/bmwracer/nisei%202007/nisei2007_26.jpg){kind=link}
Yow, what's gonna happen to Little Tokyo? :sweat: :puppydog:
Hotel, mall sales shake Little Tokyo
With the New Otani and Japanese Village Plaza going to new owners, the neighborhood worries about keeping its ethnic character.
By Roger Vincent and Andrea Chang
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
August 23, 2007
Two landmarks of Los Angeles' Japanese American community were sold this month as downtown's economic boom swept through Little Tokyo, raising concerns about what the effect will be on the closely knit ethnic neighborhood.
In the last two weeks, the high-rise New Otani Hotel & Garden and the popular outdoor Japanese Village Plaza were acquired in separate transactions. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, millions of dollars' worth of real estate development is taking place.
"There's some question of what's going to happen when a new owner comes in and takes over a property with a long history" such as the mall, said Chris Komai, a spokesman with the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo.
He said Japanese community members often worried about whether Little Tokyo would keep its ethnic character as the nearby Civic Center area expanded and new businesses arrived. He noted the presence of Starbucks coffeehouses and a Quizno's sandwich shop in Little Tokyo.
"Our concern is that Little Tokyo would become just like any other place in America," Komai said. "That would be something that we would all feel really badly about."
The news comes as the neighborhood observes Nisei Week, a celebration of Japanese American culture that ends Sunday.
The 21-story New Otani at 1st and Los Angeles streets is the dominant structure in Little Tokyo and the focus of many local cultural activities. Last weekend it hosted a national amateur sumo wrestling tournament and other Nisei Week events.
Among the upscale hotel's 434 rooms are suites catering to Japanese tourists furnished with tatami platform beds and traditional Japanese plumbing fixtures in the bathrooms. It also has an elaborate rooftop Japanese garden.
"This property is a very central piece of the Japanese community," said Ted Wakao, president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California. "So we are very concerned about the new owners."
The buyer of the New Otani is 3D Investments, a private, Beverly Hills-based real estate partnership that owns several commercial properties, including the two most prominent hotels in San Francisco's Japantown.
3D Investments bought the New Otani and its connected retail mall Weller Court from a consortium of Japanese investors, East West Development Corp. Representatives for the parties did not respond to requests for comment, but hotel consultant Alan Reay valued the hotel alone at as much as $60 million.
"It's a nice property," said Reay, president of Atlas Hospitality Group. "I'd call it a four-diamond hotel."
The hotel was completed in 1977 and was perhaps at its zenith during the 1980s when the Japanese economy was prosperous and many tourists viewed Los Angeles as a choice destination. Shops in the hotel and Weller Court stocked jewelry and clothing from top-brand retailers such as Cartier and Burberry.
Japanese tourism has ebbed and flowed in Los Angeles, affected by the Japanese economy and events in the U.S. such as earthquakes, riots and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Other countries have also stepped up efforts to court tourists from Japan.
"Japanese travelers are really big spenders and everyone wants them," said Carol Martinez of LA Inc., the city's convention and visitors bureau. The number of visitors to Los Angeles from Japan peaked in 1997, she said.
Since then many of the shops in Weller Court have closed, and today it appears dated and a little rough around the edges. But changes may be in the works. New owners typically invest in real estate improvements, and the New Otani is likely to be no exception.
In San Francisco, 3D Investments' hotel manager, Joie de Vivre Hospitality, is revitalizing two older properties. Hotel Tomo, which reopened in June, reflects popular Japanese youth culture, and Hotel Kabuki, scheduled to open in November, will evoke traditional Japanese themes.
Joie de Vivre representatives declined to speculate on a role managing the New Otani.
The new owners of Japanese Village Plaza are planning improvements as well. The mall was acquired for $40.7 million this month by American Commercial Equities, according to real estate brokerage GVA Charles Dunn.
Malibu-based American Equities will spend "several million dollars" to refresh the two-story outdoor pedestrian mall of Japanese-themed shops and restaurants between 1st and 2nd streets, President Marvin Lotz said. He hopes to start work this year.
"We'll be paying special attention to maintaining its character," Lotz said. "We know it is an important asset to the community, and it is an important asset to us."
New housing and other improvements across downtown have helped the hotel market in recent years, said industry observer Bruce Baltin of PKF Consulting. Average hotel occupancy was 74% in 2006, the highest in decades, and this year occupancy has been slightly higher. Average room rates are also up 6.3% from a year ago.
More people who come downtown for business or cultural attractions are staying there overnight. "There is less leakage out of downtown" to other local hotel districts, Baltin said.
Little Tokyo is already getting a share of new investment.
Across the street from the New Otani is the 3-year-old Caltrans District 7 headquarters on one corner and a new branch library on another. The former St. Vibiana's Cathedral next to the library has been refurbished as a performance center, and work has begun on a connected condominium development.
Also across 2nd Street from the New Otani, most of a city block that is now a large parking lot will be redeveloped by three companies into four retail and residential projects. Preliminary work is underway on one of them.
"It's not really Little Tokyo anymore," said Mira Park, director of retail operations for pastry and ice cream company Mikawaya, which has a store in Japanese Village Plaza. "It's a melting pot, and I think that's a good thing. Nothing can be the same forever."
Hotel, mall sales shake Little Tokyo
With the New Otani and Japanese Village Plaza going to new owners, the neighborhood worries about keeping its ethnic character.
By Roger Vincent and Andrea Chang
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
August 23, 2007
Two landmarks of Los Angeles' Japanese American community were sold this month as downtown's economic boom swept through Little Tokyo, raising concerns about what the effect will be on the closely knit ethnic neighborhood.
In the last two weeks, the high-rise New Otani Hotel & Garden and the popular outdoor Japanese Village Plaza were acquired in separate transactions. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, millions of dollars' worth of real estate development is taking place.
"There's some question of what's going to happen when a new owner comes in and takes over a property with a long history" such as the mall, said Chris Komai, a spokesman with the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo.
He said Japanese community members often worried about whether Little Tokyo would keep its ethnic character as the nearby Civic Center area expanded and new businesses arrived. He noted the presence of Starbucks coffeehouses and a Quizno's sandwich shop in Little Tokyo.
"Our concern is that Little Tokyo would become just like any other place in America," Komai said. "That would be something that we would all feel really badly about."
The news comes as the neighborhood observes Nisei Week, a celebration of Japanese American culture that ends Sunday.
The 21-story New Otani at 1st and Los Angeles streets is the dominant structure in Little Tokyo and the focus of many local cultural activities. Last weekend it hosted a national amateur sumo wrestling tournament and other Nisei Week events.
Among the upscale hotel's 434 rooms are suites catering to Japanese tourists furnished with tatami platform beds and traditional Japanese plumbing fixtures in the bathrooms. It also has an elaborate rooftop Japanese garden.
"This property is a very central piece of the Japanese community," said Ted Wakao, president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California. "So we are very concerned about the new owners."
The buyer of the New Otani is 3D Investments, a private, Beverly Hills-based real estate partnership that owns several commercial properties, including the two most prominent hotels in San Francisco's Japantown.
3D Investments bought the New Otani and its connected retail mall Weller Court from a consortium of Japanese investors, East West Development Corp. Representatives for the parties did not respond to requests for comment, but hotel consultant Alan Reay valued the hotel alone at as much as $60 million.
"It's a nice property," said Reay, president of Atlas Hospitality Group. "I'd call it a four-diamond hotel."
The hotel was completed in 1977 and was perhaps at its zenith during the 1980s when the Japanese economy was prosperous and many tourists viewed Los Angeles as a choice destination. Shops in the hotel and Weller Court stocked jewelry and clothing from top-brand retailers such as Cartier and Burberry.
Japanese tourism has ebbed and flowed in Los Angeles, affected by the Japanese economy and events in the U.S. such as earthquakes, riots and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Other countries have also stepped up efforts to court tourists from Japan.
"Japanese travelers are really big spenders and everyone wants them," said Carol Martinez of LA Inc., the city's convention and visitors bureau. The number of visitors to Los Angeles from Japan peaked in 1997, she said.
Since then many of the shops in Weller Court have closed, and today it appears dated and a little rough around the edges. But changes may be in the works. New owners typically invest in real estate improvements, and the New Otani is likely to be no exception.
In San Francisco, 3D Investments' hotel manager, Joie de Vivre Hospitality, is revitalizing two older properties. Hotel Tomo, which reopened in June, reflects popular Japanese youth culture, and Hotel Kabuki, scheduled to open in November, will evoke traditional Japanese themes.
Joie de Vivre representatives declined to speculate on a role managing the New Otani.
The new owners of Japanese Village Plaza are planning improvements as well. The mall was acquired for $40.7 million this month by American Commercial Equities, according to real estate brokerage GVA Charles Dunn.
Malibu-based American Equities will spend "several million dollars" to refresh the two-story outdoor pedestrian mall of Japanese-themed shops and restaurants between 1st and 2nd streets, President Marvin Lotz said. He hopes to start work this year.
"We'll be paying special attention to maintaining its character," Lotz said. "We know it is an important asset to the community, and it is an important asset to us."
New housing and other improvements across downtown have helped the hotel market in recent years, said industry observer Bruce Baltin of PKF Consulting. Average hotel occupancy was 74% in 2006, the highest in decades, and this year occupancy has been slightly higher. Average room rates are also up 6.3% from a year ago.
More people who come downtown for business or cultural attractions are staying there overnight. "There is less leakage out of downtown" to other local hotel districts, Baltin said.
Little Tokyo is already getting a share of new investment.
Across the street from the New Otani is the 3-year-old Caltrans District 7 headquarters on one corner and a new branch library on another. The former St. Vibiana's Cathedral next to the library has been refurbished as a performance center, and work has begun on a connected condominium development.
Also across 2nd Street from the New Otani, most of a city block that is now a large parking lot will be redeveloped by three companies into four retail and residential projects. Preliminary work is underway on one of them.
"It's not really Little Tokyo anymore," said Mira Park, director of retail operations for pastry and ice cream company Mikawaya, which has a store in Japanese Village Plaza. "It's a melting pot, and I think that's a good thing. Nothing can be the same forever."
bmwracer wrote:Yow, what's gonna happen to Little Tokyo? :sweat: :puppydog:
It's already lost lots of it's character...the new Hikari apartments on the corner of 2nd and Central has Kinko's underneath it, will also have a Roebek's Juice, and a Pasta resaurant...NONE of which are Japanese...there's a Subway, Quizno's, Starbucks, and Chinese Restaurant that opened up within the last 5 to 7 years...there's an American Apparel on the corner of 2nd and Central as well...NONE of which are Japanese...
edit: oh yeah they're opening a Pinkberry in Little Tokyo as well. WTF?
if they could somehow invigorate its flavor as a Japanese-American ethnic enclave then they could perserve some of what's left, but that remains to be seen.
Tu_triky wrote:It's already lost lots of it's character...the new Hikari apartments on the corner of 2nd and Central has Kinko's underneath it, will also have a Roebek's Juice, and a Pasta resaurant...NONE of which are Japanese...there's a Subway, Quizno's, Starbucks, and Chinese Restaurant that opened up within the last 5 to 7 years...there's an American Apparel on the corner of 2nd and Central as well...NONE of which are Japanese...
edit: oh yeah they're opening a Pinkberry in Little Tokyo as well. WTF?
if they could somehow invigorate its flavor as a Japanese-American ethnic enclave then they could perserve some of what's left, but that remains to be seen.
Awful. :shakehead:
The JACC and Japanese-American Museum are gonna be nothing but tokens of Japanese culture.
I understand what you guys are saying, but I've always been more afraid of it going the other way, having skid row expand and take over, that would be a lot worse than what we've got now.
gaijinmark wrote:I understand what you guys are saying, but I've always been more afraid of it going the other way, having skid row expand and take over, that would be a lot worse than what we've got now.
Dude, in all honesty, there was NEVER a chance that was ever going to happen...you know why...cuz Money talks and Homeless walk...the vested interests in the development of downtown real estate were never going to allow that to happen...they just sat on their hands until the time was right...now development has exploded all over the place and you rarely if ever see a homeless person walking around J-town at night...occassionally the odd homeless individual will hit you up but it's much less than before...and I've been going to J-town since the early 90s
bmwracer wrote:
Awful. :shakehead:
The JACC and Japanese-American Museum are gonna be nothing but tokens of Japanese culture.
Yup....the Mitsuwa Marketplace on 3rd and Alameda (formerly Yaohan plaza) is a veritable ghost town...this bakery I used to like buying bread from, Ginza-ya, closed down a few months ago....the inside of that plaze is dead as a doornail...I'm sure new tenants will take up shop there evenutally but the question is will they have anything to do with Little Tokyo?
f*ck it...they should just move Little Tokyo to Torrance.....
bmwracer wrote:
Also across 2nd Street from the New Otani, most of a city block that is now a large parking lot will be redeveloped by three companies into four retail and residential projects. Preliminary work is underway on one of them.
This has crap written all over it....
A number of family-run businesses I remember from the 60's and 70's are long gone. Many of the current shops and restaurants are now Korean-owned. And as others have pointed out, there has been an influx of chain store businesses in recent years.
The issei and nisei who lived and worked in J-town are now fast dwindling. Many of their sansei, yonsei, and gosei descendants have left to pursue their own dreams and lives.
My relatives and JA friends almost never go to J-town anymore. They'll still periodically visit Gardena (another JA enclave), but Little Tokyo, which used to be a popular place for them to shop, eat, and bring out-of-towners, is no longer that and hasn't been for a while.
The issei and nisei who lived and worked in J-town are now fast dwindling. Many of their sansei, yonsei, and gosei descendants have left to pursue their own dreams and lives.
My relatives and JA friends almost never go to J-town anymore. They'll still periodically visit Gardena (another JA enclave), but Little Tokyo, which used to be a popular place for them to shop, eat, and bring out-of-towners, is no longer that and hasn't been for a while.
Tu_triky wrote:Yup....the Mitsuwa Marketplace on 3rd and Alameda (formerly Yaohan plaza) is a veritable ghost town...this bakery I used to like buying bread from, Ginza-ya, closed down a few months ago....the inside of that plaze is dead as a doornail...
Oh wow, I had no idea the Ginza-ya closed down... Dang.
Yeah, the Mitsuwa/Yaohan was off the beaten path, so there was never a whole lotta foot traffic... On the upper floors there were a couple of good restaurants and even a bowling alley... Wonder if they're still there? :headscratch:
f*ck it...they should just move Little Tokyo to Torrance.....
Out of selfishness, that would be cool, but all that history would be gone... And a lot of it is apparently lost already... :sweat:
bmwracer wrote:
Yeah, the Mitsuwa/Yaohan was off the beaten path, so there was never a whole lotta foot traffic... On the upper floors there were a couple of good restaurants and even a bowling alley... Wonder if they're still there
There are a couple of restaurants still open, Sushi Go 55 among them...but it's relatively quiet up there...don't know if the bowling alley is still open. I doubt it. I only go there to shop @ Mitsuwa and occassionally to buy Japanese tableware at Utsuwa no Yakata.
Another Obon Festival video clip from Japan
http://www.robpongi.com/pages/comboJAPANESEBONODORI2.html
http://www.robpongi.com/pages/comboJAPANESEBONODORI2.html
Tu_triky wrote:Another Obon Festival video clip from Japan
http://www.robpongi.com/pages/comboJAPANESEBONODORI2.html
Thanks for the watch! The blurb on the side was a good read too. :good:
Wynter wrote:
Thanks for the watch! The blurb on the side was a good read too. :good:
:thumbsup:
Tu_triky wrote:Another Obon Festival video clip from Japan
http://www.robpongi.com/pages/comboJAPANESEBONODORI2.html
great clip! Love those kimonos. I should get one since the announcer was wearing one. But where here could I reasonably wear it? :bleh:
ralphm1999 wrote:
great clip! Love those kimonos. I should get one since the announcer was wearing one. But where here could I reasonably wear it? :bleh:
Hmmm..probably only at festivals or around the house, I would guess :)
bmwracer wrote:
Awful. :shakehead:
The JACC and Japanese-American Museum are gonna be nothing but tokens of Japanese culture.
only bits and pieces of japantown...and not much of one...when i tell my japanese pen pal in Nagoya, i really don't know how to explain what Little Tokyo is...a block or two of restaurants, stores, and a few hotels, that's basically it.
Dang Q, we shoulda went to J-town this weekend: it seems to be a whole lot cooler... :beaten:
bmwracer wrote:Dang Q, we shoulda went to J-town this weekend: it seems to be a whole lot cooler... :beaten:
yea, it sure was today...
only thing was my whole family is in town, and spending time with my family this weekend. Otherwise would've been good, they have this fair going on in the little tokyo area...more food vendors? who knows.
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