Little Tokyo Connected!

Here are some photos of art around Little Tokyo.

This is a piece in front of the Union Center of the Arts. I don't know anything about it, but I guess it was added when the building was renovated in the mid-90s. It has three sides.

This side represents the early years of Little Tokyo when people arrived from Japan to work and start new lives.



This side portrays a traditional Japanese festival and its importance in community. My belief is that the Nisei Week festival is a barometer of the health of the Little Tokyo community. If we can't get people to participate in the festival, then is there still hope for the community?



This side depicts a scene from when Little Tokyo was evacuated and the people were shipped off to live in camps in isolated parts of the country behind barbed wire.



This mural is located on the wall of the new location of Routes, a skater and clothing shop located on Onizuka street. It was painted by the people who work at the shop. The monsters are called yokai; they are traditional Japanese bogeymen. Unfortunately, this pic was taken on a sunny day and so there are many shadows created by the uneven surface of the brick, so you are not seeing the mural cleanly.



Here is the back wall of the shop. Check out Routes here.