Photo courtesy of Alan Miyatake, Toyo Miyatake Studio
LOS ANGELES — Throughout 2014, the Little Tokyo Historical Society will observe a yearlong celebration of the 130th anniversary of Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, which had its origin in 1884 with the establishment of a humble restaurant, Kame, at 340 E. First St.
To celebrate the rich historic and cultural heritage and legacy of historic Little Tokyo, the LTHS invites organizations and individuals who are passionately interested in the past, present and future Little Tokyo to co-partner in developing anniversary presentations, oral histories, community photo-sharing activities, exhibitions and intergenerational activities.
Planning meetings are the first Saturday of the month at 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and are open to the public.
The commemorative project was introduced during the Jan. 1 “Oshogatsu in Little Tokyo” event and had its official kick-off at the 2014 LTHS Shinnenkai New Year’s luncheon on Feb. 1.
LTHS is a not-for-profit, all-volunteer organization that focuses on researching and discovering the historical resources, stories and connections of sites, buildings and events related to Little Tokyo as an ethnic heritage neighborhood.
The organization is committed to documenting and verifying the history of locals, sites and buildings, as well as preserving and sharing the history and personal stories of Little Tokyo and its residents.
For more information about the 130th Little Tokyo birthday observance, including volunteering, membership and donating, please visit www.littletokyohs.org or contact Michael Okamura, president, at littletokyohs@gmail.com or call (626) 840-8409.
Originally published on February 7, 2014
