Public Art Works in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles

Little Tokyo is the area of Downtown Los Angeles bordered by 3rd Street on the south side, Alameda St. and Central Ave on the east side, 1st Street on the north, and Los Angeles St. on the west. Included in that area are many business, the New Otani Hotel, the James Irvine Garden, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center/Plaza, and the Japanese American National Museum. Many of the works in Little Tokyo have been sponsored by the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and Friends of Little Tokyo Arts (FOLTA). Do not reproduce information from this site without acknowledgement of the artists and their works, or of the authors of this site.

Historical background on Little Tokyo
Bibliography of resources on Little Tokyo

• New Otani (2nd St. and Los Angeles St.);
  • Sentaro Iwaki, Garden in the Sky, 1977. 120 S. Los Angeles St. (CRA%)
    • Detail of a pond
    • Detail of a waterfall
    • Background on the garden
    • A short biography of the landscape artist
    • A short bibliography on the garden

  • Gan Iwashiro, Untitled, 1977. 120 S. Los Angeles St. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the installation
    • A short bibliography on the work

  • Mayor Tom Bradley Fountain. 120 S. Los Angeles St.

• 1st and 2nd streets (between San Pedro St. and Central Ave):
  • Sheila Levrant de Bretteville with Sonya Ishii, Omoide No Shotokyo (Remembering Old Little Tokyo), 1996. Historic Little Tokyo, 1st St. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the project
    • A short biography of the artist
    • A bibliography of resources on the project

  • Nobuho Nagasawa, Toyo Miyatake's Camera, 1993. 369 E. 1st. St. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the making of the sculpture
    • A short biography of the arist
    • A short bibliography of resources on the sculpture

  • Roger Yanagita, Go For Broke Monument, 1999. (110th/442nd/MIS World War II Memorial Foundation). North of the Japanese American National Museum, adjacent to the Geffen Contemporary.
    • Details of the monument
    • Background information on the monument.

  • Louis Quaintance and Eugene Daub, California Japantown Landmarks Project, 2006. Union Church/Union Center for the Arts. Moved in 2011 to Toriumi Plaza across the street.

  • John O'Brien, Encompassing Aiso, 2011. Toriumi Plaza, First Street and Aiso Street.

  • Yami M. Duarte, Normal Montoya. Mural dedicated to Rev. Phil Aguilar, Set Free Ministries. Wall behind businesses on First Street, near the MOCA Geffen Temporary Contemporary. August 15, 2001.

  • Bike Rack near the MOCA Geffen Temporary Contemporary. Southern California Institute for Architecture (Sci-Arc)

  • Jerry Matsukuma, Senzo, 1981 350 E. 1st. St. (FOLTA). Images on ceramic mural depicting the history of Little Tokyo and the experience of the Issei.
    • Closer look at the bottom section
    • Closer look at the middle section
    • Closer look at the upper section
    • Background information on the making of the mural
    • A short biography of the artist
    • A short bibliography of resources

  • Susumu Shingu, Aurora, 1986. 328 East First Steet. (CRA%).
    • Background information on the work
    • A short biography of the artist
    • Bibliography of resources on the work

  • Isao Hirai, Monument to Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka, Mission Specialist on the Challenger, 1990. Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka St.
    • Background information on the making of the memorial
    • A short biography of the artist
    • A short bibliography of resources

  • Shinkichi Tajiri, Friendship Knot, 1981. Corner of 2nd and San Pedro Streets. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the sculpture
    • A short biography of the artist
    • A short bibliography of resources

  • Seiji Kunishima, Stonerise, 1984. Four large black African granite blocks are separated with seven small black Indian granite stones. 120 S. San Pedro St. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the sculpture
    • A short biography of the artist
    • A short bibliography of resources

  • Michihiro Kosuge, Towers of Peace, Prosperity and Hope, 1989. 319 E. 2nd St. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the sculpture
    • A brief biography on the artist
    • A bibliography of resources on the sculture.

  • Junichiro Hannya, Monument to Sontuko (Kinjiro) Ninomiya, 1983. A bronze sculpture of the "Peasant Sage of Japan", who lived 1787-1856. 200 S. San Pedro (CRA%)
    • Background information on the sculpture
    • A short bibliography of resources

  • Natalie Krol, Origami Horse, 1984. Mitsui Manufacturer's Bank, 200 S. San Pedro Street.

  • Sawako Shintani, Harmony, 1985. 332 E. 2nd St. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the work
    • A short biography of the arist
    • A short bibliography of resources on the work

  • Peter Lodato, Silver Tower, 1991. 360 E. 2nd St., Brunswig Square. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the sculpture
    • A short biography of the artist
    • A short bibliography on the sculpture

  • Michael Todd, Ten, Chi, Jin, 1979. Japanese Village Square. Named after the basic components of earth, water, and air. (FOLTA)
    • Background information on the sculpture
    • A short biography on the artist
    • Bibliography of resources on the sculpture

  • Monument to Haiku and Tanka. Japanese Village Square

  • Fountain at the Japanese Village Plaza.

• 3rd St. (between San Pedro St. and Central Ave)
  • Isamu Noguchi, To the Issei, 1980. Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the Noguchi Plaza and To the Issei sculpture.
    • A short biography of the artist
    • A short bibliography of resources

  • Takeo Uesugi, Seriyu-en (Garden of the Clear Stream), 1979. Also known as the James Irvine Garden. 244 S. San Pedro Street, Japanese American Community and Cultural Center.
    • Background information on the garden
    • A short biography of the garden designer
    • A short bibliography of resources

  • Woods Davy, Dover, 1981. Little Tokyo Towers, 455 E. 3rd St. (FOLTA)
    • Background information on the sculpture
    • A short biography of the arist
    • bibliography on the sculpture

  • Hitoshi Yoshida, Flight of the Angel, 1989. 407 East 3rd St. (SPARC)
    • Background information on the mural
    • A short biograpny of the artist
    • A short bibliography on the mural

• Central Avenue and Alameda Street:
  • Tony Sheets, Issei No Yume (Issei Dream), 1987. 222 S. Central Ave., Tokyo Villa. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the sculpture
    • A short biography of the artist
    • A short bibliography of resources

  • Kazuko Kayasuga Matthews, Sen Bana No Saki (Thousand Blossoms), 1981. 400 E. 2nd St., Honda Plaza. (CRA%)
    • Background information on the ceramic project
    • A short biography of the artist
    • A short bibliography on the project

  • Marlee Wilcomb, Nikkei Veterans Monument, 1985. 333 S. Alameda Street, Yaohan Plaza.
    • Background information on the sculpture
    • A short biography of the arist
    • A short bibliography on the sculpture

  • Ramon G. Velazco, Chiune Sugihara, 2002. Central around 3rd.

  • Tony Osumi, Sergio Diaz, Jorge Diaz. Home is Little Tokyo, 2005. Central and 1st.

• Wall St. and 3rd St.:
  • Harmony by Nancy Uyemura, 1996. Casa Heiwa.

    A mixed media art piece in the shape of a fan. Photo images depict a personal journey of the spirit and express "family" and relationships we have in life. As we pass through the seasons of life, we experience the "harmony" created when man and nature are in balance.
    For a close-up look click here.

1/2010