large korean grocery to replace little tokyo’s mitsuwa
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Well, we all knew it was coming.
After a group of Korean-Americans assumed ownership of the 250,000 square-foot Little Tokyo Shopping Center back in May, news reports of big changes to the three-story mall swept local headlines.
The threat of Korean businesses replacing long-standing Japanese tenants has prompted many to defend the neighborhood’s heritage, though shifting demographics in recent years are taking things in a new direction.
Consequently, investors are moving forward with plans to reposition their asset to a more Korean-themed center, a resolution that marks a turning point for the area.
Jason Kim of Coldwell Banker tells angelenic that Korean grocer H Mart is lined up to replace Mitsuwa Marketplace, a 40,000 square-foot Japanese grocery that’s something of an anchor for Little Tokyo. Though the deal has not been finalized, Kim explains negotiations are in advanced stages and the switch could happen as early as next year.
H Mart is an East Coast-based chain expanding their presence in Southern California with a new location being readied in Irvine to follow up their Diamond Bar super store.
-little seoul mall? new owners to evict japanese businesses
Photo via flickr user jeremy!.
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62 comments
I can’t help but feel a little saddened by this news. I just wish there was way to make everyone happy, while still preserving this area’s heritage.
I am Korean and think this is bad. It is J-Town, but I think the local businesses should go with a Tokyo theme, neon flashy stores and something more than Teriyaki this would not be going on.
We stopped by Mitsuwa two weeks ago and the place was empty, but since we hadn’t heard anything about it closing, we thought that maybe it had just moved. Too bad! But maybe the Korean store will be good.
That’s sad… K-town is eating up J-town? So what’s next? All the K-BBQ taking over the Yakiniku? :-(
On the plus side though, I’ve been to H-Mart in Atlanta…and they’re pretty awesome. They do still sell Japanese food items, and the food court has a lot of Japanese booths.
NOOOOO!!!!
geez I guess I didn’t shop there as much as I should have. this really stinks. I think it’s important for Little Tokyo to keep it’s cultural identity. I think there’s room for everyone in LA without eating up what little space Little Tokyo seems to have.
But seriously, where will Mitsuwa go? Is this store being kicked out or absorbed? Its staff? I don’t mind it so much if Mitsuwa just finds another location relatively nearby.
Kelly, from what I understand - Mitsuwa’s lease will be resolved early to bring in H Mart.
Mitsuwa is a small national chain with eight other locations. They’ll be probably not reopen in Little Tokyo.
Ever since the news in May about Korean businesses moving into Little Tokyo I’ve been curious if this means that the Japanese community in West LA (nicknamed Little Osaka, I believe) will be come that much stronger of a presence, as Little Tokyo loses more of its Japanese business.
while i am really saddened by those developemnts, i am wondering if the new owners are planning to improve and renovate the mall.. it is pretty depressing right now. and they better don’t dare to kick out beard papas!!!!!
Bummer… I shop their a lot.
I hope the new owners could understand that “Little Tokyo” is a very special place and it’s called that because of the history, the Japanese businesses and community. As more and more of the Japanese Mom and Pop shops are pushed out, we are losing sight of what made J-Town so special. We need to keep it Japanese, hense the name, “Little Tokyo”.
Is this some kind of ego thing? Koreatown is huge, Little Tokyo is small, it needs to be preserved. JANM is a great Japanese cultural anchor for the area and it should remain a Japanese experience. Like Matt, I wonder if this will boost the Sawtelle neighborhood into New Little Tokyo status. Alas, as much as we fight these things, it’s always been happening. Boyle Heights used to be a Jewish neighborhood and Highland park used to be Italian, time marches on.
This does sorta suck. Ktown is already massive, and Koreans are pushing out the Japanese in Gardena and Torrance.
On the bright side, Korean immigrants are still coming into LA by the thousands, while the Japanese are sorta fading out. The Koreans can really help inject more CONTINUOUS investment in downtown, and may have a bigger role its redevelopment. Who knows. Maybe the evicted Japanese tenants can locate closer to the center of little tokyo and form more of a critical mass, instead of being spread out.
I think we’ve covered this ground before. This mall is NOT in Little Tokyo! It’s right outside the boundaries. That’s why this deal went through without a fight from the Japanese American community. If you want to preserve the character of Little Tokyo make sure you’re talking about Little Tokyo proper.
Secondly it’s just economics. This mall wasn’t being supported enough to justify its existence. If the area is becoming more and more Korean-American it makes sense to cater to this demographic.
My favorite thing about Mitsuwa, other than the oh-so cheap ramen stand next to it, was all the little uniquely-japanese bento items along the southern wall and in the refrigerator aisle… I don’t think any non-japanese market can replicate that. But as for Little Tokyo losing its character, fortunately for us and for LA’s future history, there’re enough stores and restaurants (like ramen row on First Street) for this area to retain its j-flavor…
Beard Papas is Korean?
Beard Papa’s is from Tokyo and has its own retail unit in the mall. It’s the grocery that is being moved out and replaced with the Korean grocery, H-Mart.
I’ll add that an electronics store and Korean spa have been mentioned to come aboard. There are still vacant spaces in the mall, so it’s possible these will not be replacing any existing businesses.
Also, I’m told from an inside source that most of the Japanese restaurants on the upper levels, especially the popular ones like Honda Ya, aren’t going anywhere! Other details I was told is that the roller derby space in the back of the complex will most likely become a large chain restaurant, and the entire building will be painted.
damn koreans are taking over everything. we need to have some sort of checks and balances system before southern california becomes completely overrun. i’m all for foreign direct investment but how many korean spas/electronic stores can a city have before it becomes a blight factor?
and it’s not just torrance and gardena. try fullerton, buena park, irvine, cerritos to name but a few. ..
^^^This is the kind of racist nonsense that posts like this eventually lead to. Replace Koreans with any other race and you’ll realize it’s completely racist. Black people are taking over everything. we need to have some sort of checks and balances system before we get overrun by them.
When white owned businesses or Jewish people saturate an area we don’t say, “Man those Jews are taking over we need to set some kind of law to keep them in check!”
We need to stop these blog posts and comments that racialize businesses.
Every culture has a right to be represented in this country, ESPECIALLY in a place as diverse and welcoming as Los Angeles. Instead of bashing, you’d be much better served experiencing what Koreans have to offer.
Besides, I don’t even know what I’d do without kimchi.
Point is, the dialog should be about ways to preserve Little Tokyo’s Japanese heritage — how it can happen and whether it really needs to — and not about painting the faceless “those people” with such a broad brush.
^^First off Rich you realize when you relegate a race to a type of food it’s offensive right?
Like, “Man I love black people and what they have to offer. I don’t know what I’d do without fried chicken!”
“Man I love white people. What would I do without hamburgers?” You talk about not painting faceless people with a broad brush yet you are using the broadest brush possible when you use food to define a race.
Huh?
Yeah, that’s exactly what I said: The Korean people are synonymous with bulgogi.
I’m not allowed to like other cultures’ foods?
Never once did I say that all Koreans have to offer is food nor did I suggest that by “experience what they have to offer” I meant go on a whirlwind tour of sundubu houses. Get a grip!
Well… isn’t it important to mention that the plaza isn’t technically in Little Tokyo???
Edward: I think in this situation the “fuzzy lines” of Los Angeles’s various neighborhoods actually works in Little Tokyo’s favor. Mitsuwa Plaza has very little in common with the Toy District, the Arts District or the Seafood District… but it’s been a central shopping destination for those living in Little Tokyo — right across Third Street.
Derick: And by the way, I have to add that as a person who loves food, appreciates the history and sourcing and hard work it takes to prepare not only a meal, but a great meal, I think it shows great respect to love the food of another culture.
Maybe that’s just me, though.
i understand that change is inevitable, but the loss of mitsuwa is nonetheless sad, especially i imagine for those of us who have lived downtown before the new wave of developments. mitsuwa has been there for us and served us well. i’m really sorry to see it go.
i understand that change is inevitable, but the loss of mitsuwa is nonetheless sad, especially i imagine for those of us who have lived downtown before the new wave of developments. mitsuwa has been there for us and served us well. i’m really sorry to hear that it’s about to go.
I love black people. Man where would I be without chitlins.
I love black people. I don’t know what I’d do without chitlins.
Derrick 23 - to say that certain foods are linked with certain cultures is far from racist. It’s a fact that Kimchi is a type of food rooted into Korean Culture, other foods may have a more mixed influence or background. I don’t see how this has become some sort of racial issue, but its ridiculous and overly sensitive. I agree with Rich - get a grip!
I don’t particularly mind that the Little Tokyo Mall is getting new Korean management. Any new management that provides much needed re-investment is ok with me. I do hope that they will take into account the character of the area of course, but a refreshed Little Tokyo Mall is great for the neighborhood.
I’m glad that there is going to be korean market, i live around here and we have enough japanese markets we need some diversity. any news on a wholefoods or trader joes opening up in this area? that would be awesome!!!!
thanks H-MART!!! theres nothing sad about this opening up, jesus people relax!
A korean market? Really? No whole foods or trader joes? Why on earth are they limiting their demographic? I moved to downtown LA to avoid segregated neighborhoods, not to create them.
I think it’s a joke that people are too lazy to drive 5 minutes to Korea town for korean groceries rather than put in a store that makes sense for an ‘Arts district’.
Derick23. I dont find anything any of Rich’s comments to be insensitive.
Rich is celebrating LA’s very robust multicultural spirit. What’s wrong with that?
if I told a random korean guy “Why don’t you get out of here and eat some kimchi”, that would be offensive. If I asked a Korean guy “Don’t all koreans eat kimchi with every meal?”, that would be ignorant. If I said “The ONLY thing a korean is good for is making me some K-BBQ”, that would be terribly racist.
If I said “One thing I like about korean culture is their food. Particularly, their kimchi” That is no more racist than a Korean person saying “One thing I love about American culture is their music, particularly the blues”.
Chill out man, and stop being an alarmist.
I had a post twice this length, but I dont want to get into a huge debate about race right now.
Alright fellas… before we get into some racially charged flame war here in “angelenic” let’s review why there are Koreans in the OUTSKIRTS of Little Tokyo and why they are moving in. Keep in mind, the reasons for all of this is not some diabolical plot to push the Japanese out of Little Tokyo, okay?
There are a lot of Koreans in the Fashion District… A LOT. A huge Korean American owned apparel companies (you may have even heard of it) Forever 21 got its start there. Lo and behold, the Fashion District is a little over a mile away from Little Tokyo, a 30 minute walk (in daytime of course). The Fashion District is almost 4 miles away from Koreatown.
So, Koreans, who are use to high density living, want to live someplace close. They often work 10 to 12 hour days, so a 5 minute drive and a 15 minute drive makes a big difference. In a two mile radius, which is the best neighborhood? Pico-Union? No. Chinatown? No. East L.A. No. Central city. Hell no. Downtown. Certain parts, yes. Little Tokyo, yes. Bingo. Koreans who work the Fashion District are moving into Downtown and Little Tokyo.
Why don’t they expand Koreatown? Easy answer. Rent control and zoning laws have made it hard to redevelop huge swaths of Koreatown. Hancock Park and Melrose have hemmed its development north and west. Koreatown is slowly spreading into Pico-Union, but of course L.A.’s zoning and rent control laws make that migration very slow.
Most Koreans in Southern California came here due to the immigration act of 1965, so they are relatively new immigrants. They are still in the ethnic enclave phase.
Why are we so much in love with ethnic enclaves? Does one ethnicity have exclusive ownership over an area? Keep in mind, the Japanese are voluntarily vacating Little Tokyo because they are assimilating into America. They are doing this out of their own free will. Remember, the old Little Tokyo use to be a Little Harlem for L.A.’s early black community. The Japanese displaced the African Americans. One day, perhaps Koreans will choose to vacate Koreatown and it will be some other type of town to another ethnicity. Yes it will be sad, yes change is hard, but change is also natural. An area belongs to a people who will use that area, doesn’t it?
Oh, and the addition of H-Mart should be great. The older ones are alright, but the newer ones have gotten great reviews. A lot of non-Koreans for the Super H-Marts that have opened up in the Mid-West think of them as asianized Whole Foods.
people say “outskirts” of Little Tokyo like it’s miles away. It’s like a block from Little Tokyo.
Just sayin’…
I’d rather have a Trader Joe’s.
All this handwringing about Korean versus Japanese would make a lot more sense if the Little Tokyo Mall were full of shoppers on most days, most hours. But, sad to say, it isn’t.
I bet if Mitsuwa were raking in the bucks, they’d put up a fight to stay put, or at least immediately move to a nearby location.
My preference is for any store in Mitsuwa’s current location, grocery or otherwise, that can attract a lot of people and do well in generating sales. If that means a store owned by Koreans, so be it. If that means one owned by Japanese, fine. If that means one owned by French, okay. If that means one owned by Egyptians, dandy. If that means one owned by Brazilians, nice.
However, my hunch is that the only market near Third & Alameda Streets that might attract a lot of potential shoppers from far and wide, regardless of ethnicity and income, would be one owned by Americans. I’m referring to Trader Joe’s.
I say that because the needs of shoppers interested in Asian food already are accomodated by 2 other markets a few blocks away from the Little Tokyo Mall. The needs of shoppers looking for typical mainstream grocery fare already are accomodated by Ralph’s at Ninth and Hope Streets. And I won’t mention the various weekly farmer’s markets or Grand Central Market. So that leaves a special niche for Trader Joe’s.
Don’t yuck it till you try it fellas. Have you ever been to any of the newer Super H-Marts?
http://www.yelp.com/biz/super-h-mart-niles http://www.yelp.com/biz/super-h-mart-fairfax
“I say that because the needs of shoppers interested in Asian food already are accomodated by 2 other markets a few blocks away from the Little Tokyo Mall.”
Ellsworth, it appears that you don’t know much about Asians or their diets. Would a French market fit the palates of Englishman? Could one go to Alpine Village in Torrance and get decent fish & chips?
Do we all look alike to you as well?
this is bloody ridiculous. I cant believe they are going to “replace” it.
I never thought I see the day when the most japanese place in pretty much the whole of so-cal gets picked apart.
nothing but bollocks I say.
Yes Mike & Ike… it’s a diabolical conspiracy!!!
Those damn ________ !
a) Blacks
b) Jew
c) Hispanics
d) Koreans
~ please… :P
Thank you for the Yelp links, Edward! Now I’m excited for H-Mart.
Did I log on to curbedLA by accident?
Edward,
Pleasel don’t go throw the race card in here. I’m Korean, and I do not welcome a Korean supermarket to the area because like I said before, it’ll help segregate the neighborhood.
Will I shop there for Korean food? Absolutely. Will I shop there for anything else? Absolutely not.
Like a lot of people who live in that neighborhood, we’d prefer a Trader Joe’s.
I do expect the area to attract more Koreans, but I don’t want to limit it to just that.
Tommy,
I’m not so much throwing the race card as I’m pointing out the ridiculousness of other people doing so. I agree 110% with you that race should have nothing to do with this discussion.
I believe market forces should determine what stores should populate an area that is not protected as a historic landmark. Little Tokyo Mall is not in a historically protected area, so market forces can in fact determine what stores sprout out there. It appears you didn’t read my comment in # 37, where I did plead with people not to make it racial and I outlined the demographic, economic and market push-pull factors that were driving Korean shops to the area.
Ethnic enclaves change over time. Today’s Chinatown was yesterday’s Little Italy. Today’s Little Tokyo was yesterday’s Little Harlem. West Adams? “Leave it to Beaver’s” home was literally located there. Now? It’s mostly Hispanics and USC students. Mid-Wilshire and Hancock Park were once full of Jews. Now, less so.
So what are some people proposing here? That we tell people where to live? Manipulate zoning and city ordinances to keep people in geographically confined areas? What’s the sense in that?
Again, as I asked others, Tommy- have you ever been to a Super H Mart? I’ve been to one in Buena Park and another in Diamond Bar. It’s not just full of Koreans and they don’t just sell Korean products.
It’s been a very welcomed addition to some neighborhoods and compared very favorably to Mitsuwa. A Chowhound thread even compares the two. The consensus? Some people (most likely non-Asians, IMHO) can’t tell the difference!
Finally, if Korean stores don’t belong in or near Little Tokyo, the market will determine that at the end of the day and the venture will fail. If it does, the a Trader Joe’s will have its chance.
Edward,
You are throwing the race card by assumption. No one mentioned anything biased about race until you came to an assumption.
I’m not saying people can do anything to prevent an ethnically dominant neighborhood. Obviously this is all market driven.
The point is, Korea town is less than 5 minutes away.
People in this area have been begging for another supermarket like Trader Joes, or a cheaper Ralphs.
And yes, I have been to an H-Mart, and it is a KOREAN supermarket that sells mostly Korean produce and products.
And since you cannot throw the race card at me, please stop assuming what I have or haven’t, or what I’ve read/misread. You’ve personally attacked people in this thread and quite frankly, it’s annoying.
I’ll stop complaining when someone puts a market in the neighborhood that applies to not just one ethnic group.
Tommy: I guarantee you that most people can buy more of what they need on a daily basis at a large Korean market like H-Mart or Galleria than at Trader Joe’s.
If H-Mart is anything like the Galleria at Olympic and Western, I’m going to be so enthused.
But Rich, if people care about an abundance for their daily needs, isn’t that what Ralph’s is for?
My concern is having a supermarket that isn’t geared towards one ethnic group, which H-Mart, and Galleria are.
I don’t want downtown to become Korea Town because we already have that. Give us something we don’t have.
Tommy… I’ve personally attacked people on this thread? Who? Perhaps you think I’ve attacked you? Well, if you feel that way, then I’m sorry for causing any misunderstandings. I think I’ve been rather consistent will keeping my arguments centered on economic considerations. Yes I lampoon the arguments that are based (directly or indirectly) on race. They deserve to be derided. For better or for worse, the only color that real estate in a free market economy cares about is… green.
If you are really raw about it, I suggest you gather your own group of investors to pony-up +$35 million and make a counter proposal. However, since that group from the Fashion District was the one that pony’d up all the money and all the risk, they have a right to make a good return on their investment, don’t they? Pouring in capital, taking risk and reaping the rewards is as American as Apple Pie. If anyone wants to MAKE these investors open a Trader Joe’s, we have a word for that and that’s called “command economics” and that’s as American as the defunct USSR.
It’s clear that the mall needs a change. Staying with the Japanese theme is risky from a financial perspective due to the demographics and a past history of commercial failure. Given the mall’s commercial difficulties, I imagine that Mitsuwa was very happy to get out of their lease and have someone else assume it.
Furthermore, I’m not so sure that a Trader Joe’s would best fulfill the needs of the community. The audience of this blog appears to be, for mostly language and cultural purposes, white hipsters and assimilated Asian Americans. However, that’s not all that lives in Little Tokyo and northern Downtown. The demographics still contain a lot of Asians including Taiwanese students, Korean business people and a lot of Japanese and Korean seniors (there is significant senior housing in LT). Despite what is being said about H-Mart, I guarantee that an H-Mart will have a lot more Japanese products than a Trader Joes and will fill the needs of these Asian residents a lot better than a Trader Joes. An H-Mart will also have more diverse range of general grocery products than a Trader Joes and should fill a lot of the general needs of even non-Asians. Given that an H-Mart is a lot more Asian than a Trader Joe’s it will be a better anchor for the remaining, well patroned shops in the mall such as Sushi Go, Honda-Ya and Hana Ichimonme. According to the leasing company, there are no plans to replace these tenants.
Tommy,
Trying to understand your point of view… Mitsuwa in fact does cater to one ethnicity…
Edward, you are misunderstanding my points. I don’t care about preserving it as a cultural mall, or keeping it a Mitsuwa, politics, or the investors. I never argued against your points, nor do I care.
I commented on you throwing the race card, and that was it. You are commenting on my points by believing I am arguing against yours —which I am not.
While I do not necessarily agree on all of your points, I think you have a few good ones.
I do not want downtown to turn into Korea Town, and I have said this many times. Bringing in a Korean supermarket will do just that.
Furthermore, you believe that having a Korean supermarket will cater to the residents there and preserve a culturally Asian neighborhood. I disagree. I think this is the start of the whole area becoming part of Korea Town.
Isnt Mitsuwa Korean owned?
Tommy,
Having H-Mart as an anchor doesn’t necessarily make it a Koreatown.
H-Mart will anchor Diamond Jamboree in Irvine. The plaze will be a very equal mix of Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese shops including Beard Papa’s (Japanese), Guppy Tea House Café (Taiwanese), BCD Tofu House (Korean) and others.
Diamond Jamboree link here:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/center-irvine-bakery-2035024-taiwan-asian?orderby=TimeStampDescending&showRecommendedOnly=0&oncommentsPage=3#slComments
Again, a Super H Mart anchor doesn’t necessarily mean a Koreatown. It could be the begining of a Little Asiatown, which would be unique in this part of the Southland and more likely given the demographics of LT and north Downtown. No reason to jump to conclusions.
Because the name “Super H Mart” sounded, well, tacky (like a K mart or Wal-mart), and because I was worried the mall’s new owner would be shortsighted and greedy, and eventually no better than a bored, desperate absentee landlord trying to squeeze out every last cent (like the owners of several buildings on Broadway), I pictured the new grocery store and property owner as making a shaky situation even shakier. However, thanks to Edward’s link to all those customers’ positive letters about Super H and his argument about the Mall in general, I’ve changed my mind.
I originally imagined Super H as being an indifferently maintained store and too esoteric for customers looking for something broader than a place selling “ethnic” foods, or similar to some of the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese markets I’ve browsed through around the Cerritos-Artesia and Westminster areas over the years. And not helping matters, a store with prices that weren’t exceptionally competitive, or so good that it was easier to forget about Costco, the grocery section of a Super Wal-mart, or Stater Brothers.
Now, based on those posted descriptions of Super H, I’m concerned the new market may be too good or too ambitious for the eastern side of downtown. And, yes, it may even fill a need as well as, or even better than, a store like Trader Joe’s or Ralph’s.
This whole “it’s not even in Little Tokyo” argument is unsettling.
Did we forget that Little Tokyo used to be much, much bigger? Its original boundaries reached much further east and south and totaled approximately one square mile.
Did we forget that one of the main reasons why it is the small speck that it is now is due to the fact that Japanese and Japanese-American residents were forced to leave their homes to be put into internment camps?
True, the Little Tokyo Shopping Center isn’t protected by the historical society today, but to say that it doesn’t have anything to do with Little Tokyo at all is insensitive.
That being said, I do agree that the shopping center needs fixing. I just hope that there could be a way to cater to everyone, while still paying respect to the area’s heritage and history.
It’s amazing to read some of the comments on here. What everyone should realize first and foremost is what a dump the current mall is. Not to mention, every time I go inside, its like a ghostown. The owners didn’t want to invest in the building or the stores, nor would they help support it with any form of marketing effort. They were holding onto it while spending little to nothing and hoping to find a buyer. Finally a group, who happens to be Korean, stepped up to rejuvenate the place. If people are suprised, read the comments, drive around LA, or talk to friends. Koreans are willing to invest in businesses all over LA and good for them. The Japanese can do the same if they wanted to right? The main thing is, this isn’t about race. This is strictly about business and who’s willing to take the risk to invest their money. I’m pretty confident the new owners will do a much better job than the previous owners.
My only request is they don’t open up another fro-yo shop inside the mall. I think there’s enough within the 3 block radius.
4 kelvlam,
I found your post kinda funny give that yakiniku is actually derived from Korean bbq…
Korean immigrants to Japan from the colonial period brought it over to the Japanese… http://www.xanga.com/wangkon936/621757090/japanese-galbi-korean-sushi-and-the-globalization-of-food-culture.html
This really saddens me, sorry to say. I too loved, to go to the mall and I was always disheartened by the lack of venues and customers. Instead of selling it out, I wish the owners had worked together to rejuvenate the mall, add in fun and popular things that would attract a crowd and keep it lively!
I loved going to the Mitsuwa, and Karaoke, and arcade, and I don’t want to see that change. Plus Mitsuwa had a wonderful selection of Japanese make up that I found so hard to purchase at other places! Does anyone know when they’ll shut their doors for good? I want to say a final goodbye. . .):
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