little tokyo losing a giant: mitsuwa closing january 25th
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Little Tokyo’s Mitsuwa Marketplace has been a regional draw for the many Japanese-Americans living in Los Angeles, not to mention the anchor tenant at the faded Little Tokyo Shopping Center.
But with changing demographics, increased outside investment and an aging population, the neighborhood that for decades had been the center of JA culture is now facing perhaps the biggest challenge to its identity in years.
That challenge continues with the announcement that Mitsuwa will be closing at the end of this month, noted by foodblog Eating LA.
It was back in July when we broke the news that the current landlord is in negotiations with Korean supermarket H-Mart to take over Mitsuwa’s tenancy. Talks are still ongoing, and no deal has been signed as of yet.
Last year a group of Korean-American investors purchased the large property from Downtown-based landowner Meruelo Maddux for $35.5 million dollars, and have announced plans to reposition the mall with a new indoor-outdoor design, large day spa and new public plaza. ZellnerPlus handled preliminary drawings.
Many on message boards and blogs are reacting with sadness that Mitsuwa is leaving — the final day of business is January 25 — but some change was inevitable at the center, which has experienced high retail vacancy for years as investment has moved to more suburban communities in Torrance and the Sawtelle District.
Here’s to hoping Little Tokyo does maintain much of its Japanese flavor and that an influx of new businesses can coexist with longtime members of the community with mutual respect.
Sad to see Mitsuwa go? Let us know!
59 comments
this is awful! I love that market. That’s the easiest Asian market for me to get to
This breaks my heart.
This is sad. With the advent of the Korean market, I wonder if the Japanese eateries in the center will be pushed out. I predict that Hana Ichimonme and Beard Papa’s will be the only ones to survive the Korean takeover.
Is there even a demand for a Korean grocery store in this part of town? It’s not like Koreatown is that far.
no surprise on this one..we all kind of saw it coming..sooner than later.
Its sad but the reality. I do hope the few Japanese tenants survive this evolution.
I wish they would bring back the movie theater and bowling alley.
Yes I know that L.A. Live has both..well cinema is coming soon.
Wait! Isn’t HONDA-YA in this building also? I hope they don’t get rid of Honda-Ya because I haven’t been there yet and really want to go. I agree. Koreatown is so closeby… why another Korean shopping center?
honda-ya needs to stay in this location! great place to eat and have beers with friends. if you have yet to try it, than hurry over because their other restuarants are in the OC.
I had a feeling Mitsuwa was closing; every time I’ve been there lately they seem to be downsizing. The produce section shrank a lot recently, and almost everything in the store has been reduced in price. They are also giving out $50 gift certificates for every $50 spent.
I go my way out to little tokyo Mitsuwa to shop Japanese products, and for my traditional needs I shop locally. I to think it’s another investors wrongfully overrated situation to overtake Mitsuwa forcefully, and why Korean Market? Like I said I shop locally, it saddens me that I would no longer head to that mall ever again.
It’s sad to see the Mitsuwa go, but at least Marukai has been expanding.
I hope the company that owns the building doesn’t drive out all of the businesses in the plaza. I was reading a blog of someone else who runs a business in the plaza and they were saying the owner was jacking up the rent. That building doesn’t get the same foot traffic that the rest of LT gets. There’s a reason why the building has been more than half empty for years now. With the way the economy is it wouldn’t be wise for the company to kick out some of the known businesses and replace them with new ones that will probably fail.
I also hope that we don’t lose the Japanese flavor of Little Tokyo. =/
Did the opening of Ralphs have anything to do with this?
I am saddened that Mitsuwa is closing. I’ve been shopping there since the place was opened (back when it was Yaohan). I wouldn’t mind shopping at Marukai but they don’t have nearly the selection of meat that Mitsuwa has. I think it’s time they brought in a butcher.
@ shawn:
Ralph’s had nothing to do with the market closing. This has been a loooong time coming.
This is very sad news, indeed. And I also agree with the other comments before me: with a huge Koreatown so close by, is another Korean-themed shopping center necessary? I hope they preserve the Japanese feel with the new building.
this is ridiculous, Little Tokyo is pretty much losing their identity undergoing all these changes. I am in support of complimenting a neighborhood but this is removing all the things that made it what it is.
damn shame.
They better not close Sushi go 55. I’m going to cry.
this is terrible news!!!! my favorite market for over 12 years - we’d heard the rumors but hoped for a miracle. the parking situation in the rest of the neighborhood has become ghastly which can’t be helping business. this is a huge loss -
I am deeply saddened by yet another large business going out.
Don
ending is always beginning for something. anyway, the place was dead before and hopefully whoever comes in would revitalize the area. also, don’t forget that a korean market also carries japanese products.
I’m not happy with the idea of a Korean market moving in either, but anything is better than Mitsuwa right now; that place is empty at all times of the day.
There have been a lot more Korean people moving into the area, but unfortunately they could always get Korean groceries 5-minutes west of downtown. But for most Angeleno’s, that’s too far.
I think a Trader Joe’s or a Wholefood’s would be a much more suitable option because while there are a lot of Koreans in the neighborhood, there is a heavy amount of residents in the arts district that would probably prefer either of those vendors instead of a H-Mart.
I honestly don’t think a Japanese grocery store would do well at all because there just doesn’t seem to be that many Japanese residents in that particular area.
I live on the edge of the area, and several of the big new condos are roughly 80% Korean, so that’s why a Korean market would be useful there within walking distance.
Sad indeed. I love Mitsuwa, but at the same time, I hope the new market will help breathe some life into that depressing mall.
BTW, I love Honda Ya and Sushi Go 55 and hope they and the other shops will be able to stick around.
Truly heartbreaking.
They did hang in there for a while, but once the bookstore closed it didn’t look good for any of the businesses there. You know there’ll be some victory dances as Marukai…
さよなら
So how long will it be until all of Los Angeles becomes Koreatown?
The tiny eclave of Little Tokyo has been a bright spot for downtown during good times and bad, so it is sad to see Mitsuwa go - and perhaps the rest of neighborhood with it.
I’m reading everyone’s comments about them being sad to see Mitsuwa go and how Korean’s shouldn’t change this historic J-Town plaza, but, you should all ask yourselves, when was the last time you went to this plaza to support these businesses? I live a block away from this place and I never go here. I just have a few points to share with all of you:
First, Mitsuwa is extremely overpriced for produce and meats. If you’ve ever been to a Korean market, you should be excited because produce, fruits, and meats area way cheaper.
Secondly, the management of this building is not doing a good job because most of the place is vacant. It’s scary to even go to the restaurants there at night.
Lastly, I believe new management can get the place filled and that will be a huge benefit to the business already existing (if they choose to stay). The Korean market will bring in much more foot traffic and the new businesses (even if they are Korean businesses) will do the same. It’s simple business knowledge, more foot traffic = more business.
I’m excited and can’t wait for this change. As for the rest of Little Tokyo, if everyone is complaining about keeping it’s history, businesses, and culture alive, try visiting the place, spend some of your money, and help the situation instead of hiding behind these blogs and just complaining about it.
I have been regularly visiting this store and the other stores in the mall since back in the days when it was the Yaohan Plaza. It was a great place to take out of town guests as well as simply to shop at. It will be greatly missed. In addition, the comments about pricing at Mitsuwa versus Korean markets are nonsense, just visit “Galleria” in Northridge for more insight into the price differences (Galleria is a Korean market in Northridge and is quite nice but very pricey).
From my impression and talking to some of the businesses, the new owners of the LTSC seem to want to keep existing businesses (Honda-Ya, Sushi Go 55, Shojin, etc.). I’ve also heard that the landlord wants to raise rent but I don’t think it’s happened yet.
I’m not complaining but I will genuinely miss the Mitsuwa market. Yes, the produce selection is limited and expensive, but lunches and other items are quite reasonable (meat and sushi-grade fish). If anyone here has gone to the Gardena Mitsuwa, however, you will realize that the Little Tokyo branch has been on its last legs for a long time and a change would be a good thing.
Yes, I would’ve preferred a Trader Joe’s or the like, but I guess the Korean investors got there first!
In this time of rocky or perhaps tough economic crisis we live in today, major corps are vastly disintegrating anyhow, no breaking news I guess. Many got swindled by subprime loaners which effects countless businesses. (How ill & depressing) The elder Japanese community that remained in the area might be somewhat effected by Mitsuwa closing down, either for personal reasons or losing their job. Little Tokyo has been literally “little” over a decade or two. It sure is getting “micro-sized” instead. Innovation is good but it’s really tough as we blog , I really wish the best of luck to all you good citizens.
I have been a regular shopper at the L.T. Mitsuwa for years. As much as I love the market, and the lunch counter, it’s been plain for ages that the market was doing little business.
An upscale Korean market is very much like an upscale Japanese market, but with the added benefit of a fresh Kimchi department… If anything, I am anxious over the future availability of the wide selection of sake and shochu available only at Mitsuwa… Most Korean market employees are Christian, and Korean Christians eschew alcohol. The selection of sake and shochu will certainly suffer.
Guess I’ll be hoofing it down to the giant Marukai in Gardena more often after this.
Coming from Baltimore where there has been an excellent H-mart for years, I’m actually kinda excited. H-mart makes my favorite kimchi that i’ve been sorely missing since living in LA. Also the cafe they had in the H-mart is really great.
That being said i hope they don’t get rid of my favorite Karaoke place or arcade in the shopping center.
this is completely ridiculous! go to korea town. no offense. (i really like korean food and all) but ill DRIVE like 10 min to GO to korea town, and get whatever i need. but mitsuwa??? this is stupid. ;/ now marukai will be the only jmarket in little tokyo, and let’s see how long THAT is going to last. might as well rename little tokyo to little seoul.
To Paul:
yeah i heard that they are raising the rent. well, i know Beard Papa did. I work off a branch of Beard Papa and we were talking about it, ;// totally sucks.
To Akiko:
Don’t be upset that a Korean company is willing to take the risk by taking on this investment. Unforetunately, the topic of the Mitsuwa closure has become racial in many ways. Little Tokyo is a historic part of Los Angeles as well as Koreatown. This basically comes down to business rational. There were no Japanese investors, or investors of other ethnic backgrounds, willing to take the risk in trying to convert this wonderful real estate into something positive. The current owners have failed to serve their community by trying to improve the plaza themselves. They obviously had no intentions of improvement because this plaza has been dead for many many years. It’s a miracle that they have been able to stay open for this long.
I am a Little Tokyo resident and I am always looking for improvements to the neighborhood. The current plaza adds no value to the neighborhood and change was necessary. We should all be glad someone was willing to step in and attempt to make this positive change, regardless of whether or not they are Korean. I think once the changes are in place, there will be a blog about it and hopefully everyone has a positive experience. I know it certainely can’t be any worse than it is now.
IMO, no matter how it evolves, Little Tokyo should always remain at the heart — a J-Town. As Angelenos, its important the charm and history of Little Tokyo is preserved for future generations. Or else Little Tokyo will disappear like Little Italy once did. We live in a cosmopolitan city that has room for all kinds of diverse enclaves, but its important that the cultural fabric of the Little Tokyo community stays intact. I don’t mind the Korean owners updating the plaza and making it more inviting and aesthetically pleasing, but I’d be against them replacing all of the Japanese-owned businesses with Korean ones instead. Little Tokyo just wouldn’t be Little Tokyo without the presence of Japanese-owned businesses. IMO, Koreatown is doing just fine where it currently is. If I wanted to sample Korean food/culture I’ don’t mind trekking 10 mins over there.
Hi there, came back to view more interesting minds on this plaza takeover/makeover etc..
Every unique individuals are entitled to their opinion, and emotions to commotions I believe. I’ve read every unique commentaries above from you all, I don’t think anybody here was racial profiling in any means, persecutory behavior/minds is so outdated and waste of time. Anyhoo a quick reminisce on “Is it cuz I’m black?!” randomly ran through my mind. Life is too worthy honey!
Mr. Rich Alossi did end his blog with a question;
“Sad to see Mitsuwa go? Let us know!”
There is nothing wrong to feel sadden by it’s business closure. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge to emotions. I myself shall head out there tonight and personally send Mitsuwa with all the beautiful thoughts here! See y’all.. ; )
Some outlets are reporting that there’s still a slim chance that Mitsuwa will sign a new lease at the center. Not to get any hopes up, though…
Whatever happens, the Little Tokyo Shopping Center needs a major influx of money and investment in order to survive. The parking situation can be ridiculous — rates up to $15.00 — and discourages people from shopping there.
Mitsuwa used to take up two levels, but it’s now relegated to the ground floor, and the upper floors are storage.
As far as the anchor tenant goes, it’s a tough one. I think having a Korean market there speaks volumes about the advancement of Korean-American businesspeople and their business acumen, to where they don’t feel the need to be confined to Koreatown, the North Valley, or Irvine any longer.
So arguing “Why don’t you stay in Koreatown?” is pretty condescending and a remnant of days past where we’re fine with ethnic minorities, if they’re confined to certain areas.
Korean culture — food and movies, particularly — is beginning to permeate and assimilate with the American fabric. That’s a good thing.
I find myself shopping at the Koreatown Galleria Marketplace at Olympic and Western because it’s affordable, has a great selection of meats and produce, and is pretty damn spotless.
It’s just odd that having a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods would be just fine with some, while a new Korean supermarket (which carries the same produce and meats, in addition to Korean specialties hard to find elsewhere) is unwanted.
In the end, the investors/owners of the shopping center should do their best to show sensitivity to the concerns expressed here and elsewhere, by trying their damnedest to keep Mitsuwa.
We live in a multicultural world, and I’m sure all interests can find a way to come together respectfully.
Rich,
I disagree. Wholefoods and Trader Joe’s offer very different produce and meats than H-Mart.
I don’t mind H-Mart moving in as much since it’s obvious that Mitsuwa isn’t an attraction for downtown residents such as myself.
My only concern is that the building is now owned by Korean investors. Most Korean commercial investors I’ve seen have only been interested in bringing in Korean businesses. It isn’t exactly multi-cultural if something like that occurs.
You know, Super H Mart (if it is in fact the new anchor) isn’t that bad y’all.
Yesterday there was an article on them in the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010600528.html
Oops. Wrong link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/01/06/ST2009010601907.html
It’s great to read so many comments regarding this topic. It shows how important this plaza is in the JTown community.
That being said, it sounds like a lot of people on this blog is assuming the Korean investors will not allow Japanese businesses to remain or even start in this plaza. If a Japanese entrepreneur was interested in opening up a new business in this plaza (after the new management change) why would the new owners deny them? Just like any other shopping plaza, the owners would make business decisions that will be profitable. If that means allowing a Japanese entrepreneur, who is willing to sign a lease, is willing, then why not?
Rich, you made a great comment about why people are okay with the idea of a Trader Joe’s or Whole Food and not a H-Mart. H-Mart is much closer to a Mitsuwa market and carries a lot of similar Asian food. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods is further away from preserving the Japanese culture. This makes me question, why are the folks on this blog not upset about Subway, Quiznos, Pastagina, Green Bamboo, Senor Fish, Pinkberry, and any other non-Japanese business being open in Little Tokyo?
Wrong link. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/01/06/ST2009010601907.html
Thank you for that link!
The story is very interesting and should inspire those people who are saddened by the loss of Mitsuwa to have great hope for, and even a bit of excitement towards, its replacement, assuming it’s H Mart. I’m only disappointed that particular company isn’t headquartered here in southern California, home to the largest number of people from Korea, and instead is an East Coast import. Beyond that, the reason I’m actually rather excited about an H Mart opening in downtown is due to the following lines from the article. However, I will say that if the new owners lured Trader Joe’s to the mall, they might face slightly better odds of grabbing the attention of an even larger base of potential new customers. Plus, TJ’s is a locally grown business. Still, H Mart could be more competitive than Mitsuwa has been in bringing in customers to the otherwise sparsely attended Little Toyko Shopping Center.
Like the Harris Teeter supermarket chain, which reported 10 percent gains in sales last year, the H Mart corporation claims increased profits and cites as evidence the continued opening of new stores. This is in contrast to Whole Foods’ 30 percent drop in net income in the third quarter of 2008 and losses this past year for Safeway.
Lower prices make the Asian superstores an alluring alternative in tough economic times, but it’s the breadth of otherwise tough-to-find ingredients that makes them an invaluable resource for adventurous home cooks and some of the District’s top chefs. H Mart and Super H Mart customers include Michel Richard of Citronelle and Central, Haidar Karoum of Proof and Scott Drewno of Wolfgang Puck’s the Source.
“H Mart! I love this place,” says Drewno, 33. Ever since he was a 22-year-old cook in Las Vegas at Puck’s Chinois, he says, he has relied on Asian markets.
…Red snapper costs $5.99 a pound, and lively blue crabs are $2.99 apiece, compared with $19.99 a pound and $5.99 apiece, respectively, at Whole Foods. (Giant did not have either in stock.)
In each store’s periphery, shoppers can find one or two aisles of American products: cereals, Hershey’s cocoa, Chef Boyardee and more Spam than one would ever hope to have. And though the list prices are on par with Safeway’s or Giant’s — a 17-ounce box of Honey Nut Cheerios is $4.19 and Frosted Flakes is $4.15 — many goods are marked down. All cereal was $2.99 on multiple visits.
Did anyone aside from myself go today? Talk about a mad house! I got there at 11:30… I probably should have gone earlier, I waited in line just to get in for two hours, from talking to people in line and in the store lots got there at 8. Once I got into the store around 1:30, everything was gone for the most part, all the rice cookers, pots, pans, aka all the good stuff was wiped clean. After managing to pick up a few items that i could scrounge I waited another hour or more in the check out line. Crazyness indeed.
NOOOOOOOOO
Well…the Mitsuwa Market is gone. I live in Little Tokyo and have to agree with a lot of these bloggers. Little Tokyo is a historical place. Lots of history but like everything in America. Things change. I think it’s imperative that there is a museum or historic artifacts that show the struggle of the Issei and Nikkei as courageous heroes during a time of overt racism in American history. A lot Korean businesses have entered little tokyo because they like the area and expect to do business. Its a free country although it’s hard to say whether they will get that Japanese experience when they enter 1st or walk into the Japanese Village. If you look around little tokyo, It’s a joke. The Shabu Shabu restaurant has two Japanese employees - Mr Maruyama and a part time waitress. In the Japanese Village: four nearby ice cream shops that all Korean-owned. 5 gift shops: All Korean-owned
The Nijiya Market is filled with Mexicans and maybe one part time employee who speaks Japanese. The rest is “Buenos Diaz and Kam Samida”. Korean Restaurants have increased and now a Vietnamese restaurant in opening in the Honda Plaza. The Pastagina, Johnny Rockets, and Starbucks have taken over so little tokyo is really just a name now. When’s the last time you’ve seen more than 4 Japanese people in Little Tokyo or even hear any of the patrons say Konichiwa or Irashaimase when you enter a restaurant or shop? The Japanese immigration to the US has been a lot lower in the last few years so that is another decline in Japanese businesses/commerce. It like London: there’s a heavy population of Indians…Koreatown: Heavy population of Mexicans…Germany: heavy population of Turks…and now little tokyo will be the commerce center for Koreans and Chinese people…I think it’s fine as long as they don’t bring the primitive aspects of their culture to the community. (yelling or shouting when speaking, not leaving a tip when it’s expected, prophesying religious chants with plastic buckets and sticks across the pink berry, etc.)
Astro Boy: Regarding your tipping comment, it’s kind of ironic because it’s not customary to tip in Japan…
In fact, many in the service industry will refuse your tip — and be extremely embarrassed if you keep pushing it.
So are we talking about “primitive aspects” as far as Japanese people go, or the greater American standard?
I’m really sad that Mitsuwa is gone. I’ve been shopping there since it opened as Yaohan. I miss the upstairs clothing and novelty sections, the bowling alley, video arcade and movie theatre. It is like they are taking away my youth. I used to buy bento when I got a chance to go downtown, even right up to before Christmas. They need to rebuild Little Tokyo back to the glory days when Japanese Village Plaza was the place to get manjyu and imagawa-yaki and the Nisei Week carnival was the place to be!
This is horrible. I don’t understand why we need another Korean market in Southern California. There is a handful of them in the vicinity, I see no point in another one. This H-Mart owner already has a store here in Diamond Bar. I see this as tainting the culture of J-Town.
“I see this as tainting the culture of J-Town”
Are you kidding me?? Businesses don’t survive on good will and taking your guests every couple months for a sight-seeing tour. (If even that).
It is obvious that J-Town needs to change to survive.
A friend of mine is a second-generation JA and even he and — his parents — shop in Gardena for Japanese products. How is Little Tokyo going to survive as Little Tokyo if even the JAs in the area aren’t going there?
I LOVE mitsuwa, this is a huge let down. Why does it need to be a korean market? There are many korean markets in korea town just a few miles away! My visits will be much less frequent to little tokyo now, unfortunately
Like it or not, the changing demographics will probably be the end of the Japanese cultural center of Los Angeles, Little Tokyo, and the end of the Mitsuwa market is one sign of that.
I love Little Tokyo and what it stands for. I enjoyed my time when my family can walk in Mitsuwa Market and find everything we loved. I am a bit overwhelmed by my discovery of part my childhood is already gone. I have to confess that I am greatly saddened by the declining of the area. But I am glade that I may have had the joy to enjoy this memory. Thank you for writing this story to know that I am not the only one that remembered when it used to be a great memory.
I am also sincerely sadden by all the isei that saw this day. To those who where just as effected emotionally, be greatful that we had experience what the isei has brought us and learn to cherish them. Also, learn to be involve in your community. Last, accept changes will be hard but we should learn to embrace them.
-Kousuke
I will preface this by saying that I go to Little Tokyo frequently. Since I’ve been out of work I’m there even more often.
Every weekend the Mitsuwa would have lines of people buying groceries. Sometimes they were small amounts, but more so I would find people buying more than 20 items. The week is more quiet, but to say that the Mitsuwa didn’t do business and that the only business they did was from tourists is a horrible miconception. I would guess that most tourist don’t even discover the plaza that Mitsuwa is in because it’s a block away, seperated by housing.
From what I’ve heard rents were being raised, but since that plaza gets little foot traffic due to its location, a lot of businesses will either have to get out, raise their prices, or suck it up in hopes that the plaza will get more business with the changes.
I am okay with there being a Korean market in Little Tokyo, but to see a Japanese market that has been there for years be replaced by a Korean market saddens me. I will shop less at this market than if it was still Mitsuwa. I will go shop at Marukai and Nijiya, so that they don’ go out of business and get replaced by Korean markets too.
We can’t be angry at Koreans. They are just coming to Little Tokyo to make business. Hopefully they will help the area and not convert it into a Korean area. We can be angry with the Japanese who have abandoned Little Tokyo. There are still some Japanese people out there who are fighting to keep the Japanese spirit alive in Little Tokyo. They need to get more people together to make it work. Unfortunately the economy isn’t going to help the situation.
There still are many Japanese businesses in Little Tokyo that are either Japanese owned or run. Unfortunately it’s hard for these businesses to find Japanese people to work in their businesses.
I don’t know. A part of me think’s it’s poetic justice. 10 years ago my mother walked into a Little Tokyo shop looking at blankets and fabrics. My mother is very fair skinned and has been told that she looks Japanese, more so than the typical Korean lady. The owner of the shop assumed that she was Japanese and spoke disparagingly on how “those smelling garlic eaters” are moving in. Needless to say my mom was very offended and never went back to that shop again.
A lot of Japanese think they are better than Koreans. A part of me likes the fact that at least this once they are the ones eating humble pie.
This is no knock on Japanese people as a whole. I like Japanese culture and lord knows I use a lot of Japanese products. But I find that the older and more traditional Japanese I’ve run accross have a passive and subtle belief they are better than the average Asian.
At first, It didn’t feel right what I was seeing. The plaza seeemed to be a bit run down. I hadn’t been there in about 3 years (I apologize) The place has taken on a 3rd world precense. Leaky fountains, plenty of empty stores and those that were open were suffering and cheesy. It wasn’t until my nose hit the former Yaohan that I realized I was in the carcas of a Japanese market. It is now Korean. Nowhere does the signs does it say “KOREAN” The largest store in Little Tokyo NOW is Korean. it’s predending to be Japanese (their new name doesn’t give a clue) like alot of the Sushi restaurants around town. WTF!!!!!
Q: Is Little Tokyo annexed by Koreatown, the rematch a century in the making? A: It’s about time.
If the Japanese were so intent on keeping it Japanese, why didn’t THEY buy the building? Or, sell it at a lower price to Japanese investors? It IS business and the Japanese are just as greedy as anyone else. Get a grip. This wouldn’t be as huge of an issue if some “white” developers had bought it up. AND Btw, I’ve been to MANY Japanese stores and was treated with curt answers, disdain, suspicion and whispers in Japanese because I was not of their race. While I notice that when Japanese enter the store they are gregarious in their demeanor. I for one am lining up when they open their new stores and make something of that dead mall. When I was there, it was full of “dead” handbag, apparel and arcade game stores. Where are the Japanese? Theyve deserted the mall and have hopefully learned a valuable lesson. Let the Koreans do what they do best — make things better and more importantly, make things happen.
And btw, to Edward a HUGE nod to his comment #52. It’s ironic to think that my mother and grandmother, recall those days when the Japanese ran all over South Korea in the 1950’s torturing and perscuting the people to make Korean territory their own, are now in 2009 being “run” out of what they thought was their own “territory”. Pay-back is painful.
i was also shocked by the differences when I entered after their re-opening. I’ve been back weekly since opening day, but there are many products they simply don’t know how to purchase or don’t have access to. They have organized the place a bit better and made an effort to hire some japanese staff and stock a few japanese products, but they are limited to the few japanese products you can find in any korean supermarket. i used to go there specifically to buy Japanese bottled drinks like Oolong Tea, Milk Tea and Iced Coffee. these are apparently not carried by their Korean supplier. i would be much more likely to go to K-town to buy korean groceries, rather than Little tokyo, just as i would go to monterey park if was was cooking a chinese dish and needed Chinese ingredients.
Whoa, hold on there Rose… I wouldn’t say that the conversion of a little over one square mile of territory in Los Angeles is “pay back” by any stretch of the imagination for 40 years of rape, murder and pillage.
This is completely a separate issue of Korean Americans moving into an area that is suffering declining demographics of Japanese Americans. Let’s not mix the two, okay?
Although I have met older Japanese who turn their noses up when they learn that I’m a “chozen jin” or “kan ku koo jin” all the younger Japanese I’ve met have been nothing but accepting and nice towards me.
Hate to see this happen. Koreans taking over.
Sad for LA. The Mitsuwa is alive and well in the Midwest Chicago region. The Super H- Mart thrives as well. Go figure?
The picture of the new building look awesome! Very modern and chic. Even though Japanese are whining about how Little Tokyo should be preserved, it seriously needs a makeover. It looks like a dump. Koreans are doing Japanese a huge favor by buying the building and renovating to an awesome place. Now I wouldn’t feel embarrassed to show my guests to this newly renovated place.