Photos by Anne Su
Writing by Nimisha Thakore

Little Tokyo is in our backyard.

The historical Japantown — one of only three Japantowns in the country — is no more than a few minutes’ drive down Figueroa Boulevard, or a 25 cent DASH ride. The quaint area is home to an abundance of enticing restaurants, so much so that USC alums Jeff Okita and Alex Tao started their food tour venture, Six Taste, right in the Japanese village. But there are also monuments and statues dedicated to Japanese American and Japanese heroes like Chiune Sugihara; the Japanese American National Museum; Japanese gardens; and shopping galore.

Little Tokyo became a National Historic Landmark District in 1995. The area is a cultural and historical gem, but it is very easy to take for granted because of its unremarkable proximity to south-central (aka home for all us USC students).

Bamboo writer and photographer Anne Su set out with a camera to capture the expected and not-so-expected scenes of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo so we can take a moment to appreciate its value.

By Kevin Kim

A hero sits at the corner of Central and 2^nd. He is immovable, stained, unnoticed, and worst of all, unappreciated.

Some have called Chiune Sugihara the Oskar Schindler of Japan. However, unlike Schindler, who is known to the world as a man who saved countless Jewish lives during the Holocaust, Sugihara is relatively unknown.

Sugihara was a Japanese consul who gave exit visas to thousands of Jewish refugees against the order of the Japanese government. His courageous actions eventually ruined his career and put his family in danger. However, his deeds were so great that Israel honored Sugihara as being “righteous among nations” at Yad Vashem, the country’s official memorial to Holocaust victims. Sugihara is the only person of Japanese descent to be so highly recognized.

In 2002, the Neman foundation, along with the Levy Affiliated Holdings Group, erected a statue of Sugihara designed by sculptor Ramon Velazco in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo in 2002, lauding him as a “Hero of the Holocaust.”

Even though Sugihara’s memory has been honored with a posthumous statue, it lies lost in the mire of countless fast food restaurants. Apathetic tourists and L.A. locals either pass Sugihara without any intention of ever discovering his courageous actions, or use his statue as a means to rest their weary feet. Either way, he remains in obscurity. Although only seven years have gone by since the statue was erected, it is already beginning to decay.

Chiune Sugihara, “Hero of the Holocaust” and savior of thousands of lives, is now nestled between a Quizno’s, a Starbucks and a Yogurtland. His metal hand clutches a passport that meant salvation to thousands of Jews. Sixty years ago, Sugihara’s real hand would have been met by a thankful Jew, but now it is clutched by indifferent passerby, with yogurt, coffee and cigarettes staining his statue, his courage and sacrifice all but forgotten.

By Jessica Men

Photo: Six Taste

It’s early October, which means that by now, you’ve probably made your way around EVK enough times to make a salad with your eyes closed or made enough late-night Subway runs to have the guy behind the counter greet you by name.

Needless to say, you’re wondering what else can be brought to the table – literally.

USC alumnus Jeffrey Okita and student Alex Tao have discovered the answer to ending dining hall monotony while exploring the tastes of another culture at the same time.

Okita and Tao – two self-proclaimed “everyday guys who love great food” – run Six Taste, a company that hosts culinary tours throughout Little Tokyo, a community rich in history and nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles (and only 10 minutes from the USC campus).

The idea for Six Taste came about when Okita’s parents stopped in Philadelphia to visit his sister and decided to entertain a culinary tour.

“After that, they mentioned to me that I should look for food tours in Los Angeles,” said Okita. “That’s when I saw that there was a huge opportunity to start up a food tour company in Los Angeles. Because Los Angeles is really spread out, we often are tourists in our own city.”

And for those L.A. suburban residents who have ever been condescendingly asked why you’re taking pictures of the sights downtown “when you live here anyway” (guilty), this is especially true.

“By the end of our tours, we want our guests to feel comfortable coming back to the area again and again and [exploring] the neighborhood through its food,” said Okita.

Participating restaurants include confectionary shop Fugetsu-Do, restaurant and karaoke bar Oiwake, Japanese ice cream parlor Mikawaya Mochi, Chado Tea Room, contemporary restaurant Spitz, Mitsuru Café, and Yamazaki Bakery.

“The main purpose of each of these stops is to add to the story that is Little Tokyo,” said Okita. “Little Tokyo’s history has seen several changes, and we wanted to feature places that shed it in a different light.”

Six Taste patrons, who can sign up to take the four-stop Epicurious Tour or the longer, seven-stop Gastronaut Tour, can mingle with one another while sampling food from the various establishments.

For the epicurious, there is herbal tea and scones to start, and then a four-course sampling and mochi dessert, all topped off with sweet potato fries and sangria at Spitz. The gastronauts get all that, as well as additional goodies from Yamazaki and Mitsuru Café, along with an eco-friendly Six Taste bag.

Eating, though a main focus of Six Taste, isn’t all there is. At each destination in the tour, patrons also get the opportunity to hear the owners and cooks share stories about the rich history of the location.

“These owners are passionate about what they do and the community in which they live,” said Okita. “Our guests love the fact that the owners are taking time out of their busy day to talk to the group.”

Six Taste has become a rising business since its inception in May 2009, with tours sometimes filling up weeks ahead of time. Each tour signs only eight to 16 individuals. Guides prefer smaller groups to ensure a more intimate experience.
Okita and Tao are planning on eventually branching out of Little Tokyo and spotlighting other cultures.

“We are looking to open up a new tour in a new location in the next month,” said Okita. “We have gotten requests to do tours in Olvera Street, Chinatown, Little Ethiopia, downtown, Beverly Hills, and many more.”

For now, Six Taste runs one tour a day on Saturday and Sunday: the Epicurious at $25 per person and the Gastronaut at $55 per person.

According to Okita, Six Taste tours are just one of many options to explore L.A.’s culinary culture.

“Go out as much as you have time [to] and as much as you can afford,” said Okita. “There are cheap, quality eats all around Los Angeles if you do a little bit of research. Get out into the city and explore!”

Can’t make it all the way to Little Tokyo but dying to try something new? Okita leaves his fellow Trojans with a recommendation and some advice: “Around campus, Bacaro L.A. on Hoover and Union is a great little spot … Don’t be afraid of L.A.’s public transportation!”