NationalGeographicPersonalExplorer

This part of downtown Los Angeles is one of only three official “Japantowns” left in the United States—the other two are also in California, with one in San Francisco and the other in San Jose. In its heyday, Little Tokyo encompassed one square mile and bustled with 30,000 inhabitants. Today, only about 1,000 people remain living in a four-block area. However, it is still an important focal point for Japanese-American culture, and features interesting attractions such as the Japanese American National Museum, the East West Players (an Asian-American theatre) and the Go For Broke Monument, which commemorates Japanese Americans who served in the U.S. Military in WWII. While real estate prices in Little Tokyo have risen significantly over the past years, the influx of attention and money has also helped to preserve landmarks (and support the many authentic sushi eateries) in the area.