Sawtelle Japantown and the Future of America

June 6, 2014 • Randall Fujimoto

Everyday America. That’s what many of the historic Japantowns across the state have become. In 2007, the California Japantowns project identified 43 historic Japantown areas across California, but only a handful of these places still exist today as Japantowns. Most of them have turned into…Everyday America, like the San Diego Japantown (now the Gaslamp Quarter) and the Sacramento Japantown (now the Capitol Mall business district). In these former Japantown areas, instead of a Japanese grocery store, restaurant, and bonsai nursery, you’re …