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PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Contact: Bill Watanabe at (213) 473-3030 or Thomas Yee at (213) 473-1670 Multi-purpose Recreation Center to be built in Little Tokyo Little Tokyo Service Center receives approval from the City of Los Angeles to begin process of building facility (Los Angeles, CA) On September 23, 2008, the Little Tokyo Recreation Center, which is a project of Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), was finally given the green light to move forward after many years of struggle to locate an appropriate site. The City Council voted unanimously to grant LTSC a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to build a multi-use facility for sports and community activities in Little Tokyo, just east of Downtown Los Angeles. The Little Tokyo Recreation Center (Rec Center) project will be located on the west side of Los Angeles Street between 2nd and 3rd Street (located just south from St. Vibiana Church and the Little Tokyo Library) and will be adjacent to the LAPD Headquarters, which is currently under construction. The Rec Center will be built over a parking lot on a 36,000 square foot lot, which was recently purchased by the City of Los Angeles. The facility will host major basketball, volleyball and martial arts tournaments, and will serve as a local community gymnasium for on-going activities. The facility is scheduled to be built in the next 3-5 years and will undergo a multi-million dollar capital campaign. “The Little Tokyo Recreation Center will be an important addition for the Little Tokyo community and for the entire Downtown area, because it will not only add much needed recreation space, but will also serve as an important economic engine and have an immediate impact on local businesses in the area”, said Councilmember Jan Perry. LTSC, along with other community groups, businesses and residents have recognized from very early on, that the area, not only needed space for recreation, but also a mechanism to preserve the cultural heritage of the area and increase economic development. The Little Tokyo Recreation Center was seen as one of the main vehicles that could both attract the next generation of Japanese Americans to Little Tokyo and also help the local businesses. After World War II, the Japanese American sports leagues (basketball, volleyball and martial arts) were created and have continued to provide Japanese Americans with a social and physical outlet, and have continued to grow and expand over the years. Today, it is estimated that there are over 10,000 participants, just in the basketball leagues alone, which range in age from 5 years old to 60. The leagues and martial arts groups have found it very difficult to find court space and locations large enough to host major tournaments throughout Los Angeles County. The international judo tournament has been held at UC Irvine in years past, and it is estimated that the economic impact for local businesses during that weekend is approximately $1 million. “It has now been close to fifteen years since we first started working on this project, but we are finally now ready to kick-off this process,” stated Bill Watanabe, Executive Director of Little Tokyo Service Center. “Based on our preliminary analysis, the Rec Center will be utilized 18 hours a day, 7 days a week and will bring thousands of people to Little Tokyo”. Historically, the Rec Center is not a new concept to Little Tokyo. Due to the popularity of sports within the Japanese American community, a recreation facility has been on the drawing board since 1972, when the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, had included a basketball court as part of its original plans, but that idea was later replaced by the Isamu Noguchi plaza. The concept of the Rec Center resurfaced again in 1994 during a series of planning sessions conducted by the City of Los Angeles, Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), when the concept of the Rec Center was reintroduced as a way to revive Little Tokyo and also encourage the next generation of Japanese Americans to come to the area. In 1998, LTSC Community Development Corporation was asked to head an effort to explore the possibility of building a recreation center in Little Tokyo and they created an organization called the Little Tokyo Community Gymnasium, which was incorporated in 1998, to fulfill this dream for the community. Since 1998, the organization has faced an ongoing battle to find a site, but most recently under the guidance of Councilwoman Jan Perry’s office, the Rec Center has finally found a suitable location. Little Tokyo is a 125-year old historic ethnic neighborhood just two blocks east of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Within Little Tokyo is a historic district composed of commercial and cultural resources, which is a National Historic Landmark. Through the years, the Little Tokyo community has struggled to remain a vibrant cultural hub which both retains the presence of Japanese American culture and history and continues to appeal to the changing demographics of the area. Due to a recent development boom in the Downtown Los Angeles area and the change of ownership of many local businesses, the physical make-up of Little Tokyo has changed significantly over the years. With the on-going loss of both the traditional residents and the institutions that helped to create the character of Little Tokyo, there is a greater sense of urgency to share the culture of Japanese Americans with a broader audience and also create ways to encourage the younger generations to take a vested interest in Little Tokyo. LTSC Community Development Corporation is a non-profit community-based organization, which has been providing services for over 29 years to the greater Los Angeles community. Programs include but are not limited to: assistance for victims of domestic violence, support groups, child abuse and neglect outreach, emergency food and shelter assistance, affordable housing, and community redevelopment. ### |
What is a Budokan?
Budokan roughly translates as "martial arts hall" in Japanese. The name is derived from the Nippon Budokan, a large arena in Central Tokyo, Japan. The arena was originally constructed for judo competition during the 1964 Summer Olympics, but today serves as a multi-purpose facility that caters to sports, entertainment and other activities. Currently in the United States, there are numerous budokans which serve as multi-purpose centers for martial arts, team sports such as basketball and volleyball, community activities and other special events.
Budokan of Los Angeles, a Project of Little Tokyo Service Center
231 E Third St, Suite G106
(213) 473-3030