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GUESTS: Thomas Yee, with J-Town Voice, Traci Kato-Kiriyama, who Works with the Tuesday night Project, and is a member of the Little Tokyo Rec Center Board

With only three Japantowns left in California, local residents of Downtown L.A.’s Little Tokyo face the threat of gentrification. American Commercial Equities bought Japanese Village Plaza in July, and 3D Investments recently purchased the New Otani Hotel and the Weller Court Shopping Mall – after acquiring a large piece of San Francisco’s J-Town last year. Neither company has strong ties to the Little Tokyo community, and have yet to take an initiative that involves the community’s input. In response, a group of concerned residents have organized a community council public meeting, which will take place this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum. In addition, they have also begun a petition effort to, among other things, send a clear message to Councilwoman Jan Perry (of South Central Farm infamy) that there is broad support to maintain active community involvement in determining Little Tokyo’s future.

For more information, visit www.ltsc.org and www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?jtv1