Little Tokyo is one of the last Japantowns in the country, with our community shrinking each day at the hands of gentrification and the violent policing that enforces it. The developers, landlords, and corrupt politicians are stealing Little Tokyo from right beneath our feet. We are surrounded by LAPD headquarters, Dept of Homeland Security, and Men’s Central Jail. Every corner is swarming with private security and Business Improvement District goons, while the Koban hides an LAPD substation under the guise of its label as a “Visitor Center.” Now with the Metro Regional Connector opening, the policing and violence will continue to escalate.

The struggle within our community is very real. Historic First Street North has survived multiple waves of displacement and redevelopment, including the WWII Japanese Amerikan incarceration in concentration camps. Today we continue to be held hostage by the developers and landlords as they bring skyrocketing rents that are once again forcing us out of our own community.

This fight has come to a head with the illegal eviction of one of the oldest restaurants in Little Tokyo, Suehiro Cafe. We must stop killer cop and slumlord heir, Anthony Sperl’s scheme to warp Little Tokyo into “something that resembles Melrose.”

Learn more about the fight against this killer cop slumlord below:



Link to JAS Twitter Thread



Link to LA Times Article 



Link to LA Public Press Article


Link to flyer - Spread the word!