In observance of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the Little Tokyo Historical Society will discuss the historical and cultural heritage of Little Tokyo, which marks its 130th birthday this year, on Saturday, May 24, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Central Library, Meeting Room A, 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles.
The speakers will be Mike Okamura, LTHS president, and Bill Watanabe, former executive director of the Little Tokyo Service Center.
Little Tokyo began in 1884 with the establishment of a humble restaurant, Kame, at 340 E. First St., where Bunkado now stands. That same year, the Washington Monument was completed, President Harry S. Truman was born, and the City of Los Angeles was little more than a village of 5,000 inhabitants.
For more information on the Central Library, call (213) 228-7000 or visit www.lapl.org/branches/central-library. For more information on the Little Tokyo Historical Society, visit www.littletokyohs.org.