On Thursday, Aug. 5, at 10 a.m., the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission will vote on whether to recommend Historic-Cultural Monument designation to Nishiyima Residence/Otomisan Japanese Restaurant in Boyle Heights.
The property located at 2504-2508 E. First St. is an important landmark in the Japanese American community. Otomisan is the last remaining Japanese restaurant in the area and is believed to be one of the city’s oldest continuously operating Japanese restaurants.
The Queen Anne-style residence and a one-story vernacular commercial building are significant for their association with early Japanese American settlement patterns in Boyle Heights and for their association with commercial development along the East First Street streetcar line in the 1920s.
In May 2020, the Los Angeles Conservancy in partnership with the Boyle Heights Community Partners submitted a Historic-Cultural Monument nomination for the property. On Nov. 5, 2020, the Cultural Heritage Commission voted to take the nomination of the Nishiyama Residence/Otomisan Japanese Restaurant under consideration.
Cultural Heritage Commission meetings can be listened to by dialing (213) 621-2489 or (818) 904-9450. Meetings can also be viewed via Zoom at https://planning-lacity-org.zoom.us/j/84543963634. Meeting ID: 845 4396 3634. You may use password 119221.
Members of the public who wish to participate in the meeting and offer comment to the commission can either access the link above or call (213) 338-8477 or (669) 900-9128, use Meeting ID No. 845 4396 3634 and then press #. Press # again when prompted for participant ID. You may use password 119221.