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| Traci and Maiya Asset Mapping J-town |
Just finished my third night of meetings in Little Tokyo, one for Tuesday Night Cafe w/South Asians for Social Justice + a Google Hangout crash course, one to plan for the brand spanking new skill learning + history/community sharing space Little Tokyo University, and finally tonight I got to see this amazing photovisual community mapping project that culminated in a photo gallery installation at Nirvana Bar. It was awesome catching up with and talking story with folks like Traci, Jenni, Tony, Kristin, and Collin who are all going big and making huge changes to the JTown landscape.
It's so crazy to think that when I first got to LA in 2006 I would go to meetings where the first agenda item was "in 5 years will there be a Little Tokyo?" The streets would be empty, the shops would be tired, and the area was being bought out by corporations at frightening speed.
Now there is barely any parking because the restaurants are packed, the streets are always lit, and on any given night something is happening. This isn't a testament to Japanese people or Little Tokyo itself, but really what PEOPLE (any people, ordinary people) can do when we come together and PROACTIVELY create spaces to engage and work towards communal goals and wants.And that's a pretty awesome thing.
I'm moving there at the end of July. SO EXCITED.June 14 at 10:54pm · · 3
Sean Miura that's my only lifegoal--to eventually buy a condo in jtown.June 14 at 10:58pm · · 5
Michael It's expensive now.... Who woulda thought, right? On another note, if you wanna learn more about Google Hangouts, come to the Vincent Chin event next Saturday, we're gonna have Google staff on hand doing all of our techJune 14 at 11:07pm via mobile · · 1- Sean Miura I'm going to be out of town! But yeah that's good to know. Traci Akemi see what waxstyles just said bout the vincent chin thing!!June 14 at 11:09pm · · 1
that is really exciting...awesome day =]June 14 at 11:09pm · · 2
Tony Buying would be cool. But building a condo would be J-Town Cool. Let's make that a new word for the Little Tokyo lexicon. "J-Town Cool" adj. -to be extra excellent or bad ass. As in "Did you see that dude pop locking at the talent show at the Budokan? Man, it was J-Town cool."June 14 at 11:10pm · · 3
Kristin "fun-ical"June 14 at 11:13pm · · 2- Sean Miura Dude what if there was an affordable condo/apartment building near budokan that could also be used to house summer camps and traveling teamsJune 14 at 11:15pm · · 1
- Tony There you go. That would be very jtown cool.June 14 at 11:15pm · · 1
- Sean Miura "J-Town Cool" is happening. Kristin, it's a thing. Can we just say "JC"? Is that allowed? everything else in jtown is abbreviated anyhow, may as well make it more complicated....June 14 at 11:16pm · · 1
- Tony... and straight up fun-ical.June 14 at 11:17pm · · 2
Traci This whole thread is making me so happy, you just can't imagine...And Michael, we seriously need to chat soon ;)...June 14 at 11:17pm via mobile · · 1- Traci Also Sean, in light of tonight's conversation on missing Jenni's blog, I do like that you took the time and space here to write an extended note!!June 14 at 11:19pm via mobile · · 1
- Sean Miura I'm going to try it out for a bit!June 14 at 11:20pm · · 1
- Kristin yeah blog! yeah affordable condo/apt! yeah J-Town Cool!! ... although. I'm pretty sure JC is generally jesus christ... and that could get weird if interpreted that way. jus sayinJune 14 at 11:22pm · · 2
Jenni J-cool... love it. Wanna revive the dusty Little Tokyo Unplugged blog and get others to write for it? (I have access). Does TNC have a blog? Or maybe blogs are too old school, something new? Can I paste your post to the LT Unplugged blog?June 15 at 7:59am · · 2- Sean Miura Jenni - Not sure I can do anything beyond inane 1am scribbling, but let me know! And feel free to copy/paste this to the blog!June 18 at 8:32am ·
* FB links and last names removed.
