Sawtelle Japantown is primarily identified as a one-mile stretch on Sawtelle Blvd. in West Los Angeles. The street has important Japanese American cultural and historical significance that started from Japanese people migrating to the area in the 1890s.
The Japanese and Japanese American people were forcefully removed from Sawtelle in 1942 following Executive Order 9066. Most of the Sawtelle families were sent to the Manzanar incarceration camp, where they were lived behind barbed wire fences until 1945-6.
In the years after World War II, Sawtelle began to heal and grow as a community. The community had a slow-paced, old town, Japanese style feel, and was full of modest single family homes meticulously cared for by their first- and second-generation Japanese Americans owners.
These homes included well-tended bonsai trees, lovely gingko trees, decorative rocks and Japanese roof tiles that added subtle flair to the neighborhood. This once-sleepy area included a mix of locals and businesses with deep roots dating well before World War II. You didn’t have to trek to downtown Little Tokyo or the South Bay area for sushi and goods because they were available along Sawtelle Blvd.
Some may feel the old Sawtelle is no more. Sawtelle Japantown has undergone a renaissance of sorts within the past 15 years. One by one the old standbys such as Yamaguchi’s, Safe & Save Market, Satsuma Imports, Futaba, O-Sho, Ketchie’s and George’s Hardware store have gone, and replaced by cool kitschy boutiques and delicious multicultural fare heavy on Japanese and other Asian influences.
International Japanese businesses, including Tsujita, Marugame Udon, and Nijiya market have become well known anchors in Sawtelle Japantown. In the surrounding residential neighborhood within the zip code 90025, gentrification and development continue unabated – an unstoppable tsunami that many believe has trampled old Sawtelle.
But if you look and listen… old WLA Sawtelle is alive and well, adding old world influence and guidance to this treasured ethnic enclave. New business owners and developers are now realizing that incorporating some Japanese American history and culture adds significant value to their ventures.
More than just a destination, Sawtelle Japantown is a bridge between a storied past and the vibrant, diverse community shaping its future. By honoring its deep Japanese American roots, Sawtelle Japantown ensures its rich heritage remains the heartbeat of a community where all are welcome to live, work, and belong.