Sawtelle, from day to late night

CULTURE MEETS COOL IN THIS HIGHLY WALKABLE WESTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD

- BY GRACE XUE AND TIFFANY TSE

WHILE MOST JAPAN TOWNS across the country have vanished, Los Angeles is home to not just one, but two, Japanese enclaves.

Most people know Little Tokyo. But on the Westside, past the 405 and tucked between strip malls and office buildings, there’s another: Sawtelle. $ Smaller in footprint but steeped in history, Sawtelle reflects the legacy of Japanese immigrants — their resilience, resourcefulness and ability to reinvent. That spirit lives on in one of L.A.’s most dynamic neighborhoods today: a cultural crossroads where you can slurp the best ramen, dig into sisig, cool off with Korean soft serve, try a California roll burger or sing your heart out at karaoke until 4 a.m., all within 2.69 square miles. § Long before Sawtelle became a hot spot for buzzy restaurants and boba shops, it was a refuge. Named after the manager of the Pacific Land Company that developed the area, Sawtelle in the early 20th century was a haven for Japanese immigrants barred from owning property or signing leases under exclusionary laws, like the 1913 California Alien Land Law. In this less developed pocket of the Westside, landowners looked the other way — allowing Japanese immigrants to carve out enough space to build newlives.

The proximity to the coast reminded them of home, and mild weather and fertile soil made outdoor work a pleasure, while local Kenjinkai organizations offered vital community support. By the 1910s, Sawtelle —“so-te-ru,” as it was affectionately called — had become a magnet for Issei, or first-generation Japanese immigrants. Between 1920 and 1925, its population tripled, driven by an influx of Japanese farmers, a booming film industry and the opening of UCLA. Here, they set up nurseries and small businesses, tended gardens for wealthy Westsiders, built temples and schools, and laid the groundwork for a close-knit community.