HOW TO HAVE THE BEST SUNDAY IN L.A., ACCORDING TO KEIKO AGENA

THE 'GILMORE GIRLS' STAR MAKES TIME TO EXPLORE DTLA GEMS

- BY MICHELLE WOO

Illustrations by LINDSEY MADE THIS; photograph by KIM NEWMONEY

KEIKO AGENA LIKES to create moments of coziness — not just on Sundays, but whenever she possibly can.

"Oh, there’s my rice cooker," she says when she hears the sound in her Arts District home. “We’re making steel-cut oatmeal in the rice cooker, which by the way, is a game changer. I used to have to baby it and watch it, but now I can just put it in there and forget it.”

The 52-year-old actor, who played music-loving bestie Lane Kim in the beloved series “Gilmore Girls,” delights in specific comforts like a bowl of warm oats, talking about Enneagram numbers and watching cooking competitions with her husband, Shin Kawasaki.

“It sounds so simple, but I look forward so much to spending time on the couch,” Agena says with a laugh.

It is time that she’s intentional about protecting, especially amid her kaleidoscope of projects. Over the last couple of years, Agena starred in Lloyd Suh’s moving play “The Chinese Lady” in Atlanta, acted in Netflix’s “The Residence,” showcased her artwork in her first feature exhibition, “Hep Tones” (some of her ink and pencil drawings are still for sale), and performed regularly on the L.A. improv circuit. And her work endures with “Gilmore Girls,” which turned 25 last year. Agena narrated the audiobook for “Meet Me at Luke's,” a guide that draws life lessons from the series, and is featured in the upcoming “Gilmore Girls” documentary “Drink Coffee, Talk Fast.” She shares with us her perfect Sunday in L.A., which begins before sunrise.

5 A.M.

MORNING SOLITUDE

I like to be up early-early, like 5 a.m. I like that feeling of everything being quiet. I'll go into the other room and do Duolingo on my phone. I am a little addicted to social media, so the Duolingo is not just to learn Japanese, but also to keep me from scrolling.