Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community
ArtCenter, in partnership with the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), presents Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community as part of JANM on the Go.
The exhibition celebrates Southern California’s love affair with the automobile through the eyes of Japanese Americans and the community's influence on car culture in the United States.
Cruising J-Town features more than 100 objects, including rare photographs, home movies, memorabilia from car clubs, service stations, race car drivers, and collectors, as well as five classic cars that embody the exhibition's themes of speed, style, work, and community.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Exhibition Opening Reception
Thursday, July 31
5–7 p.m.
Peter and Merle Mullin Gallery
Free and open to the public
There is also an array of public programs, both at the ArtCenter and on JANM’s campus in Little Tokyo, including panel discussions and a series of Cars and Coffee events throughout the run of the exhibition.
Additional Programming
Sunday, August 10
4–7 p.m.
Little Tokyo parade route
JANM Plaza
Nisei Week Grand Parade with Cruising J-Town Convoy
| Parade |
Saturday, August 16
11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Democracy Center
at JANM
100 N Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA, 90012
2025 Natsumatsuri Family Festival
| Free Activities |
Origami, craft tables, color pages, scavenger hunt and storytime with Nadine Sachiko Toyoda-Hsu, founder of the Drifting Pretty team.
Saturday, August 30
2–3:30 p.m.
Tateuchi Democracy Forum
at JANM
100 N Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA, 90012
From the Street to the World:
Legacies of the Import Car Scene
| Presentation and Panel |
Saturday, September 13
Time TBD
950 Parking Lot
ArtCenter College of Design
South Campus
950 S Ryamond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
Cars and Coffee:
Street Racer Reunion
| Car meet |
Saturday, October 25
2–3:30 p.m.
Tateuchi Democracy Forum
at JANM
100 N Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA, 90012
Sakanaya Talk
| Presentation and Panel |
Nikkei fish trucks were a post-war phenomenon in Los Angeles, where, for over 40 years, dozens of drivers would travel to Japanese American homes to deliver fresh seafood, rice, and other Japanese food goods to people living across the Southland. While fish trucks were a source of work for drivers, they also provided a valuable community service by bringing a taste of home, six days a week, to Nikkei living across the vastness of the greater Los Angeles area. This special event will feature testimonies from the families of half a dozen former fish truck operators, with rare photographs and home movies to share with the audience.
Saturday, November 8
10 a.m.–noon
950 Parking Lot
ArtCenter College of Design
South Campus
950 S Ryamond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
Cars and Coffee:
Custom Car Culture
| Car meet |
More information on these and other programs will be available on janm.org/events.
Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Sunco Industries, Co. Ltd., and Don & Ellen Mizota. The media sponsor is The Rafu Shimpo.