Downtown Weekly LA

DOWNTOWN WEEKLY

THE SPIRIT OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM VOL 17. NO. 05 AUG 11TH - AUG 17TH 2022

DTLA monuments in time LIttle Tokyo CElebrates

Nisei Week BEAUTIFUL YOU FASHION TOUR

UNDSPTD DOWNTOWN'S

UNOFFICIAL GIFT SHOP

PERUVIAN FEST AT

LA PLAZA

SHOWN HERE: OOTORO SUSHI LITTLE TOKYO

2 DTLA SQUARE ONE: OUR WARMEST WELCOME

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THE HISTORIC MONUMENT OF DOWNTOWN WEEKLY

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ON THE COVER OOTORO SUSHI

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location: LITTLE TOKYO PHOTO by: KERI FREEMAN

THE NFTS

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GROOMAVERSE LAUNCHES IN THE ARTS DISTRICT..4 UNDSPTD DTLA'S UNOFFICIAL GIFT SHOP....5 1O GREAT PLACES TO CELEBRATE NISEI WEEK ...7 BEAUTIFUL YOU FASHION TOUR ..9 PERUVIAN FESTIVAL COMING TO LA PLAZA GET2DTLA EVENT GUIDE... 10 MAP INSIDE...11 DTLA WEEKLY

editor and chief KERI FREEMAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

RANESSA HARDING janae saia SALMA AHMED KERI FREEMAN

REACH UP TO 50k WITH OUR COMBINED SERVICES

photography

GARY LEONARD eric epperson KERI FREEMAN

VIDEO Production

print per month

@kerieatsdtla design and layout @kerieatsdtla

social media

Special thanks to...

MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES & council district 14 THE CITY OF LA ARTS DISTRICT CHINATOWN CIVIC DISTRICT BUNKER HILL EXPO/USC HISTORIC CORE LITTLE TOKYO FASHION DISTRICT FINANCIAL DISTRICT SKID ROW SOUTH PARK WAREHOUSE DISTRICT THEGRAWN ARTWALK NEWS

DTLA WEEKLY All rights reserved. Downtown Weekly is a news, event, LIFESTYLE & Hospitality FREE community resource. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher.

DTLA WEEKLY, in support of local residents, businesses, workers and visitors of Downtown Los Angeles, publishes DTLA WEEKLY. Readers are recommended to make appropriate inquiries before wagering any sum in relation to any ad, article or feature published herein. DTLA WEEKLY will not be liable to any person for loss or damage incurred or suffered as a result of his/her accepting, offering to accept or following any invitation or advice contained in any ad, article or feature published herein.

@kerieatsdtla DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES WEEKLY

DTLA NEWS l EVENTS l LIFESTYLE I HOSPITALITY P.O. BOX 86601 - DTLA CA 90086 - WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM 888-732-DTLA (3852) @DTLAWEEKLY

4 DTLA STAYING ALIVE: GROOMAVERSE LAUNCH BY JANAE SAIA

VOL 17. NO. 05 - AUGUST 11TH - AUGUST 17TH - 2022 WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM

GROOMAVERSE LAUNCHES IN THE ARTS DISTRICT

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nimal lovers are officially invited to the Official Launch Party of one of the most anticipated mobile dog grooming operations in the city. Dogs Of The Groomaverse is coming to the Aliso Apartments in the Arts District of DTLA!

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n August 14th, Co-founder and CEO Shaina Denny of Dogdrop is launching her newest pet grooming service with a swinging party, inviting the community to enjoy music, vendors, prizes, and more!

Dogs are people too. They want to hang out with their friends. They like cool stuff.

Dogs want to join. Woof. Woof.

The event held at Aliso Apartments starts at 12:30pm to 3:30pm. RSVP, spots are going quick!

Leaving for a weekend trip? Visit Shaina’s long-existing doggie daycare center, Dogdrop at 905 E. 2nd Street. Dogdrop will take care of your pup with precious TLC. They focus on quality, tech, and convenience founded after Shaina had heard one too many horror stories about subpar grooming services, inspiring her to invest in offering a better solution.

The daycare and grooming service offers real-time doggie updates, curbside, high-quality and well-trained staff, and convenient locations. Step right in with no appointment needed! The daycare offers walk-up appointments to make you and your pup’s life easier.

Their services are aptly named, “All Fur: Basic Wet Hygiene Essentials” a basic small package is where your dog gets grade A treatment with brushing teeth, cleaning ears, paw pads, nail trim and/or grind, glands, bath, and a blow dry to get them stylish for their upcoming walks.

Folks love how they pop up food truck style in high-traffic areas. You’ll catch them around LA everywhere and be able to walk up for real-time grooming service.

ROW DTLA host the doggie grooming mobile on Sundays for an easy access pop-up.

There are heartwarming stories when it comes to these pets and Dogs Of The Groomaverse services. Take Liam, a beautiful Labrador, Pit-bull mix, that so happened to pop in to get a professional groom to leave looking stylish. That’s the life!

Shaina is most known for being active and accomplished in the start-up community. Shaina went to business school in Shanghai and ended up living and working there for a few years. She resides in breezy Silver Lake where she and her miniature dachshund, Poppy, love to take strolls.

Follow them on Instagram to find daily spots and see you on the 14th for this amazing launch party! www.dogdrop.com

UNDSPTD

DTLA MAKEOVER UNDSPTD BY KERI FREEMAN

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DTLA'S UNOFFICIAL GIFT SHOP

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owntown Los Angeles; a dream to some, a nightmare to others. Nothing embodies this mixture of danger meets excitement like UNDSPTD (UNDISPUTED), DTLA’s Unofficial Gift Shop.

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ocated in the Historic Core on 6th and Spring, UNDSPTD is a revolutionary gift shop that celebrates DTLA’s individuality via apparel with thought-provoking graphics.

Their apparel depicts the good and the not-so-good aspects of DTLA in various ways such as humor, parody, metaphors and more.

“We believe that it is okay to laugh at ourselves sometimes and we definitely don’t take ourselves too seriously. Instead we pride ourselves by offering quality over quantity.” Said owner and operator, Gian Frabotti.

By designing and producing all apparel instore and making every product different from another, UNDSPTD has delivered an original and delightfully entertaining clothing line.

From the surreal to the sarcastic, images on their clothes may include our city’s most majestic skyscrapers collaged alongside our most lovable flying rats.

If one legged pigeons, cockroach baseball teams, and the Hotel Cecil don’t give you a sense of our fantastic urban oasis, then the obvious t-shirt, sweatpants, or tank top branded with the letters “DTLA” surely will. Or perhaps buyers prefer other printed messages such as...

”LA Hates You”, a best seller according to Gian.

As lead designer, Gian’s works and use of color drive the vicinity to match our city’s landscape. The grey of granite, earth tones of exposed brick, hues of currency, the pitch black of asphalt; all can be found beneath the chosen contrast of smoggy blues meant to match our urban skies.

Although the brand speaks to the toxicity of our relationship with the city, it establishes itself as a great conversation piece or ice breaker on the hottest of summer days.

“My vision is to empower the sense of pride for DTLA as well as cherishing all that makes this city so special.”

Already a hero to local businesses, the shop has recently moved away from customizing apparel. However, UNDSPTD still produces their famous branded socks complete with faces, random objects and company logos and is willing to collaborate on any apparel project with like minded people who love and care about DTLA! Visit the shop to check put the designs and for special orders.

UNDSPTD is located at 204 1/2 W 6th St Los Angeles, CA 90013. @undpstdla

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DTLA REAL OR MAKE BELIEVE? NFT EXPOVERSE COMES TO DTLA

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LITTLE TOKYO CELEBRATES

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80TH NISEI WEEK

o truly understand Nisei Week in Little Tokyo you have to take a trip back in time. Back to the late 1800s to the time of the Issei (first generation immigrants) who came to America from Japan in search of agricultural work.

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ootoro fried shrimp

hrough trials and tribulations, displacement, historical shutdowns and repopulation, the foundations of this beloved Little Tokyo event have been made imperishable.

Just look around Little Tokyo today and see what their descendants, the Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans) have made. They’ve established Little Tokyo as one of the most happening spots to ever exist in the United States; a destination full of festivities celebrating the perfect mixture of Japanese America and Old Japan.

This weekend brings the 80th anniversary of Little Tokyo’s Nisei Week, an event started in 1935 to help share the culture of the community with the world.

Here’s 10 Great Ways to Celebrate Nisei Week in Little Tokyo.

Returning during the evening promises intoxicating joys of fried shrimp, lobster fried rice, soft shell crab and other tapas picks from Ootoro’s new cocktail bar.

Irasshaimase!

Number 2

Getting Your Culture Fix Across the street from Ootoro Sushi is the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC).

Number 1

Fueling Up and Winding Down with Little Tokyo’s Freshest Sushi Ootoro Sushi is open from 11:00am to 2pm for lunch, and from 5:30pm to 9:30pm for dinner. At Ootoro, celebrating Nisei Week takes on a whole new meaning.

Offering plates and combos of scrumptious Sushi and Sashimi, the restaurant now offers a full bar directed by one of America’s finest cocktail architects, Erik Lund.

Festival goers visit Ootoro Sushi on the corner of San Pedro and 2nd for the pleasure of enjoying Chefs’ choice selects of Hamachi, Tuna, Silver Fish, and Salmon among others.

JACCC was erected in 1980 with an entrance through Noguchi Plaza to the 880-seat Aratani Theatre and adjacent JACCC Center Headquarters, housing the George J. Doizaki Gallery, Japanese Cultural Room, Toshizo Watanabe Exhibition Center, Toshizo Watanabe Culinary Cultural Center, and award-winning James Irvine Japanese Garden.

From the theater comes panel

discussions and live theater performances. From the galleries, the finest art. From the Culinary Center, America’s rising Chefs, and from the garden, springs a 170 ft. waterfall and vast labyrinths of pure tranquility.

This Nisei Week the heart of Noguchi Plaza will beat with the sound of Taiko drum, with lively performers dressed in traditional wares, both young and old.

In addition, an exhibition of Ikebana Flower arrangements, and Bonsai trees at George J. Doizaki Gallery and Japanese dolls, ceramics and calligraphy inside the Uni, Squid, Eel, Caviars, Jellyfish Cultural Center help visitors celebrate Cocktails and Living Shrimp are also Japanese community and culture. brought to the table for all desiring guests. Cultural exhibits are on display Aug Visiting during the day means a raw boost 13-14th, with drumming festivities held of energy for touring all the festivities have August 20-21st. to offer.

8 GET2DTLA: 10 GREAT PLACES TO CELEBRATE NISEI WEEK

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10 GREAT WAYS TO CELEBRATE NISEI WEEK Number 3

The Celebration of Cosplay and Kit Cars at Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon

are known to pay homage to its founders – pioneers who helped shaped Los Angeles.

Top touring designations include: Little Tokyo, was first settled in 1885, by former sailor, Since 1905, Nishi Hongwanji Issei Hamanosuke “Charles Buddhist Temple Obon at 815 Hama” Shigeta, when he E. First Street, Los Angeles has opened the first tiny eatery, been a religious gathering place Kame Restaurant at 340 E. to listen to the Teachings of the 1st Street.

Buddha.

Today, Bunkado Gift Shop The temple not only provides stands as the marker of Little an opportunity to listen to the Tokyo’s original birthplace.

Dharma, but offers workshops, seminars, special observances, San Pedro Firm Building, at and special events as well.

108 Judge John Aiso is home to the original flower market This Nisei Week, the temple growers of LA, a group so will host DEKOCAR: a successful they opened the celebration of everything Southern California Flower Anime. On August 13th expect Market in 1913, which today anime vendors, art displays, is one of two largest markets music, anime-themed import in the Los Angeles Flower cars and of course the best District (700 South Wall Cosplay in the world.

Street).

Number 4

Grand Parade

Opening Ceremony takes place at 4pm on August 14 along 2nd Street between Central Ave and San Pedro as the streets fill with thousands of people witnessing floats, Choreographer Azuma Kikusue and her dancers, live bands and more led by this year’s parade marshals, Ice Skating Olympic Medalists/siblings, Alex and Maia Shibutani.

Number 5

Touring the Places of Old! Little Tokyo is a place of many historical figures and equally historical landmarks. Locals

JANM location. The space still serves as a community venue, once hosting the Emperor and Empress of Japan.

The Japanese Union Church at 120 Judge John Aiso Street, built in 1923 was a place for Christians to worship and once JANM Museum used as a displacement center in World War II but now exists The bombing of Pearl Harbor as a nonprofit community arts by Japan in 1941, brought center. wartime hysteria to Little Tokyo in Executive Order 9066, which ordered 120,000 people of Japanese Ancestry to evacuate The Temple Of JANM from the West Coast.

Number 7

Number 6

The first Buddhist temple in LA was Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, it’s brick laden magnificence can be honored on the same grounds as Japanese American National Museum at 119 N. Central Avenue. The temple was one of the biggest and most influential Buddhist temples in the U.S. also functioned as an auditorium and as the first

Residents of Little Tokyo were forced to abandon their homes and businesses, and relocated to isolated areas throughout the U.S. This was the only time in history besides Covid when Little Tokyo was virtually shut down.

All is the documented focus of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), founded by a small band of Japanese American World War II veterans and a group of Little Tokyo businessmen who felt the need to preserve and share the history of Japanese Americans.

Year round visitors are welcome to examine the museums rotation exhibits, workshops, and over 400 Japanese American artifacts.

Sponsored by Honda, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Rafu Shimpo, the longest running Japanese American Newspaper JANM will host 2022 Natsumatsuri Family Festival on August 13th from 11am to 5pm. www.niseiweek.org

DTLA MAKEOVER BEAUTIFUL YOU FASHION TOUR BY RANESSA HARDING

LITTLE TOKYO Number 8

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BEAUTIFUL YOU

FASHION TOUR

AT

LA CONV CTR

Staying with Us? Double Tree Hotel Pick up a copy of Downtown Weekly in the lobby at check in. Also, the 80th Annual Nisei Week Awards Dinner will be taking place at 6pm on August 15th. The Gala recognizes community members who have gone above and beyond – including the Frances K. Hashimoto community service honorees.

Hashimoto was a community activist, leader in the formation of Little Tokyo and the creator of, get this, Mochi Ice Cream.

Number 9

Crowning of the Queen – The 2022 Nisei Week Court Crowning of the Nisei Week a court is a tradition that dates back to 1935.

Headed by the Queen’s Committee, The Queen and Court Program offers young sponsored debutants a multifaceted mentorship with Little Tokyo’s social elites along with an one-in-alife time opportunity to engage in the community, establish contacts with the local industry leaders, and for the crowned winner, a chance to travel the world. Coronation will be held on Sunday, Aug. 13, at the Aratani Theatre.

Number 10

Dancing in the Sunset – Nisei Week Closing Ceremony Nisei Week ends with an Ondo music dance celebration in the streets of Little Tokyo. First Street will be closed from San Pedro to Central for the sole purpose of hundreds dancing to Japanese-style folk music.

Closing ceremony takes place from 4:30pm 6:30pm on August 21st.

D

ebonair’s International Beautiful You Fashion Tour is best known for promoting self-love, inclusivity, and body positivity.

His nonprofit program accepts adult & child models of all sizes including those with special needs and disabilities. The event is designed to build self-love, self-esteem and overall confidence.

M

r. Debonair is the man who makes dreams come true by having produced hundreds of shows in over 30 cities within the United States and 15 countries worldwide for the past 21 years.

Debonair’s International Beautiful You Fashion Tour (BYFT) travels the world from North America, Caribbean Islands, Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia.

BYFT is a platform for fashion creatives, artists, models, and designers to showcase their talents to the world. Expect great music, a family-friendly environment, and beautiful fashion.

The next stop is downtown Los Angeles, CA on August 14th, and later, heading to New York Fashion Week, Dallas TX, and Dubai.

Mr. Debonair created BeautifulMode. com, which is an online social community platform for professionals in the fashion and beauty industry to connect on a global scale. The website has thousands of models and fashion industry professionals from around the world.

On August 14, 2022, Mr. Debonair will host the International Beautiful You Fashion Tour at The LA Convention Center at 2:30pm. Attendees can also enjoy exhibits by leading beauty and lifestyle brands. This fun family event is open to the public.

Designers, Models, Vendors, and Photographers interested must text WhatsApp/ Mobile +1-254-317-5440 to join this exciting event! Tickets are available on Tuesday www.BeautifulMode.com

10 10MUSIC TO YOUR EARS: PERUVIAN FEST VOL 17. NO. 05 - AUGUST 11TH - AUGUST 17TH

PERUVIAN FESTIVAL RETURNS TO LA PLAZA PLAZA

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he annual Peruvian Festival Chim Pum Callao LA is taking place on Sunday, August 21st, 2022 from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in DTLA.

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nce home to the mighty Inca Empire, Port of EL CALLAO is the main Port of Peru, forged in 1597 by the Spanish conquerors in their quest for silver and gold.

In modern days, El Callao is known as the place of old and new traditions intermingle. The old Peru of pottery, woven wares, mountain ranges and ancient temples still exist, while in modern day Peru, Salsa and Afro Caribbean music have become the national treasure.

Peruvian Fest Chim Pum Callao LA celebrates the rich diversity of Peruvian Culture.

Joining Cuba, Columbia and the US, Peru has become home to some of the most influential Salsa Orchestras in all of the Americas. At least three of them will be performing at Peruvian Fest Chim Pum Callao.

The Fest will not only share the different styles and sounds of Peruvian music but dance with international and regional dance troupes.

The musical lineup includes threetime Grammy® winning Salsa and Latin Jazz band, Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

Now celebrating 20 years of excellence, SHO, as they are known to fans, is dedicated to the sounds of the barrio (Spanish Harlem, NYC). Their music is characterized by the raw, organic and vintage sound defined by the genre.

The Festival will also feature; Andean folklore, Raices Peruanas Dance Company, Afro-Peruvian music with Afro-Peruvian Experience Dance Company, as well as The Echo Park Project, one of the leading Salsa Orchestras in Los Angeles.

The festival will feature Peruvian cuisine and regional drinks prepared with Pisco, a brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru.

Peruvian Fest Chim Pum Callao LA’s mission is not only to highlight Peruvian culture with music, art, dance, culinary delicacies and specialty drinks, but bring the Peruvian community together, as well as introduce Angelenos to the rich heritage of Peru.

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes located at 501 N. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 in DTLA. For tickets visit www.YambuProductions.com

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