Little Tokyo's historic Union Church celebrates 101 years as beacon of culture and resilience

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- This year, Little Tokyo - one of three remaining historic Japantowns left in the nation - is celebrating 140 years since its founding.

Central to this community's history is a small church building that is finally getting the cultural marker it deserves. People who came to celebrate this distinction say the Japanese Union Church is even more relevant today.

In 1923, when the Hollywood Sign came into existence, the iconic Japanese Union Church was also born. It's where Mike Okamura's grandparents started their life together.

"They met in Little Tokyo and they married at the old Union Church in 1927," he said.

Rev Gi'ichi Tanaka was the church's first pastor 101 years ago.

Jonathan Tanaka said even then, his great grand uncle already knew how important this place would be for future generations.

"He clearly expressed how the building was to be used for the Japanese American community, not just the church." he said.

It's called Union church because it unified three small Japanese American congregations. It was the place for social gatherings, basketball games and cultural classes. The church was central to Okamura's family who had a florist business across the street.

"I feel as if I'm walking in the footsteps of my grandparents because they would traverse this daily going into their business," Okamura said.

After the start of World War II, this church was a gathering place for Japanese residents, where they were arrested and incarcerated and taken to remote camps throughout the country.

Sadly post-war, Japanese businesses, organizations and even this church would feel the need to rebrand.

"When they came back, they renamed the church the Union Church of Los Angeles, removing Japanese from the title," Tanaka said.

In the 1970s, the congregation moved to a nearby location. The building fell into disrepair. The Little Tokyo Service Center saw the value in reclaiming the space. In 1999, it became the Union Center for the Arts. Today, it houses the East West Players, the nation's oldest Asian American live theater; Visual Communications, an education program with one of the largest Asian American photographic archives; and LA Artcore, a gallery featuring emerging artists.

"Culture and art adds to the soul of every human being. I think it serves very well," said Bill Watanabe with Little Tokyo Service Center.

On its 101st anniversary, the building has a new sign designating it a cultural monument cementing it as an intersection between past and future generations.

"Little Tokyo has survived concentration camps, urban renewal, eminent domain, and gentrification. Each plaque and each marker gives us more ammunition to fight for our community," Miya Iwataki with the Little Tokyo Historical Society.