[photo credit: Eventbrite]
Author Naomi Hirahara, who previously served as editor of The Rafu Shimpo, the Los Angeles Japanese American daily newspaper, will lead the tour beginning at 9 a.m. at Central Park, 275 S. Raymond Avenue.
The tour explores what Hirahara calls “the little-known history of an enterprising group of men and women” who “transformed the Southern California landscape for more than a century.”
Participants will walk approximately 1.5 miles through areas where Japanese immigrants established nurseries, laundries, florists, groceries and churches.
By 1920, Pasadena’s Japanese population included 42 percent gardeners, 42 percent service workers and 17 percent small-business owners. By 1940, 17 Japanese-owned florist and nursery businesses operated in the city, centered in the Central Business District and South Raymond–Fair Oaks corridor, historically known as “Japantown.”
The event is made possible by the City of Pasadena Department of Transportation, Day One and the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition. Organizers recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes, sunblock and a hat, and bringing water and a snack.
Green Makers: Walking the Early History of Japanese Americans in Pasadena will run on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Central Park, 275 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 744-7500 or visit eventbrite.com/e/green-makers-walking-the-early-history-of-japanese-americans-in-pasadena-tickets-1716939535369. Ticket prices: Free.
