Atomic Cafe

Atomic Cafe. . , Birth of the Atomic , Atomic Cafe is popularly known in the cultural history of Little Tokyo as ground zero of the 1970s and 1980s punk rock and Downtown LA Arts movements. But dig deeper and you'll unearth a shared history of the rebirth of Little Tokyo after world war two through the lives of a resilient family. Tucked away on a quiet corner of Little Tokyo, Atomic Cafe's story is notable for surviving the waves of war, eminent domain, relocation and upheaval in the Little Tokyo and Japanese American communities, while maintaining an inclusive community spirit. After the devastation of world war two, with the residue of Manzanar still clinging to his belongings, Minoru and Ito "Suzie" Matoba opened the doors to the Atomic Cafe in 1946, on 237 East First Street. During the War, Americans of Japanese ancestry were uprooted and imped Japanese ancestry were uprooted and imprisoned in 10 concentration camps such as Manzanar. Little Tokyo, then deserted, transformed into Bronzeville, following an influx of African American workers and musicians. After their release from camp, many Japanese Americans returned to Little Tokyo, including many single Issei (first generation Japanese) men. Many Bronzeville residents moved out after the War, although some remained along with other disparate, diverse denizens of downtown Los Angeles. All were welcomed into the warm inviting atmosphere of the Atomic Cafe. The photographs were contributed by Nancy Sekizawa and family. The narrative text was compiled by Vice President of the Little Tokyo Historical Society Miya Iwataki, and was based on interviews she conducted in 2019 with Nancy Sekizawa and her daughter Zen Sekizawa, as well as correspondence with Sean Carrillo, a long-time friend of Atomic Cafe and owner of the site's subsequent establishment, Troy Cafe. , A Place to Remember , Why name it Atomic Cafe? "People will always remember the atomic bomb,” Matoba would say, "Maybe they will always remember the Atomic Cafe!” The original, now iconic, sign was topped off by a big mushroom cloud. Some objected to it as a reminder of the nuclear devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, saying the mushroom cloud was too blatant. He kept the name and sign, but removed the mushroom cloud. , Recovery and Relocation , By the early 1950s, the Atomic Cafe, along with other local businesses, was displaced to make way for the construction of the former LAPD headquarters, later known as Parker Center. The headquarters was built on a block that was a vital part of Little Tokyo. The City had seized the land through eminent domain in the late 1940s at a time when Japanese Americans were still recovering from their unjust imprisonment during world war two. Post-war Little Tokyo was a time and place of recovery. The Bronzeville spirit of inclusiveness spilled into Atomic Cafe. Soon after relocating to 117 South San Pedro Street, Japanese corporate money began to flow into Little Tokyo, and plans to build the Sumitomo Bank triggered another move in 1961 to Atomic Cafe's final home at 422 East First Street. "We were always relocating," Matoba's daughter, Atomic Nancy remembers. , Passing the Baton , As the go-to hangout for every punk band coming through Los Angeles, the Atomic Cafe became a de facto cultural hub. By the mid-1980s, Nancy decided to move on from the restaurant. Shortly thereafter, on Thanksgiving Day in 1989, her parents closed the doors of the Atomic Cafe a final time. , Troy Cafe Opens in 1990 , After Atomic Cafe closed, Sean Carrillo and his wife Bibbe Hansen (a protégé of Andy Warhol and mother to the musician Beck) saw a rental sign in the storied brick building where they hung out in the 1980s. They excitedly rented the site for Troy Cafe, which quickly became an incubator for Chicano talent: it was a launchpad for Grammy Award-winner Quetzal, Culture Clash, as well as jazz, indie and spoken word artists. "What I wanted very much to re-create was a place where people of all walks of life felt comfortable. Since traditionally marginalized groups - Latino, Black, Asian, and gay and lesbian individuals, etcetera - are usually made to feel like outsiders, we wanted a place to make all of them feel like insiders. The Atomic had this as well."