Little Tokyo has two 150-year-old grapefruit trees that have witnessed the entire history of our historic Japantown: Sunny & a sister tree on First Street North! Every year, we pick their fruit and make cocktails as a community benefit!

History

There are two remaining Little Tokyo grapefruit trees from the Wolfskill Orchard, which stretched into downtown from the late 1800s to early 1900s and popularized citrus in California. Faced with redevelopment in 1980, JACCC and the SoCal Gardeners Federation saved and relocate our 150-year old tree from its original location behind the Amerasia bookstore (near what is now Somi Somi) to the JACCC Plaza. These trees have witnessed the citrus groves; the growth of the city of LA; the founding of Little Tokyo; the WWII Japanese American incarceration camps; and our perseverance through many waves of displacement and redevelopment. These trees are a symbol of our resilient, thriving community, and they continue to bear fruit for future generations!

Annual Historic Grapefruit Cocktail Night

Since 2016, SLT hosts an annual Historic Grapefruit Cocktail Night as a celebration of our history and a fundraiser for local community organizations. Wolf & Crane created "The 1884" cocktail, featuring the essence of 150 years of grapefruit history! Our past events have supported Rafu Shimpo with a subscriber drive, and Little Tokyo Community Council. We hope to see you at our next one, as soon as the grapefruits are ripe for the drinking!

Tree Ceremony

In 2015, JACCC held our first art happening to honor the two historic grapefruit trees and the Aoyama tree! Featured artists included: Mme. Ikuta, Mr. Kitajima, Ms. Palter, Ikenobo, and Urasenke. Each event included Kado, Sado, and Shodo (Ikebana, Tea, and Calligraphy), celebrating the longevity and sustainable livelihood of these trees in Little Tokyo.