Open Letter and Petition to the Community and Leadership

To the leadership of the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center and the broader Little Tokyo community,

We write at a critical moment for the future of the Aratani Theatre.

This space was built with the intention of serving as a cultural bridge and a home for community expression. Today, decisions are being considered that could fundamentally alter that purpose—without full public transparency or community consensus.

We believe there is another path forward.

We propose  to create a Little Tokyo Theatre Committee  by the community, for the community, to organize an open public meeting where all stakeholders—artists, residents, businesses, and leadership—can come together to discuss the future of this space.

This meeting would:

Provide transparent information about finances and renovations proposals
Allow open dialogue and shared decision-making
Explore sustainable, community-centered solutions

Workshop to write grants for sustainable operation

 
We invite all who care about Little Tokyo and its future to participate, contribute, and help organize this effort.

The future of the Aratani Theatre should not be decided behind closed doors.
It should be shaped in the open—with honesty, collaboration, and respect for the generations it serves.

Please sign the petition below to give us your support and get invitations for theatre community meetings.

Please don’t donate.  Donation on this site goes to change.org only. Please see the refund instructions below if you donated to the change.org. 

Arigatou Gozai Masu. Thank you. 

Sincerely,
Concerned Members of the Community

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Instructions to get Refund for your donation:

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*Petition Name: Last Call for Little Tokyo: A Petition to Save the Aratani Theatre

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Arigato 🙏Thank you