Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT

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1 Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION CASE NO.: CHC HCM HEARING DATE: February 21, 2008 TIME: 10:00 AM PLACE: City Hall, Room N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA PROJECT: Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the AOYAMA TREE Location: 135 N. Central Ave. Council District: 9 Community Plan Area: Central City Area Planning Commission: Central Neighborhood Council: Historic Cultural Legal Description: FR 7, BLK 4 of Subdivision of the Pryor Tract of Land REQUEST: APPLICANT: OWNER: Declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument Deanna Matsumoto Little Tokyo Historical Society 231 E. 3 rd Street Los Angeles, CA George Gonzalez, Chief Forester Urban Forestry Division/Public Works: Street Services City of Los Angeles 1149 S. Broadway, 4th Floor Los Angeles, CA RECOMMENDATION City of Los Angeles 111 E. First Street #201 Los Angeles, CA That the Cultural Heritage Commission: 1. Declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument per Los Angeles Administrative Code Chapter 9, Division 22, Article 1, Section Adopt the report findings. S. GAIL GOLDBERG, AICP Director of Planning [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Ken Bernstein, Manager Office of Historic Resources [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Lambert M. Giessinger, Preservation Architect Office of Historic Resources Prepared by: [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Edgar Garcia, Preservation Planner Office of Historic Resources Attachments: August 18, 2007 Historic-Cultural Monument Application

2 Aoyama Tree CHC HCM Page 2 of 3 FINDINGS The subject tree reflects the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community for its association with the development of Buddhism and the Japanese American community of Los Angeles.. CRITERIA The criterion is the Cultural Heritage Ordinance which defines a historical or cultural monument as any site (including significant trees or other plant life located thereon) building or structure of particular historic or cultural significance to the City of Los Angeles, such as historic structures or sites in which the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community is reflected or exemplified, or which are identified with historic personages or with important events in the main currents of national, State or local history or which embody the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction, or a notable work of a master builder, designer or architect whose individual genius influenced his age. SUMMARY Planted in 1920, this fifty feet high rubber tree (Ficus elastica) is located on a pedestrian walkway (formerly Central Avenue) in the Little Tokyo community of downtown Los Angeles. The subject tree is situated on a parking lot immediately north of the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy building, a component of the Japanese American National Museum. The proposed Aoyama Tree historic monument appears to be symbolic of the history of the Koyosan Buddhist Temple and of Japanese Americans in Los Angeles. The subject rubber tree was planted in 1920 by members of the Koyasan Buddhist Temple, founded in 1912 by Reverend Shutai Aoyama as the Koyasan Daishi Mission. Having immigrated to Los Angeles from Japan in 1898, Reverend Aoyama organized the Koyasan Daishi Mission to support the needs of Japanese immigrant workers. In 1920, the temple moved to a wood-frame building at 133 N. Central Ave and planted the subject tree at the temple s front entrance. At this location, various mutual aid associations, a fujinkai (women s association), and a Boy Scout troop were established in the 1930s for the growing Japanese-American community in Los Angeles. In 1940, the temple moved to its current location at 342 E. First St. During World War II, Koyasan congregants were relocated to internment camps where temple members continued to meet. The former home of the Koyasan Temple at 133 N. Central was occupied by various Japanese American organizations up until the early 1950s, when the building was razed by the City of Los Angeles for a parking lot. The subject rubber tree was left untouched and remains at the same site. The subject tree appears significant for its associations with the cultural and historical development of Buddhism and the Japanese American community in Los Angeles. DISCUSSION The Aoyama Tree successfully meets one of the specified Historic-Cultural Monument criteria: reflects the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community for its association with the development of Buddhism and the Japanese American community of Los Angeles. As a prominent rubber tree in Little Tokyo planted by the Koyasan Buddhist Temple, the subject tree clearly qualifies for designation as a Historic-Cultural Monument based on this criteria.

3 Aoyama Tree CHC HCM Page 3 of 3 BACKGROUND At its meeting of November 29, 2007, the Cultural Heritage Commission voted to take the application under consideration.

Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT

Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION HEARING DATE: August 7, 2008 TIME: 10:00 AM PLACE: City Hall, Room 1010 200 N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012