On view from July 31 through November 12, 2025, ArtCenter College of Design—partnering with the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)—opened the immersive exhibition “Cruising J‑Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community” in its Peter and Merle Mullin Gallery. Spanning approximately 6,300 square feet, the showcase illuminates how Japanese American communities have charted their identity, resilience, and creativity through car culture in Southern California.
Curated by cultural scholar and writer Dr. Oliver Wang, the exhibit draws on over a century of history, centering more than 100 objects—from hot‑rod drawings and racing memorabilia to rare photographs and oral histories—highlighting Japanese American engagement in hot rods, fish trucks, lowrider culture, import tuners, and drift racing.
At the heart of Cruising J‑Town are five restored vehicles, each embodying a key theme: speed, style, work, or community. These include George Nakamura’s 1940s “Meteor” hot rod, a nod to pre‑war land‑speed aspirations; Brian Omatsu’s 1951 Mercury Coupe, “Purple Reign,” a custom classic epitomizing postwar style; a 1956 Ford F‑100 pickup once owned by West L.A. gardener Yoshio Shimazu and restored by his son Kirk, underscoring the vital role of gardener trucks in Japanese American livelihoods; Tod Kaneko’s 1973 Datsun 510, one of the models that launched the Japanese import car craze; and a hot‑pink 1989 Nissan 240SX from drift racer Nadine Sachiko Toyoda‑Hsu, which reflects the aesthetic and cultural evolution of the sport.
Complementing the vehicles are memorabilia from car clubs like the Paladins, Apostles, and Shogans, as well as service station ephemera, design sketches, and conceptual work by famed designer Larry Shinoda. His designs include the Chopsticks Special IV and a Corvette Sting Ray II sketch, underscoring the Japanese American footprint in automobile design.
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Cruising J‑Town weaves together personal narratives and broader historical context. Graphic photographs document the 1942 forced expulsion and incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans—such as scenes of family vehicles being searched and impounded at assembly centers like Santa Anita and Manzanar.
The exhibit also highlights stories of perseverance and community rebuilding, such as images from Nisei Week parades, hometown car club gatherings, and the emergence of fish truck operators delivering Japanese groceries across postwar suburbs. These trucks not only supported livelihoods—they affirmed belonging in American life.
Dr. Wang and JANM collected hundreds of oral histories from Nikkei car enthusiasts—mechanics, designers, racers, journalists, and service station staff. Among those featured are Takeo “Chickie” Hirashima, a Nisei racing mechanic; early low‑rider and hot‑rod pioneers like Shige Suganuma and Chico Kodama of Mooneyes; Jimmie Yamane, the first Japanese world go‑kart champion in 1959; and teenage social club members from groups like The Atomettes, Buddhaheaders, Paladins, Shogans, Shoreline Racing, and KMA who reshaped car scenes in East L.A., Gardena, and Torrance.
In Wang’s words: “Japanese Americans have long been part of Southern California’s car culture… generations of Nikkei have been behind the wheel and under the hood… designing concept cars.” He emphasizes that the exhibit encourages viewers to see how Nikkei used cars not just for work, but to claim space and visibility in American culture.
The exhibition is free and open to the public, with gallery hours Wednesday through Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at ArtCenter’s South Campus in Pasadena. While the Japanese American National Museum facility is closed for renovations, this Pasadena presentation continues JANM’s outreach through its “JANM on the Go” initiative.
A companion book, Cruising J‑Town: Japanese American Car Culture in Los Angeles, published by Angel City Press, includes essays, extended oral histories, vivid photography, and a foreword by actor and activist George Takei. Released on August 5, 2025, the 272‑page volume expands the narrative beyond the gallery walls.
JANM and ArtCenter are also hosting a series of public events, including panel discussions on import car culture and fish trucks, Cars and Coffee meetups, and curated tours led by Dr. Wang through October.
Cars become metaphors and tools for asserting identity. From early Nisei mechanics to modern drift racers, Japanese Americans shaped car culture while shaping their own American stories. Following wartime incarceration and postwar discrimination, car culture offered a path toward rebuilding—not just economically, but socially and creatively. The exhibition speaks to art audiences, historians, design aficionados, and gearheads alike—offering a layered view of how mobility, ingenuity, and heritage intertwine. Through artifacts, personal stories, and public programming, Cruising J‑Town invites deeper learning about how car culture intersects with race, ethnicity, labor, design, and community resilience.
By centering Japanese American stories within the broader narrative of Southern California’s automotive history, Cruising J‑Town reframes car culture as not just a hobby or industry—but a lived archive of innovation, expression, and perseverance. The exhibition is more than nostalgia: it’s a poignant reflection on mobility and identity in American life.
