On View July 31 through November 12, 2025

ArtCenter College of Design in partnership with The Japanese American National Museum (JANM), presents Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community.

From drift racers to fish truck drivers, this exhibition reveals the vital role that cars and trucks have played in the working lives, and creative expression of Japanese Americans. Cruising J-Town features more than 100 objects, including rare photographs, home movies, vintage memorabilia from car clubs and service stations, personal items from race car drivers and collectors, and original concept car designs. At its heart are five iconic vehicles, each representing the exhibition’s theme of speed, style, work, and community.

Five classic cars will be on display telling the stories of influential figures and everyday car lovers alike; George Nakamura’s “Meteor” hot rod from the early 1940s; Brian Omatsu’s custom 1951 Mercury coupe known as the “Purple Reign”; a 1956 Ford F-100 pickup truck once owned by West L.A. gardener Yoshio Shimazu and newly restored by his son, Kirk Shimazu; Tod Kaneko’s 1973 Datsun 510, one of the models that launched the import car craze; and a hot pink 1989 Nissan 240SX from professional drift racer Nadine Sachiko.

Curated by writer and scholar Dr. Oliver Wang. The exhibition features both a companion book titled, Cruising J-Town: Japanese American Culture in Los Angeles, and documentary content.

Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support from the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Sunco Industries, Co. Ltd., and Don & Ellen Mizota. The media sponsor is The Rafu Shimpo.

Programming

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