Cruising J-Town: Japanese American Car Culture in Los Angeles explores how generations of Japanese Americans in Southern California shaped, and were shaped by, local automobile cultures and industries, from desert lakebeds to concrete speedways, gas stations to design centers, souped-up import tuners to humble gardening trucks. Along the way, cars and trucks became literal and figurative vehicles for Japanese American self-expression, social mobility, community identity, and much more. Interviews and oral histories chronicle the people and stories behind how Japanese Americans have played vital roles in countless car scenes throughout the region. Cruising J-Town is filled with vintage and contemporary photographs, drawings and ephemera that bring the story to life.

PRAISE FOR CRUISING J-TOWN:

An astonishing work born of love and deep curiosity, filled with a remarkable trove of never before published photographs, Cruising J-Town tells the story of the Japanese in America in search of work or adventure, new ways of fitting in or standing out, blissful reprieves while crawling through traffic, the D.I.Y. pride of making something your own.

 — Hua Hsu, author of Stay True

What a gift to L.A. history. Bursting with original research, eye-popping archives, and skilled storytelling, Cruising J-Town meticulously—and joyfully—peels back over a century’s worth of Japanese American culture and community in Los Angeles. Wang has delivered a game-changing book. 

— Josh Kun, author of The Autograph Book of L.A.