L.A.'s Little Tokyo fights to survive to the next generation

PALO ALTO, California -- After 140 years of serving as the center for the Japanese diaspora, the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles is struggling to survive and retain its character in the face of spiking property values and a graying community.

Little Tokyo occupies a 0.6-square-kilometer area in downtown Los Angeles. The central part of the enclave is home to Japanese Village Plaza, where the Nijiya Market and a cafe operated by Yamazaki Baking draw large numbers of customers every day.