Under the new ownership of Jeffrey Ige, the beloved Boyle Heights Japanese restaurant Otomisan stays true to its heritage, serving comfort food that has connected generations of L.A. residents.
Neighborhood history: Located just two miles from Little Tokyo in downtown L.A., Otomisan symbolizes a time when working-class Japanese, Mexican, Armenian, Italian, Russian and African-American residents coexisted in Boyle Heights.
The restaurant's legacy: It's the oldest continually operating Japanese restaurant in L.A. Regulars rely on old-school dishes like panko-covered fried pork cutlet tonkatsu, tender teriyaki chicken, flavorful udon and light and crispy tempura.
Under new ownership: “I haven’t changed anything,” owner Ige said. “The only change I want to make is to restore the tile floors and fix the neon sign out front.”
Read on ... to hear more from the new owner and the previous owner.
Stepping inside the slender, pale yellow restaurant that is Otomisan, you’re instantly transported to a time when streetcars and Jewish delis lined a multicultural Boyle Heights. Four red booths and a Formica counter for five greet you as you enter this tiny time capsule, which has been a fixture on First Street for 69 years.
“It’s a neighborhood institution,” said Carlos Lazatin, a regular customer who lives downtown and eats at the restaurant once a week. “Folks stop by just to say hi. This is not a fancy sushi or ramen joint. It’s Japanese home cooking, and it’s delicious.”
About this article
This article was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat, an LAist partner publication.
The oldest continuously operating Japanese restaurant in L.A., Otomisan was originally named Otemo Sushi Cafe when it first opened in 1956. After a change in ownership, it was renamed Otomisan in the 1970s.
When Yayoi Watanabe and her close friend took over the business in 2005, their goal was to keep alive the Japanese ties to Boyle Heights. Last year, Watanabe was ready to pass the baton to someone else. Now under the ownership of Jeffrey Ige, the tiny, nostalgic eatery continues to serve homestyle Japanese dishes while preserving its rich cultural legacy.
“They wanted it to go to someone who’s not going to change it,” said Ige, who took over the restaurant in July.
Ige met Watanabe, who he calls “Yaya,” in 2016 while living in his grandmother’s apartment building down the street from the restaurant. Working two jobs, he ate at Otomisan daily, often ordering oyakodon — chicken and egg simmered in a dashi broth and served over a bowl of rice.
Jeffrey Ige took over as Otomisan’s owner in July 2024.
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Ready to retire, Watanabe was eager to find someone just as passionate about preserving Japanese culture in Boyle Heights. Located just two miles from Little Tokyo in downtown L.A., Otomisan symbolizes a time when working-class Japanese, Mexican, Armenian, Italian, Russian and African-American residents coexisted in an affordable neighborhood free of racist housing covenants.
Ige grew up in Rowland Heights but has roots in Boyle Heights. His grandmother, Harumi Aoki, owned a convenience store on 4th and Mott streets near Roosevelt High School and frequented Otomisan. She sold the store, bought a plot of land on 3rd Street and built an apartment complex, where Ige’s mother grew up.
In town for his grandmother’s funeral in 2023, Ige stopped by Otomisan, and Watanabe asked if he wanted to take over.
“I’m very comfortable with the new owner. ... His cooking is very good, so I decided he’s OK,” Watanabe said, chuckling between bites.
Having worked in restaurants since he was 19 and honing his skills as a chef at Sushi Ten in Chino Hills, LDH Kitchen, the Robata in Santa Monica and kitchens in Huntington Gardens and Little Tokyo, Ige finds comfort in homestyle cooking.
“It feels like you’re at grandma’s house,” Ige said. “My grandmother used to cook a majority of the food that Yaya cooks, like tempura, teriyaki chicken, katsudon, a lot of katsudon, tonkatsu. You’re not going to leave hungry.”
From tempura to gyoza, Otomisan stays true to its traditional Japanese cooking.
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Otomisan is the oldest continually operating Japanese restaurant in L.A.
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Otomisan opened in 1956 as Otemo Sushi Cafe.
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Running a restaurant while keeping Otomisan’s legacy alive is no small task. Regulars rely on old-school dishes like panko-covered fried pork cutlet tonkatsu, tender teriyaki chicken, flavorful udon and light and crispy tempura, which is Ige’s sister’s favorite.
“My brother’s tempura is better than our grandparents’,” said Kristine Ige, 42, who’s been working as a host and server at Otomisan since October and exudes Watanabe’s same warmth. “They made it good, but he makes it better.”
Ige enlisted friends with restaurant experience for the initial transition. He hired a sous chef to help him in the kitchen and two servers for the front of the house.
As for the food: “I haven’t changed anything,” said Ige. “The only change I want to make is to restore the tile floors and fix the neon sign out front.”
Otomisan has been at 2506 1st Street since 1956.
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Masks and other Japanese artwork are featured on the walls and shelves of the restaurant.
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Gifts from longtime customers decorate Otomisan, including a signed print from local muralist Robert Vargas.
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Daniel Ramos, 24, and Kaylee Hernandez, 22, enjoy dinner at Otomisan on March 26, 2025.
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A commemorative plaque at the foot of Otomisan’s door.
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Keeping prices the same in a gentrifying neighborhood is the biggest challenge.
“I feel bad raising prices, but inflation skyrocketed this year,” said Ige. “I’m very lucky and fortunate that Yaya built such a great clientele that continues to support us.”
Although technically retired, Watanabe, who lives nearby, comes in once a week to visit old customers and have lunch with the new crew. A small pink mailbox sits near the front door for customers to leave her notes. A Polaroid camera is kept behind the counter for regulars to snap photos of themselves and write their names so Watanabe, who just turned 73, can remember them.
“I don’t want her to feel like she’s not welcome,” said Ige. “This is still her home.”
Committed to honoring its designation as a historic-cultural monument, Ige meets weekly with Mariko Lochridge, a small business counselor with Little Tokyo Service Center, which preserves Japanese culture in L.A. and is planning Otomisan’s 70th anniversary next year. Ige also works with Vivian Escalante, CEO of Boyle Heights Community Partners, which created the Otomisan history poster hanging on the freezer inside the restaurant. Together, they’re trying to get more information about the Nishiyama residence where Otomisan is located and talk to Arctic Hotspot owners Christina and Jonathan Mora, who grew up in the houses behind the restaurant.
“I want it to keep going for another generation,” said Ige.
In preparation for Otomisan’s 70th anniversary, the Little Tokyo Service Center is in search of old menus, photos, records or personal memories related to the restaurant. If you’d like to contribute, the group asks you call (323) 526-1150, email jeff@otomisanrestaurant.com or stop by the restaurant.
Logan Cattaneo, 6, poses for a photo with the Dodgers mascot during Dodgers Dreamteam PlayerFest at Dodgers Stadium in 2024.
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Topline:
The Dodgers Foundation says it's expanding Dodgers Dreamteam, its program for underserved youth. The foundation says the program will be able to serve 17,000 kids this year, 2,000 more than last year.
Why it matters: Now in its 13th season, the program connects underserved youth with opportunities to play baseball and softball and provides participants with free uniforms and access to baseball equipment. It also offers training for coaches in positive youth development practices, as well as wraparound services for participant families like college workshops, career panels, literacy resources and scholarship opportunities.
How to sign up: For more information and to sign up, click here.
An aerial view of snow-capped trees after a winter snowstorm near Soda Springs on Feb. 20, 2026.
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Topline:
California clocked its second-worst snowpack on record Wednesday, a potentially troubling signal ahead for fire season. It’s an alarming end to a winter that saw abnormally dry conditions briefly wiped from California’s drought map in January, for the first time in a quarter-century.
What happened? Though precipitation to date has been near average, much of it fell as rain rather than snow. Then March’s record-breaking heat melted most of the snow that remains. The state’s major reservoirs are nevertheless brimming above historic averages and are flirting with capacity, and a smattering of snow, rain and thunderstorms are dousing last month’s heat wave.
Why it matters: Experts now warn that California’s case of the missing snowpack could herald an early fire season in the mountains. State data reports that California’s snowpack is closing out the season at an alarming 18% of average statewide, and an even more abysmal 6% of average in the northern mountains that feed California’s major reservoirs. “I think everyone's anticipating that it will be a long, busy fire season,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, director of the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network.
California clocked its second-worst snowpack on record Wednesday, a potentially troubling signal ahead for fire season.
It’s an alarming end to a winter that saw abnormally dry conditions briefly wiped from California’s drought map in January, for the first time in a quarter-century.
Though precipitation to date has been near average, much of it fell as rain rather than snow. Then March’s record-breaking heat melted most of the snow that remains. The state’s major reservoirs are nevertheless brimming above historic averages and are flirting with capacity, and a smattering of snow, rain and thunderstorms are dousing last month’s heat wave.
But experts now warn that California’s case of the missing snowpack could herald an early fire season in the mountains.
On Wednesday, state engineers conducting the symbolic April 1 snowpack measurement at Phillips Station south of Lake Tahoe found no measurable snow in patches of white dotting the grassy field.
“I want to welcome you call to probably one of the quickest snow surveys we’ve had — maybe one where people could actually use an umbrella,” joked Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources. “We’re getting a lot of questions about are we heading into a hydrologic drought? The answer is, I don’t know.”
Only the extreme drought year of 2015 beat this year’s snowpack for the worst on record, measuring in at just 5% of average on April 1st, when the snow historically is at its deepest.
“I think everyone's anticipating that it will be a long, busy fire season,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, director of the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network.
“Without a snowpack, and with an early spring, it just means that there’s much more time for something like that to happen.”
‘It’s pretty bizarre up here’
In the city of South Lake Tahoe, which survived the massive Caldor Fire in the fall of 2021 without losing any structures, fire chief Jim Drennan said his department is already ramping up prevention efforts.
“It's pretty bizarre up here right now. It really seems like June conditions more than March,” Drennan said. “People are already turning the sprinklers on for their lawns.”
Without more precipitation, an early spring may complicate prescribed burning efforts. But Drennan said fire agencies in the Tahoe basin can start mechanically clearing fuels from forest areas earlier than usual.
“That means we can get more work done,” he said.
It also means homeowners need to start hardening their homes now, said Martin Goldberg, battalion chief and fuels management officer for the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, which protects unincorporated communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin’s south shore.
Goldberg urges residents to scour their yards for burnable materials, create defensible space and reach out to local fire departments with questions. The risks are widespread — from firewood, wooden fences, gas cans, plants, pine needles — even lawn furniture stacked against a house.
“In years past, I wouldn't even think of raking and clearing until May,” Goldberg said. “But my yard's completely cleared of snowpack, and it has been for a couple weeks now.”
‘A haystack fire’
Battalion chief David Acuña, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, said fire season is shaped by more than just one year’s snowpack.
Climate change has been remaking California’s fire seasons into fire years. And California’s recent average to abundant water years have fueled what Acuña called “bumper crops of vegetation and brush.”
“Most of California is like a haystack. And if you’ve ever seen a haystack fire, they burn very intensely because there's layers of fuel,” Acuña said.
Like Quinn-Davidson, Acuña wasn’t ready to make specific predictions about fires to come.
But John Abatzoglou, a professor of climatology at UC Merced, said the temperatures and snowpack conditions this year offer a glimpse of California in the latter decades of this century, as fossil fuel use continues to drive global temperatures higher.
How this year’s fires will play out will depend on when, where and how wind, heat, fuel and ignitions combine. But it foreshadows the consequences of a warmer California for water and fire under climate change.
“This,” Abatzoglou said, “is yet another stress test for the future in the state.”
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
What we know: The city is in the very early stages of planning how to transform the 192 acres into a park. The preliminary report shows some potential amenities of the park, such as gardens, biking trails, art galleries, a community center and much more.
Background: After a long legal battle between the city and the Federal Aviation Administration, a settlement was reached that ruled that the city could close the more than 100-year-old airport. The park was controversial among residents because of air quality and noise concerns, and was the subject of many legal battles in recent decades.
What’s next? The city wants to hear from residents. You’re encouraged to review the framework and fill out this survey. Feedback will be accepted until April 26.
Elly Yu
typically reports on early childhood issues and from time to time other general news.
Published April 1, 2026 1:41 PM
Thousands of immigrants, including refugees and asylees, in California are set to lose their food assistance benefits, known as CalFresh, starting this month.
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Topline:
Thousands of immigrants who are lawfully in California are set to lose their food assistance benefits, known as CalFresh, starting this month.
What’s new: The changes apply to certain immigrants who are here lawfully, including refugees and asylees. It also applies to people from Iraq and Afghanistan who have special visas for helping the U.S. military overseas.
Why now: The new restrictions stem from H.R. 1 — also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill” — which Congress passed last year.
What’s next: Officials estimate 23,000 people in Los Angeles County will be affected. State officials say noncitizens who are currently receiving benefits will continue to get them until it’s time to renew their benefits — adding that people might be able to receive benefits again if their legal status changes to lawful permanent residents.
Thousands of immigrants who are lawfully in California are set to lose their food assistance benefits, known as CalFresh, starting this month.
The new restrictions stem from H.R. 1 — also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill” — which Congress passed last year.
The changes remove eligibility for certain noncitizens, including people with refugee status and victims of trafficking. It also applies to immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan who have special immigrant visas for helping the U.S. government overseas.
”These are folks … many of whom have large families that we have a commitment to as a country because we welcomed them and invited them here to find a place of refuge,” said Cambria Tortorelli, president of the International Institute of Los Angeles, a refugee resettlement agency. “They’re authorized to work and they’ve been brought here by the U.S. government.”
The federal spending bill, H.R. 1, made sweeping cuts to social safety net programs, including food assistance and Medicaid. In signing the bill, President Donald Trump said the changes were delivering on his campaign promises of “America first.”
Officials estimate 23,000 people in Los Angeles County will be affected. The state estimates about 72,000 immigrants with lawful presence will be affected across California.
CalFresh is the state’s version of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Undocumented immigrants have not been eligible to receive CalFresh benefits.
State officials say noncitizens who are currently receiving benefits will continue to get them until it’s time to renew their benefits — adding that people might be able to receive benefits again if their legal status changes to lawful permanent residents.
Who the changes apply to:
Asylees
Refugees
Parolees (unless they are Cuban and Haitian entrants)
Individuals with deportation or removal withheld
Conditional entrants
Victims of trafficking
Battered noncitizens
Iraqi or Afghan with special immigrant visas (SIV) who are not lawful permanent residents (LPR)
Certain Afghan Nationals granted parole between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023
Certain Ukrainian Nationals granted parole between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sep. 30, 2024
