Return to Atomic Cafe

“Atomic Café Revival,” an opening reception for a series of cultural events, will be held on Friday, Aug. 3, from 6 to 9 p .m. at Art@341FSN, 341 E. First St. in Little Tokyo.

Relive the sights and sounds of legendary punk institution Atomic Café with a DJ set by Atomic Nancy (pictured above in 1978) — original 45s from the jukebox.

In 1946, Minoru and Ito Matoba opened the Atomic Café in Little Tokyo. For decades this late-night cafe catered to neighborhood locals, punks, tramps, junkies, mobsters, city politicians and world-class artists. Nancy’s carefully curated jukebox perfectly suited its clientele and provided the soundtrack for this unique cultural mashup.

Events at 341 FSN, which run through Sept. 29, include a photo booth, Nikkei jazz, art workshops, and more. Sustainable Little Tokyo transforms the experimental storefront (formerly Matsumura Gift Shop) into a community art space, and brings to life the community’s vision for First Street North — a block critical to the past, present, and future of Little Tokyo.

The project is a partnership between SLT, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, and Little Tokyo Service Center’s +LAB. Funded in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, ArtPlace America, and Surdna Foundation.

For more information, visit: http://sustainablelittletokyo.org/341