FAQ

Paul I. Terasaki Budokan (named after philanthropist Dr. Paul I. Terasaki) is a nonprofit recreational, multi-purpose activity center and gathering place located in the historic and cultural community of Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles.  Paul I. Terasaki Budokan is also known as Terasaki Budokan or can be referred to simply as Budokan for short.

Dr. Paul Ichiro Terasaki (1929-2016) is known professionally for developing a tissue-typing test for organ transplant donors and recipients which became the international standard for such testing.  He is also a generous philanthropist who made significant donations to his alma mater UCLA and to many Japanese American organizations and to causes that fostered mutual understanding between U.S. and Japan.  Early in life, he was among those incarcerated at Gila River in Arizona.  Before his passing in 2016, he established the Terasaki Family Foundation along with his wife, Hisako, and his four adult children.  Dr. Terasaki was proud of his Japanese American heritage and had deep affection for the Nikkei community in Southern California.  The Terasaki Family Foundation made a $3.5 million gift to LTSC and the Budokan Project at the beginning of 2017.  The Budokan of Los Angeles will be renamed Terasaki Budokan after the late Dr. Paul I. Terasaki.

The Japanese word “budokan” literally translates to “martial arts hall” in English.  “Budo” meaning “the way of the warrior” embodies physical discipline, harmony, and respect, virtues that the Terasaki Budokan will represent. During the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the Nippon Budokan was built as the official competition venue for Judo.  Today, the Nippon Budokan continues to host Japan’s National Championship for judo, kendo, aikido, karate, naginata, etc. Nippon Budokan is also internationally known as a concert venue and the first rock group to perform there were the Beatles in 1966.  Terasaki Budokan promises to preserve the cultural legacy of Little Tokyo by incorporating traditional Japanese values and customs.  This standard will serve to differentiate the Budokan from many other recreation and entertainment venues in Southern California.

Terasaki (teh-rah-sah-key) and Budokan (boo-dough-kahn) (boo-doe-kahn)

opens in a new windowhttps://translate.google.com/#ja/en/武道館

Paul I. Terasaki Budokan can be referred to as Terasaki Budokan or simply Budokan for short.

The logo design incorporates the Japanese kanji character, “do” (pronounced “dough”), which variously means: way, path or road.  It is alternatively read as “michi” to mean “street.”  The compound forms combined with other characters create an additional layer of meaning, for example “budo” translates to “the way of the warrior.”  Further, in the expansive utility of this kanji, “doutoku” means “morals” or “ethics.”  The character also symbolizes Taoism, a philosophical tradition of Chinese origin which emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (The Way) and to be humble.

Terasaki Budokan’s tagline is “A Home Court for All.”  Most often, the term “home court advantage” has been used in sports to signify that the host team has a competitive edge over visiting teams.  We believe that Terasaki Budokan will be a facility in which everyone is equally welcomed.

Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) is a nonprofit social service and community development organization in Los Angeles committed to improving the lives of individuals and families and promoting the equitable development of ethnic communities and their rich cultural heritage.

The mission of LTSC is to provide a comprehensive array of social welfare and community development services to assist low income individuals and other persons in need, contribute to community revitalization and cultural preservation in Little Tokyo and among the broader Japanese community in the Southland, and to provide such resources to neighboring Asian Pacific Islander and other low income communities.

Terasaki Budokan is a community project of Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC).  LTSC took leadership of the Budokan Project in 1994 and worked hard to secure a long term land lease with the City of Los Angeles and successfully completed a $34M Capital Campaign.  Now, LTSC owns, operates and manages Terasaki Budokan.