Deadpool
Little Tokyo Enters the Deadpool
The revitalization of the stretch of Augusta south of Baldwin won't include Little Tokyo. I noticed the For Rent sign this week as I passed by the now vacated Japanese grocery store and culture shop in Kensington Market.
Little Tokyo was always a bit of a mystery to me. I liked that they used to offer me free green tea as I cruised around the store, but I always found their selection and prices much inferior to Sanko on Queen Street.
There was no note or indication of what will become of Little Tokyo, and whether we might expect it to resurface elsewhere. It's too bad. While the store definitely had its shortcomings, I do long for the sort of Japanese food, cultural and manga destination in Toronto like Cafe Zaiya/Kinokuniya across from Bryant Park in Manhattan.
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Apparently Little Tokyo sewed the seeds of its own demise, by contributing to a revitalization that led its landlords to jack the rent up.
In any case, I thought it was a great store. I used to buy a lot there. I thought the pottery and dishes were all very reasonably prices; comparable to anything one might find in Japan.
I first noticed its closure a while ago. I wanted to buy some tasty udon noddles I couldn't find elsewhere.
i'd head to Leslieville just to give them my business, even if they are a bit more expensive.
one of the reasons i liked Little Tokyo is that i could work in a visit while shopping at kensington rather than head as far west as Sanko.