Set in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles during World War II, So Long, Little Tokyoexplores the unlikely bond between two families—one Black, newly arrived from theSouth seeking opportunity in the war effort, and one Japanese-American, facing theimpending trauma of forced internment. Through the eyes of their children—Ruby, a sharpand spiritually attuned 14-year-old girl, and Haruka, a proud, imaginative teenager trainingto be a samurai—the play captures a deeply personal tale of prejudice, resilience, andunexpected friendship. Their innocent search for a rumored hidden treasure becomes apowerful metaphor for the dignity and history being stripped from one family and the hopeand healing sought by another.As tensions rise outside and within their shared space, the children wrestle with inheritedhatred, imagined loyalties, and the grief of loss—of a brother, a homeland, a father’s pride.The adults—Wilhelmina and Hank Sr., working-class parents facing structural racism, andKichio, Haruka’s older brother burdened by the collapse of his family’s dreams—struggleto preserve normalcy amid chaos. When tragedy strikes, it is the children who show thegreatest capacity for understanding and unity. Deeply moving and richly layered, this playis a poignant meditation on the cost of war, the weight of identity, and the healing powerof chosen family.
The story
Producing it
Cast17 actors, and the ensemble can grow as large as you like. As written, 12 female and 5 male roles. You can change lines, roles and genders to fit your students.
SetOne apartment room is home base; other places suggested.
TechPlan for 1940s period costumes, a simple apartment and tailor-shop set, split-stage lighting for simultaneous scenes, and a few sound cues like street jazz, a siren and factory machinery. A prop pistol and one offstage gunshot; check your district prop policy.
For your scene-stealersRich, grounded roles across several families, with strong monologues, a moving speech of identity, a storytelling showcase, and parallel prayers for two young women.
