I’m on my third kid to be obsessed with all things pertaining to the Land of the Rising Sun. For some reason (it may well begin with Pokemon and Hello Kitty) the Japanese experience is a source of endless fascination for the youth of the 21st century. Teenagers, my son among them, can’t get enough of Nipponese culture. And there is a lot of culture: from anime to Gundam, from the exquisite animation of Studio Ghibli to the nutritionally questionable Popin Cookin candy craft kits. For my kids and their friends, Japan is an enchanting island filled with giant robots and animated dust bunnies.

And then, of course there is the food: ramen, tempura, sushi, and –our favorite snack from the Japanese market – a uniquely salty, crunchy cracker called “Soft Salad.” For those who indulge in Fro-Yo, mochi (a sweet Japanese rice dough) has become a staple topping.  

LA's Little Tokyo neighborhood is more than one hundred years old, dating back to the late 1880s. One of only three "Japantowns" in the United States, it continues to flourish today as a major cultural center for Japanese Americans. Geographically, it is bordered approximately by the Los Angeles River on the east, Downtown LA to the west, City Hall on the north, and the Arts District to the south. Though the heart of this unique neighborhood encompasses just a few blocks, it is packed with things to do and see, including an annual Nisei Week in August, museums, shops, bowling, and some pretty amazing restaurants. It is a place to enjoy with the whole family, including those pesky, difficult-to-please teenagers (who can now get themselves there on the metro). We've collected 25 kid-friendly ways to explore and enjoy Little Tokyo.

If school hasn’t started yet and your family has time for one last summer hurrah, take a midweek camping trip – from LA it's easy to head for forest, woods, desert, or sea. Tuesday is a day of free admission to national parks, and eleven of our parks in California are participating. For my family, school started last week, but a trip to visit to the world's first national park – Yellowstone – helped us to end our summer on a high note.

With school looming, you probably don’t want to head out of state now, but if you have the time and inclination to venture north, Tuesday's free day could be an opportunity to experience the giant redwoods of Muir Woods, the majesty of Yosemite, or the Gold Rush history of Whiskeytown Lake. Closer to LA, Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego and Joshua Tree National Park offer two extremes of our state’s natural beauty.

But there's plenty to do this week without leaving LA, too; want to do some stargazing before El Niño fills the sky with clouds? The Sidewalk Astronomers are out in Burbank. Fans of Japanese animation will want to catch the Studio Ghibli Festival, and anybody looking for small town fun in our expansive metropolis should check out the Fiesta La Ballona in Culver City.

The summer of al fresco movies and music continues, and there are lots of other listings on our Daily Events Calendar. Here are our five picks for the week.

Visits from out-of-town friends and family featured prominently in my childhood; and while, sure, the guests were here to see us, their number one agenda item was generally to see “Hollywood,” – and I’m not talking about that boulevard that was so shabby and run down in the 70s. Our visitors were looking for a glimpse of the movie industry.

My mom was an expert tour guide, who knew where all of the movies stars lived and was only too happy to drive around the basin pointing out sights for the star struck. It’s been years since I’ve toured my home town in this way, but recently we had visitors from Europe whose number one wish list item was The Walk of Fame. (Kudos to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for making sure word about this iconic sidewalk made its way to Slovenia!) My feeling is that we should all channel Lucy and Ethel when we are showing off our glamorous town. Think about where those two dizzy dames would want to trespass, then find a legal way to show it to your guests.