Little Tokyo's Onizuka Space Shuttle Memorial Refurbished

Above, before the restoration, the model of space shuttle Challenger stands in  Onizuka
 Square with  L.A. City Hall  in the background.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Next to Weller Court in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, is Onizuka Square which honors astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka, one of the astronauts killed aboard the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986.

Weller Court houses the Little Tokyo store of Kinokuniya Bookstores, where The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is sold.

In the middle of Onizuka Square, stands a 27-foot replica of the Challenger, which is the main part of the monument honoring the late astronaut.  The monument was commissioned in 1990.

Over the years, the monument has weathered from being exposed to the sun, rain and other elements.

Last year, the monument was restored by the artist who created it, Isao Hirai.  He spent four months cleaning and repainting it at his studio in Hawthorne, California.  Following this, the monument was returned to its Little Tokyo pedestal in July.

The bronze plaques at the monument's base have also been refurbished.  If you happen to be in the downtown area of Los Angeles, you should pay a visit to Onizuka Square in Little Tokyo.