Real Estate Practice
Kaji & Associates was originally formed to manage the private real estate portfolio of the principal's family located primarily in Los Angeles County. The portfolio has been comprised of residential, retail, industrial and office space located in Little Tokyo, Arts District, Gardena and Torrance, California. Since 1984, the practice has enlarged to include brokerage, tenant representation and advisory services.
The firm has developed a wide-range of product types, including residential, retail and office properties, primarily in Southern California. Commercial projects have included Kyoto Plaza Shopping Center, Gardena; Strawberry Square Shopping Center, Gardena; Western Plaza Shopping Center, Torrance; Sansei Center Shopping Center, Torrance; 182nd Street/Crenshaw Retail Center, Torrance; 9-unit multifamily residential project, Gardena; 8-unit Dalton Homes townhouse project, Gardena; 941 East Third Street Artist lofts, Los Angeles; 4.5 acre Nikkei Center project, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.
Mr. Kaji has lectured on real estate matters both in California and Japan, focusing on undervalued real estate holdings of Japanese companies located both in Japan and in the United States. In 2003, the firm organized the first U.S.-Japan Real Estate Summit, between the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Japanese real estate industry, held in Tokyo, Japan.
Mr. Kaji has successfully advised clients in creating value to their existing real estate holdings. The firm introduced the client to an local industrial property developer. In 2016, joint venture converted the client's 5-acre farm property located in the South Bay Area of Los Angeles County, into a 114,000 square foot, Class A industrial warehouse building that achieved a top-of-the-market rental rate. Less than one year later, the property was sold for a substantial profit in an industrial market with less than 1% vacancy rate.
Kaji & Associates is a licensed Real Estate Brokerage in the State of California (DRE #00879502) and is a member of the National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors, International Council of Shopping Centers, and the South Bay Association of Realtors.
Foreign Direct Investment Practice
Kaji & Associates has established an economic development consultancy to assist national, regional and local governments in attracting foreign direct investment.
In 1983, Mr. Kaji wrote Assembly Bill Number 3313 (Moore), which proposed that the State of California establish a Foreign Trade Office in Tokyo, Japan. Subsequently, the bill was signed into law by Governor George Deukmejian and the State of California opened Trade Offices in Tokyo, London, Hong Kong, Taipei, Mexico City, Tel Aviv and Frankfurt.
As Director of the State of California Office of Trade and Investment, Mr. Kaji was involved in attracting approximately $1.9 billion in new foreign direct investment to the State of California.
Companies which Mr. Kaji assisted included Fujikura (golf shaft manufacturer) in San Diego County; Panasonic's digital video disk manufacturing plant in Torrance, California; NEC's $1.2 billion semiconductor plant expansion in Roseville, California; Konami Company's game software facility in Redwood City, California; Kikkoman's soy sauce plant in Folsom, California; and JVC's digital video disk plant in South Laguna, California.
More than 1,500 new jobs were created by these new facilities, adding value to the property tax base and increasing tax revenue to the state and local governments.
Kaji & Associates has served as foreign direct investment advisor to the County of Alameda in providing guidance in efforts to expand the Toyota Motor Manufacturing facility, based in Fremont, California; County of Los Angeles efforts to retain Nissan Motors headquarters; the Osaka Prefectural Government; and the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.
Mr. Kaji, while serving as a Commissioner for the State of California Commission for Economic Development, criticized local California officials for the loss of the largest Japanese company, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, to the State of Texas.
Local Economic Development
Kaji & Associates can provide national, regional and local governments with specific marketing tools and recommendations to enhance existing foreign direct investment programs.
At present, we are focused on the revitalization of Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities in the United States. Our goal is to leverage infrastructure investment combined with foreign direct investment and local community ownership to create new, revitalized centers of commercial activity
Mr. Kaji worked closely with the Office of State Senator John Vasconcellos and the Japanese Cultural Center of Northern California, and lobbied bipartisan support of Senate Bill No. 307, which designated the three remaining historic Japantowns (San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles) in California.
Our current area of activity is in the Little Tokyo District of Downtown Los Angeles. Kaji & Associates was instrumental in obtaining the support of United States Senator Daniel Inouye, Chairman of Appropriations, adding additional funding of $400 million to the $1.3 billion Los Angeles METRO Regional Connector project. The supplemental funds enabled the Regional Connector to be built fully-underground including the Little Tokyo/Arts District station.
The firm is a finalist for the METRO Little Tokyo/Arts District Station Joint Development. "Ekibashi" proposes a $155 million 17-story mixed-use project comprised of commercial retail, community space and a 180-bed hotel.