Intro

Dating back more than 110 years, San Francisco’s Japantown is the oldest in the country and one of only three remaining Japantowns in the United States. Generations of Japanese immigrants and descendants have kept alive their traditions – as well as California history and culture – in this vibrant six-block district where visitors can enjoy a lively collection of events, restaurants, hotels, historic sites, and shops – some dating back to the 1800s. Anchored by Japan Center and Peace Plaza, the mix of old and new is at the heart of the Japantown Community Benefit District, which was founded in 2017 to ensure this historic cultural center and business district continues to thrive.

San Francisco’s Japantown (or Nihonmachi) was the first established Japanese American community in the United States, founded in the wake of the devastating 1906 earthquake. By 1940, it had become the largest settlement of Japanese outside of Japan and was reminiscent of Tokyo’s shopping district Ginza. In 1942 during WWII, Executive Order 9066 called for the eviction and imprisonment of Japanese Americans living along the West Coast, bringing the once bustling Japantown to a standstill. Redevelopment in the 1960s and 1970s resulted in many Japanese Americans losing their homes and businesses, leaving the landscape of Japantown forever changed. During this time of upheaval, the anchors of the new Japantown were established: Peace Plaza and Japan Center.

Japan Center is the heart of shopping and dining in Japantown, created in 1968 as an expansive 5-acre shopping complex and now home to more than 85 shops and restaurants across the Japan Center East and West malls, the Buchanan Mall, and Post Street. Adjacent is the Peace Plaza with the iconic Peace Pagoda, a five-tiered concrete stupa designed by Japanese architect Yoshiro Taniguchi and a gift from the people of Osaka, San Francisco’s sister city in Japan.

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Keeping Japantown Businesses Connected

Since the COVID-19 Shelter in Place order went into effect on March 16, the JCBD has kept our Japantown small businesses informed through our Keeping Japantown Businesses Connected email campaigns. If you’d like to join our mailing list, please email us at info@jtowncbd.org. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram!

We’ve included the latest information from the City as well as programs/services that are available to them during these difficult times.