San Francisco is one of the oldest Japantowns in the United States.
There are four official Japantowns in the United States, San Francisco Japantown is the largest of them. The town is known as the hub of Japanese culture.
The first Japanese immigrants arrived in San Francisco Bay in 1869. Japanese immigrants moved to the edge of San Francisco Chinatown and the South of Market neighborhood.
Following the San Francisco Earthquake in 1906, the Japanese community relocated to the citys present day Japantown in the Western Addition, and also, the South Park neighborhood. In 1900 there were 90 Japanese businesses. By 1909 this figure increased to 545.
The main thoroughfare is Post Street, between Fillmore Street (to the west) and Laguna Street (to the east). The Japantown neighborhood is generally considered to be bordered on the north by Bush or Pine Street, and on the south by Geary Boulevard.
San Francisco Japantown focal point is the Japan Center, which opened in 1968, and is the site of three Japanese-oriented shopping centers. The San Francisco Peace Pagoda, also at the Japan Center, is a five-tiered concrete stupa designed by Japanese architect Yoshiro Taniguchi.
The San Francisco Peace Pagoda is a five-tiered concrete stupa designed by Japanese architect Yoshiro Taniguchi.
The Japantown History Walk was to teach about the unique historical and cultural significance of the space the Nikkei community has established in Japantown over the past 110 years.
The Japantown History Walk tour starts at Peace Plaza by Japan Center Mall West Entrance.
