Japantown is one of only three remaining Japantowns in the United States, all in California. The five-tiered concrete Peace Pagoda, a gift from Osaka, San Francisco’s sister city, was dedicated in 1968 and stands in the plaza at the center of the district.
The neighborhood was the heart of Japanese American life in the city until 1942, when Executive Order 9066 forced residents into internment camps and emptied the district. Many never returned, and postwar redevelopment reshaped what remained. Today the Japan Center malls, the plaza, restaurants, and bookstores anchor the surviving community. The cherry blossom festival each April fills the streets.
Part of a self-guided walking tour
