FINAL UPDATE: Delay at Jackson and Mason has cleared. OB Hyde and Mason Cable Car lines resuming service. (More: 17 in last 48 hours)
Routes with a View

An East Meets West View

Friday, May 8, 2015

Japantown Plaza exterior shot

The Peace Pagoda, designed by Japanese architect Yoshiro Taniguchi, rises high above the Japantown Peace Plaza.

Interior shot of Japantown Peace Center

The area is home to Japanese cusine (and some Korean and Chinese) restaurants, supermarkets, indoor shopping malls, hotels, banks and other shops.

Did you Know?

  • After the 1906 earthquake, many Japanese and Japanese-Americans relocated to the area where you see Japantown today. 
  • Originally, San Francisco's Japantown was commonly referred to as “Nihonjin Machi” or Japanese People’s Town, and spanned 30 blocks. Today, "J-Town," as it's commonly known, spans roughly six blocks.
  • When World War II broke out, 120,000 Japanese-Americans were ordered to pack up and leave. Those ordered to leave were sent to 10 relocation camps. 
  • San Francisco's Japantown is one of only three Japantowns remaining in the U.S. today.
  • The Peace Pagoda, in the Japantown Peace Center, is a five-tiered concrete stupa,  or hemispherical structure, designed by Japanese architect Yoshiro Taniguchi and presented to San Francisco by the people of Osaka, Japan.
  • San Francisco's Japantown celebrates two major festivals every year: The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival and the Nihonmachi Street Fair.

How to get there

Muni Routes and Lines

Whether coming from east or west, the 38 Geary and 38R Geary Routes provide a straight shot into Japantown.

Alternate bus routes that will deliver you within walking distance of Japantown include the 1 California, 31 Balboa, 2 Clement, 3 Jackson and the 22 Fillmore