One Of Only 3 Japantowns In The Country Is In San Francisco — And It’s Completing A $34M Renovation In 2026

Did you know that San Francisco’s Japantown is one of only three remaining Japantowns in the United States ? The historic neighborhood is looking forward to the opening of its newly renovated Japantown Peace Plaza, a $34M project that has been in the works for several years. SF’s Japantown emerged after the 1906 earthquake, when Japanese immigrants began building a community in the Western Addition known as Nihonmachi. The neighborhood was devastated in 1942 when Japanese Americans were forcibly removed and incarcerated under executive order during World War II. After the war, the community gradually rebuilt, and it remains one of the oldest and most significant Japantowns in the country. What’s being renovated? ----------------------- The Japantown Peace Plaza Renovation Project is a multi-year initiative working to rebuild the plaza between the Japan Center Malls . The plaza is adding new paving, seating, planting, lighting, and better infrastructure to stop leaks into the garage underneath. The Peace Pagoda will undergo some infrastructure upgrades and stay where it is, as will other culturally significant elements like the cultural heritage monument and flagpoles. The space will be embellished with boulders, cherry trees, and a “water feature” created with rippling lights. What’s the project timeline? ---------------------------- Planning for the Japantown Peace Plaza Renovation Project began back in 2018, with construction starting in the spring of 2024 . While Japan Center Malls are still open, the Geary-side stairs and ramps to the plaza are closed. According to the latest construction update, teams have finished much of the work on the pagoda itself. They’ve also completed several concrete pours, with about 30% of the upper plaza and 50% of the lower plaza poured. The Japantown Peace Plaza is anticipated to reopen to the public in “mid-2026.” 🌐 Learn more : SF Recreation & Parks Source: https://secretsanfrancisco.com/japantown-renovation-san-francisco/