South Park San Francisco Japantown Area

South Park San Francisco Japantown Area

Japantown, San Francisco, 1910, South Park, Omiya Hotel, Omiya Shoten, Biwako Baths, 1906 Earthquake, South Park Street, 2nd Street, 3rd Street, 1924 Immigration Act, Chinatown, Western Addition

The Japantown in South Park was built up after the 1906 Earthquake demolished the original Japantowns located around Chinatown and South of Market Street. The South Park Japantown was located alongside South Park Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets. The area was a starting point for many Japanese who had just arrived in America due to the close proximity to the shipyards. However, after the 1924 Immigration Act the neighborhood began to decline as there were no more Japanese coming into the country and so by the 1930s the last few businesses relocated to the Western Addition Japantown.
In the photo many Japanese would come to the neighborhood to watch ships come in from Japan. From left to right there is the Omiya Hotel and the Omiya Shoten (a general goods store) with the Biwako Baths next door.

San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

1910

San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library