Welcome to the Japanese Town Archives.

Before the 1906 earthquake, the majority of San Francisco's Japanese-American citizens lived either south of Market Street or in the Chinatown area. After the quake, Japanese Town, as it was called then, moved to the Fillmore district, occupying an area roughly bounded by California Street to the north, O'Farrell Street to the south, Fillmore to the west, and Laguna to the east.

At the outbreak or World War II, this community was forceably removed from San Francisco by the United States government, compelled to dispose of its property on very short notice, and interned in prison camps throughout the western states. This most disgraceful betrayal of loyal American citizens has since been recognized as a crime and reparations were paid - over 40 years later - by the federal government to the families effected.

For images of Japanese-American life in San Francisco before World War II:

Japanese American History Archives

Masayoshi Nonaka Collection