• Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kennejima/6943021034/">Kabuki Springs & Spa</a> by

Japantown

Though still the spiritual center of San Francisco's Japanese American community, Japantown feels somewhat adrift. The Japan Center mall, for instance, comes across as rather sterile, and whereas Chinatown is densely populated and still largely Chinese, Japantown struggles to retain its unique character.

Also called Nihonmachi, Japantown is centered on the southern slope of Pacific Heights, north of Geary Boulevard, between Fillmore and Laguna Streets. The Japanese community in San Francisco started around 1860; after the 1906 earthquake and fire, many of these newcomers settled in the Western Addition. By the 1930s, they had opened shops, markets, meeting halls, and restaurants, and also established Shinto and Buddhist temples. But during World War II the area was virtually gutted when many of its residents, including second- and third-generation Americans, were forced into so-called relocation camps. During the 1960s and 1970s, redevelopment further eroded the neighborhood, and most Japanese Americans now live elsewhere in the city.

Still, when several key properties in the neighborhood were sold in 2007, a group rallied to "save Japantown," and some new blood finally infused the area with energy: Robert Redford's Sundance corporation revived the Kabuki Theatre (now owned by AMC); local, hip hotel group Joie de Vivre (now JdV by Hyatt) took over the Hotel Kabuki; and the J-Pop center, New People, brought Japanese pop culture and a long-missing youthful vibe. Japantown is a relatively safe area, but the Western Addition, south of Geary Boulevard, can be dangerous even during the daytime. Also avoid going too far west of Fillmore Street on either side of Geary.

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