Japantown
San Francisco’s Japantown is the oldest in the U.S. From its famous Peace Pagoda to a variety of great eats, learn about this vibrant historic neighborhood.
Do sushi and sake go down easy with jazz? When you're in Japantown San Francisco's historic foundation of Japanese and Japanese American culture, and it's near neighbor, the Fillmore District, the city's historic home for live jazz music, they most certainly do.
San Francisco's Japantown is the oldest in the United States. Look for the bright red banners adorned with cherry blossoms and the Peace Pagoda on Geary Blvd. between Laguna and Fillmore streets.
Heart of the City: Japantown
Learn from the residents and business owners of Japantown about why this neighborhood is the heart of the city.
EXPLOREDelicious Ways to Explore Japantown
One of San Francisco's smallest neighborhoods is packed with excellent eats! Check out great places to dine in Japantown.
ExploreThings to Do in Japantown
The Japan Center, a shopping complex on the north side of Geary Boulevard, is anchored at both ends by the Hotel Kabuki and AMC Kabuki Cinema. The Kabuki Springs & Spa offers Japanese-style bathing followed by another relaxing import from Japan: shiatsu massage.
Dining offerings range from sushi; ramen; Manju, a rice confection; matcha, a green tea beverage; and shabu-shabu, a meat-and-vegetable combo simmered in a tableside hot pot.
A great place to visit any time, Japantown offers many festivals throughout the year, including the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, “Kodomo No Hi,” or Children’s day in May, and the Nihonmachi Street Fair in August.
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San Francisco Neighborhoods
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Fisherman's Wharf
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North Beach
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Nob Hill
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Embarcadero / Financial District
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Civic Center / Hayes Valley
This central city district encompasses everything from stately concert halls and museums to animated restaurants and wide-open public plazas just west of Downtown.
Marina / Pacific Heights
The Marina's boutiques and restaurants attract a hip, younger crowd, while the views and stately homes of Pacific Heights take your breath away.
Japantown
San Francisco’s Japantown is the oldest in the U.S. From its famous Peace Pagoda to a variety of great eats, learn about this vibrant historic neighborhood.
Fillmore
A neighborhood full of music history, fine dining, and upscale shopping, The Fillmore packs more into a few city blocks than you can believe.
Mid-Market
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Chinatown
With its pagoda-style architecture, ornate lamp posts, exotic menus and other distinctive elements, a stop here can feel more like a trip abroad than a neighborhood stroll.
Bayview
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Mission District / Dogpatch
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Castro / Noe Valley
Regardless of your sexual orientation, no trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to the world-famous Castro District, one of the country's first gay Neighborhoods.
Haight-Ashbury
Start your Summer of Love experience on the corner of Haight and Ashbury streets, where 1960s flower power blossomed.
Golden Gate Park / Sunset
Within Golden Gate Park, you'll find lakes, gardens, museums, golf courses and a herd of bison. The Sunset offers a zoo, views of the Pacific Ocean and tasty eats.
Richmond / Presidio
The southern anchor of the Golden Gate Bridge, the verdant, scenic Presidio, artfully reclaimed Crissy Field, and the Civil War-era Fort Point are just a few of the attractions in the northwest corner of town.
Treasure Island
This gem of an island offers a bustling urban winery scene, popular flea markets and photo ops of San Francisco's downtown skyline.