We have written about the challenges and evolution of Japantowns in the US, but according to this article, San Francisco’s Japantown is thriving. According to the article, tax revenue for the Japantown area is up this year compared to 2019, before the pandemic. Only only one other area in San Francisco (the Presidio) could claim the same. And this is despite the start of two year construction project affecting the area.
I haven’t been to San Francisco Japantown recently, but Number Two Son has, and he said it was really busy. I have had other friends say that their family in San Francisco likes to go there. If San Francisco Japantown is doing anything like San Jose Japantown (went their last night with my family and restaurants were full – had to wait an hour to get into our favorite place), I would say it would be doing well.
The article does mention trends we talked about like other Asian ethnicities setting up shop in the area. Asian themed malls have been doing well and defying the general problems affect many other malls in the United States. Still, the article’s title includes a caveat: “Can it last?” Let’s hope that it does.
(photo credit: mliu92 licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.)
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