Images of America San Francisco's Japantown

Images of America- San Francisco's Japantown By The Japantown Task Force Inc."Japantown - one of the only three left in this country - began as Nihonjinmachi or "Japanese People's Town " after the first Japanese arrived here in 1869. As their numbers increased institutions arose to serve them including churches schools and various civic and social organizations. The population drifted through various parts of the city and finally settled in the Western Addition after the 1906 earthquake. In this new retrospective the Japantown Task Force Inc. an organization dedicated to preserving the cultural and historical resources of the Japanese community presents a fantastic collection of vintage photographs from the archives of the National Japanese American Historical Society the Japanese American National Library and the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California as well as from local private sources More than 200 images illustrate such things as the early struggles of new immigrants the populous prewar neighborhood the dark times of relocation during World War II the community's rebirth in the late 1940s as its members overcame lingering mistrust nad hostility and the efforts underway today to preserve Japantowns legacy. The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods towns and activities across the country. Using archival photographs each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shapes the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage making history available to all."