Built and settled as part of the Western Addition neighborhood in the 19th and early 20th century , Japanese immigrants began moving into the area following the 1906 earthquake . ( Before 1906 , San Francisco had two Japantowns , one on the outskirts of Chinatown , the other in the South of Market area . After 1906 , San Francisco 's main Japantown was in the Western Addition , with a smaller one in the South Park area . ) By World War II , the neighborhood was one of the largest such enclaves of Japanese outside Japan , as it took an appearance similar to the Ginza district in Tokyo
1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Japantown, San Francisco