The Japan Center

The Japan Center, once known as the Japanese Cultural and Trade Center, officially opened on March 28, 1968. The $15 million center comprised a large portion of San Francisco’s redevelopment program in Japantown, which forcibly removed several hundred small businesses and many of the Japanese Americans living in the area. Today, the Japan Center East and West Malls, and Kinokuniya Mall contain the majority of San Francisco Japantown’s businesses and are anchored on each end by the Hotel Kabuki and the AMC Kabuki 8 movie theaters.