Japantown is located on a block in downtown Salt Lake City and it holds a rich history for Japanese Americans in Utah. Learn about its past, present, and future amidst ongoing efforts to preserve and revitalize its legacy.
🌸 Historic Japantown
In the late 1800s, thousands of Japanese immigrants settled in Utah to work in mining, railroads, and agriculture. Soon, a bustling section of downtown Salt Lake City, filled with Japanese restaurants, stores, and dance studios, became known as Japantown.
The community underwent significant changes around World War II when Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps, such as the Topaz War Relocation Center in central Utah. In the 1960s, two main blocks of Japantown were demolished to build the Salt Palace (which back then was a sports arena), and many businesses were forced to close or relocate.
The last key landmarks remaining on what’s now Japantown Street are the Japanese Church of Christ and the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple.
Japantown’s Aloha Fountain Snack Bar in 1947. (J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah)
🌸 The Future of Japantown
In 2018, Salt Lake City’s Redevelopment Agency worked with the local Japanese American community on a plan to revitalize Japantown Street.
Then the proposal for Smith Entertainment Group’s new sports and entertainment district was submitted. It has the potential to either aid or harm the revitalization efforts since it will affect various landmarks, including Japantown. Those with generational ties to the cultural hub are obviously wanting a seat at the table in the planning process.
The Japanese American Community of Utah created a petition to ensure that history won’t repeat itself.
SLC’s RDA renderings of a revitalized Japantown. (SLC Redevelopment Agency)
🌸 Obon Festival
The Obon Festival is an annual Japanese holiday celebrating and honoring ancestors. In SLC, it’s held at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple on the second Saturday in July (which is coming up on July 13!). It’s one of a handful of Japantown festivals that happen throughout the year.
I have really fond memories of attending the Obon Festival growing up — donning a kimono, participating in the traditional dances, and watching the Taiko drummers perform. Being a half-Japanese kid in Utah was tough at times, but I was always so proud of my heritage at the Obon Festival.
For more on Japantown, listen to our City Cast Salt Lake podcast episode.
