2013 Japantown Cultural Heritage and Economic Sustainability Strategy (JCHESS) (7.5MB)

What is the Japantown Cultural Heritage and Economic Sustainability Strategy (JCHESS)?

JCHESS Agendas and Minutes

Vision, Goals, and Objectives

It is one of the only three remaining Japantowns in the United States. It has excellent access to city and regional public transportation and offers a good variety of commercial streets that provide access to daily needs. It continues to be one of the major San Francisco tourist attractions.

The Japantown Cultural Heritage and Economic Sustainability Strategy (JCHESS) is the first document in San Francisco to focus specifically on how to preserve and promote a neighborhood's cultural heritage. The vision of the JCHESS is that Japantown will thrive as a culturally rich, authentic, and economically vibrant neighborhood, which will serve as the cultural heart of the Japanese and Japanese American communities for generations to come. Specifically it will:

Secure Japantown’s future as the historical and cultural heart of Japanese and Japanese American Community.
Secure Japantown’s future as a thriving commercial and retail district.

Secure Japantown’s future as a home to residents and community-based institutions.
Secure Japantown’s future as a physically attractive and vibrant environment.

Area's of Concern

The JCHESS includes an assessment of the existing conditions in Japantown, and identifies particular "areas of concern" with regard to cultural heritage and economic sustainability, as follows:

Areas of Concern related to Japantown's land

Utilization of developable parcels

Areas of Concern related to Japantown's buildings

Compatibility of architectural style
Lack of pedestrian scale
Preservation of historic buildings and structures

Areas of Concern related to Japantown's organizations and institutions

Capacity challenges for community-serving organizations and institutions
Lack of permanent space for existing organization

Areas of Concern related to Japantown's businesses

Business viability
Business ownership transitions
Finding culturally appropriate businesses
Attractiveness of the shopping district
Potential business displacement
The future of the Japan Center
The future of the Japan Center Parking Garage

Areas of Concern related to Japantown's cultural activities and events

Limited space for community activities
Costs of Acquiring permits for festivals

Areas of Concern related to Japantown's public realm

Peace Plaza design
Buchanan Mall design
Streetscape maintenance o Landscaping
Lighting
Street furnishings
Wayfinding signage

Recommendations

To address these areas of concern, the JCHESS includes a series of recommendations that are considered by the City and community as having the best potential to fulfill the vision of the JCHESS. Given the range of concerns, there is no single tool that could fulfill this vision. It is more likely that a series of recommendations will need to be implemented in a complementary and coordinated manner to ensure maximum benefit to Japantown, including a combination of existing tools and proposed strategies.

Existing tools

Utilize Tools for Preservation of Historic Buildings and Structures
Leverage the Japantown Special Use District to Cultivate and Attract New Businesses Appropriate to Japantown
Utilize the City's Design Guidelines
Implement Streetscape and Pedestrian Improvements per the Better Streets Plan
Implement Proposed Transportation Improvements
Market the Neighborhood through SFTravel