Oakland
After the Great Fire and Earthquake in San Francisco in 1906, many Japanese immigrants fled across the bay, rapidly increasing Oakland's Japantown to 2,709 by the 1920s. While some businesses were established in commercial space amidst Chinatown, the service industry expanded throughout the city with 28 cleaners, 26 cleaning services, 14 restaurants, 12 laundries, 21 florists, 26 nurseries, 61 markets, 20 shoe repairs ,and 8 garages. Oakland's Japantown included 5 churches, 4 Japanese halls, 3 Japanese schools, 7 Kenjin Kai (prefectural associations), 5 bathhouses, 5 hotels, 4 barbers, and 5 beauty salons. 8 Japanese goods stores, 5 art stores, and numerous clubs. While over 150 buildings remain to reflect the sprawling Japanese American pre-war presence, very little is noted to recognize its contributions to Oakland's diverse history.