Japantown’s Hotel Battle Comes to an End, But Community’s Struggles Continue

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The Kimpton Buchanan Hotel served as supportive housing in San Francisco's Japantown despite local pushback on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
The Kimpton Buchanan Hotel served as supportive housing in San Francisco's Japantown despite local pushback on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A petition to stop the sale of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel hangs on the door of the Benkyodo Co. bakery across the street from the hotel in San Francisco's Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A petition to stop the sale of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel hangs on the door of the Benkyodo Co. bakery across the street from the hotel in San Francisco's Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Spiderwebs amass on the bonsai trees outside Hotel Buchanan, with San Francisco's Japantown visible in the background on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen)
Spiderwebs amass on the bonsai trees outside Hotel Buchanan, with San Francisco's Japantown visible in the background on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen)
A U-Haul moving truck is parked in front of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel, with open hotel windows and residents’ belongings visible from the street in San Francisco's Japantown, CA on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A U-Haul moving truck is parked in front of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel, with open hotel windows and residents’ belongings visible from the street in San Francisco's Japantown, CA on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Visitors gather around one of the Japantown Center Mall water fountains as stores report similar levels of visitors as before the pandemic in San Francisco, Calif. on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Visitors gather around one of the Japantown Center Mall water fountains as stores report similar levels of visitors as before the pandemic in San Francisco, Calif. on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A “Notice of Intent to approve a city project at this location” sign hangs in the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel window in San Francisco's Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A “Notice of Intent to approve a city project at this location” sign hangs in the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel window in San Francisco's Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
An old copy of Japantown’s “Nichi Bei” newspaper lies strewn in one of the permanently closed shops in Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
An old copy of Japantown’s “Nichi Bei” newspaper lies strewn in one of the permanently closed shops in Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A weathered “currently closed” sign hangs in the window of Restaurant Mums, the restaurant attached to the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel in Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A weathered “currently closed” sign hangs in the window of Restaurant Mums, the restaurant attached to the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel in Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Reiko Itamuro poses for a photograph in the San Jose Japanese American Museum in October 2021. Itamuro describes how her parents refused to talk about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Today, that reluctance to speak out persists within the community. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Reiko Itamuro poses for a photograph in the San Jose Japanese American Museum in October 2021. Itamuro describes how her parents refused to talk about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Today, that reluctance to speak out persists within the community. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Steve Nakakjo sits in a restaurant, a day after the hotel decision on Oct. 20, 2021. Owners of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel decided not to sell the property to the city of San Francisco so that it can be turned into permanent supportive housing. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Steve Nakakjo sits in a restaurant, a day after the hotel decision on Oct. 20, 2021. Owners of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel decided not to sell the property to the city of San Francisco so that it can be turned into permanent supportive housing. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Asakichi Sakakihara poses for a photo in his store on Oct. 13, 2021. He opened the store in San Francisco Japantown in 1980, two years after coming to the United States. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Asakichi Sakakihara poses for a photo in his store on Oct. 13, 2021. He opened the store in San Francisco Japantown in 1980, two years after coming to the United States. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Japantown Taskforce Executive Director Steve Nakajo speaks at the ceremony following Mayor London Breed’s Geary Rapid Project speech in San Francisco, Calif. The event took place a day after the news that Hotel Kimpton Buchanan would not be sold to the city on Oct. 10, 2021. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Japantown Taskforce Executive Director Steve Nakajo speaks at the ceremony following Mayor London Breed’s Geary Rapid Project speech in San Francisco, Calif. The event took place a day after the news that Hotel Kimpton Buchanan would not be sold to the city on Oct. 10, 2021. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
The Kimpton Buchanan Hotel served as supportive housing in San Francisco's Japantown despite local pushback on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A petition to stop the sale of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel hangs on the door of the Benkyodo Co. bakery across the street from the hotel in San Francisco's Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Spiderwebs amass on the bonsai trees outside Hotel Buchanan, with San Francisco's Japantown visible in the background on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen)
A U-Haul moving truck is parked in front of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel, with open hotel windows and residents’ belongings visible from the street in San Francisco's Japantown, CA on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Visitors gather around one of the Japantown Center Mall water fountains as stores report similar levels of visitors as before the pandemic in San Francisco, Calif. on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A “Notice of Intent to approve a city project at this location” sign hangs in the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel window in San Francisco's Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
An old copy of Japantown’s “Nichi Bei” newspaper lies strewn in one of the permanently closed shops in Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
A weathered “currently closed” sign hangs in the window of Restaurant Mums, the restaurant attached to the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel in Japantown on Sep. 26, 2021. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Reiko Itamuro poses for a photograph in the San Jose Japanese American Museum in October 2021. Itamuro describes how her parents refused to talk about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Today, that reluctance to speak out persists within the community. (Natasha Maki Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Steve Nakakjo sits in a restaurant, a day after the hotel decision on Oct. 20, 2021. Owners of the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel decided not to sell the property to the city of San Francisco so that it can be turned into permanent supportive housing. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Asakichi Sakakihara poses for a photo in his store on Oct. 13, 2021. He opened the store in San Francisco Japantown in 1980, two years after coming to the United States. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Japantown Taskforce Executive Director Steve Nakajo speaks at the ceremony following Mayor London Breed’s Geary Rapid Project speech in San Francisco, Calif. The event took place a day after the news that Hotel Kimpton Buchanan would not be sold to the city on Oct. 10, 2021. (Natasha Jessen-Petersen/Peninsula Press)
Peninsula Press' Natasha Jessen-Petersen talks to Steve Nakajo, the executive director of the Japantown Taskforce, and others in the community to discuss the role of Japanese American history and the future of Japantown.

Hotel Kimpton Buchanan was used during the pandemic to house the homeless – a move that was supported by the Japantown community. However, news that city officials intended to purchase the hotel and permanently convert the building into supportive housing units, was met with strong pushback. Over 7,600 people signed a petition calling for city officials to rescind their offer.

Time was of the essence. Japantown community members had only two weeks to compile an economic vitality report and prove the financial importance of the hotel to Japantown. Before the deadline, however, the hotel owners decided not to sell, citing the Japantown community in their decision.

Peninsula Press’ Natasha Jessen-Petersen talks to Steve Nakajo, the executive director of the Japantown Taskforce, and others in the community to discuss the role of Japanese American history and the future of Japantown.

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