JapanTown SF

I'm in San Francisco's Japantown now.

San Francisco used to have a large number of Japanese people living here. They came from Japan before WWII. Unfortunately, during the war many Japanese-Americans were put in prison camps, even though they were loyal Americans. The government sometimes stole their houses too. So after WWII, Japantown was smaller.

But there is still a small Japantown in the city. There are many Japanese restaurants and shops. Japanese tourists also like to visit this area-- because of the food.

In this picture, you can see several of the famous Japanese cat dolls. These "Neko" dolls are used by businesses for good luck. The kitties always have one or both paws raised and waving.

The kitties are supposed to be calling for good luck. One hand calls for money and good fortune, the other hand calls for friends.