Before World War 2,
California was home to more
than 30 thriving Japan towns.
But they started to disappear and get
gentrified after Japanese Ameris
were placed in internment camps.
Today, only three Japan towns
remain in California.
Now there's an effort to revitae
the bustling Japan town that was
once in the capital city.
Our Devon Truby has the story.
This is what Sacramento's
Japantown look like in 1940. It
was a vibrant community located
along 3rd 5th Ellen O Street.
It was a Miko Amy Kamakawas Wong Playground.
I grew up right in Japantown
and which is on 4th St.
It was so safe I used to run
around all over. We used to play
hide and seek till 9:10 o'clock,
but Japantown became a ghost to,
Amiko remembers the exact moment
the first tragedy struck.
My brother was just about to buy a house.
He went to see the house on Saturday and
he was going to sign the paper on Monday,
and the war started on Sunday.
So of course we didn't buy a
house Sunday, December 7th.
Attack on Pearl Harbor. A
surprise airstrike by the Japane
Navy against the United States
Naval base in Hawaii.
The attack had a huge impact,
especially for Japanese
Americans in the United States.
Just two months later,
Japan town in Sacramento was
clear and residents were forced
to go into internment camps.
Keo Santo remembers this
like it happened yesterday.
25217 C was my number.
I'll never forget it. It's not
on here. But it's in one tattood
in my brain,
taken to the internment
camp and post in Arizona.
I just broke down and cried when that
stuff train started to move and I said
nobody has come to save us. Nobody cares.
What Keo remembers most is the heat over
100 degrees and passing out, I thought.
I had died because everybody was
laid out on this cop, and I stil
wonder how many of us didn't wake up.
And no privacy when using the restroom.
No stalls, no separation by gen.
They wore paper bags over their heads for
a sense of privacy. At 100 years old,
I still have PTSD from this,
you know, toilet thing.
How would Japantown change when you got back?
Well, there wasn't no
Japantown in those days.
The first generation couldn't
buy home property, so their sons
or somebody bought properties.
After the war, Japantown in
Sacramento was able to return,
and the Buddhist church that sectioned
off its gym played a big role by
giving families a place to stay.
And what made Japantown
Dr. is the fact that families live there.
Our businesses were there.
It was a day and night place.
But then for the second time,
Japan Town would be forced
out of its own community,
unable to own property and make
repairs upon returning due to
government sponsored mortgage redlining
policies that prohibited loans d
racially integrated neighborhoo.
Miriam remembers the issues her
family faced when they had to
move because of the redevelopmet
and we were not allowed in this area.
But all the city saw was a high
concentration of people of coloo
they considered too risky to invest in.
The area was labeled A slum blighted,
which allowed the city to
cut revenue to the area.
It was bulldozed for the
capital redevelopment project.
A Wrecking Ball shattered many cultures,
including Japantown for the
Capital Mall and the area we knw
today as doco and a freeway.
You didn't have the
gathering places to go to,
Amico says. It was a loss of independence
for her mother because she couldn't go
to an English speaking store by herself.
Well, it's kind of sad because
the older folks, naturally,
they didn't speak English.
So naturally that Japantown was perfect.
You know, they have.
We had grocery stores, we had b.
I'm here on 10th St.
in the heart of relocated Japan.
Hundreds of businesses down
to a handful like Osaka Ya,
trying to keep history alive.
Historical remnants remain
like the Waka Nora sign,
even though the restaurant
is no longer here.
Linda Nakatani and her family have been
carrying on the Osakia name since 1963,
originally on the corner of 10th where
you can still see their faded s.
They bought the historic Senator Fish Market
and Senator Fish retired that y.
So my dad said, is it OK if
we buy your Senator Fish?
And that's what how we ended
up coming here in 19. 97
Keeping a Japantown storefront
alive and well for over 60 year,
passing on the tradition to her
sons and even me for the day.
Yeah, that one's really good.
I'm pretty sure 95% that they wl
take over. It is a lot of work.
Besides the businesses on 10th and W,
one of the only remaining buildings from
Japan Town is the Nice, a Barber shop,
and Veterans of Foreign Affairs Hall,
which makes it the perfect home for the
Rebuild Japan Town Sacramento group to meet.
All of Japantown was gone,
except for the Veterans hall tht
we're standing in in today. Kobe
and Jamie Katanyagi started the movement
to revitalize Sacramento's Japantown.
It all started with Jamie
researching their family histor,
then realizing they have
nothing to show their children.
Kobe's great grandfather immigrd
from Japan and owned a print
shop in the heart of Japantown.
Because my generation,
we weren't really even taught
anything about it. You know,
it's not something that they.
Really talked about.
The group consists of prominent Japanese
Americans in the community like Sharon Ito,
former ABC10 anchor, and this ie
of their monthly strategy meeti.
The Dream to Reclaim the heart of Japan Town,
the Real One Capital,
which is currently just a plot of grass.
While the group wants to reincarnate Japan
Town on that land with restaurants and shops,
they're also being realistic tht
it could be purchased and devel.
We're looking at either, you kn,
a memorial for Japantown all thy
to maybe partnering with the ciy
or with a developer to, you kno,
bring in a Cultural Center museum. 80
years later, we asked the Katsan
Yagis why push to revitalize no?
I think it's important now for many reasons.
The history is almost gone.
The survivors and the storytells
are almost gone, and I'm afraid
that this history will be lost.
That was our Devin Truby report.
If you want to help the cause,
the Rebuild Sacramento Japantown
Group has a Facebook page.
They say everyone is welcome to join and
help them rebuild the vibrant community.
Head over to abc10.com for the details.