The Salt Lake Buddhist Temple and the Japanese Church of Christ stand as the last remaining landmarks of Salt Lake City's historic Japantown, a community that once thrived for nearly a century before being largely dismantled by mid-century urban renewal. As new development plans for a massive sports and entertainment district move forward, local advocates are working to ensure these active religious sites are not overwhelmed by surrounding construction.
A Century of Community Growth
The historic Japantown neighborhood, which originally developed in the late 1880s along the 100 South corridor, was once a bustling center of commerce and culture. According to Intermountain Histories, the community grew significantly by 1910, with over 2,000 Japanese residents living in the area. The neighborhood featured a self-sufficient ecosystem including restaurants, bathhouses, markets, hotels, dry cleaners, and even its:: its own newspapers.
Early Japanese immigrants settled near the railroad as workers for agricultural, mining, and railroad industries. Many moved to the 100 South area to be closer to the E.D. Hashimoto Company, established by Edward Daigoro, which provided imported food, clothing, and job connections to the Denver, Rio Grande, and Western Pacific Railroads. Over time, as men brought wives from Japan to establish permanent homes, more community infrastructure emerged, including a Japanese school, a marketplace, and studios for kendo lessons and Obon dance.
Impact of World War II
The community's population saw a significant surge during World War II. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1914, more than 11,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from the West Coast to internment camps like Topaz near Delta, Utah. While many residents of Salt Lake were not personally relocated, the influx of displaced Japanese Americans from the West Coast following the closure of camps in late 1945 ultimately tripled the population within Japantown.
The Salt Lake Buddhist Temple became a vital site for this community, specifically serving as a place where the Salt Lake Memorial Mausoleum sent the ashes of Japanese Americans. Caring for these remains continues to be one of the temple's most significant duties today.
Legacy of Urban Renewal
The destruction of much of Japantown began in 1969 with the construction of the Salt Palace Convention Center. The use of eminent domain for the center's creation and subsequent expansions effectively erased most of the neighborhood's original buildings. Today, only a small section of 100 South, located west of the Salt Palace, retains the honorary title of "Japantown Street."
While the Japanese Church of Christ is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (listed in 1982), the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple is not. Furthermore, neither building currently holds a local historic landmark designation from the city, leaving them without formal local protection against demolition.
New Development Threats
New redevelopment threats are emerging as the Salt Palace Convention Center faces potential partial demolition and rebuilding as part of a new Sports, Entertainment, Culture, and Convention District. This construction could begin as early as 2027, alongside possible changes to 300 West. The area is also seeing rapid growth through the Ritchie Group’s West Quarter project in Block 67, which already includes two hotels and a luxury apartment tower.
Preservation Utah has classified the Japantown area as being in an "Endangered: Monitoring" status due to these large-scale redevelopment pressures. Local leaders and church representatives, including Rolen Yoshimaga of the Buddhist Temple and Lynne Ward of the Japanese Church of Christ, have been active in city and county meetings to voice concerns regarding how this construction might impact their congregations.
Streetscape Improvements and Concerns
The community's primary concerns are centered on the practicalities of living through years of heavy construction. Residents and church members worry that new projects could block access to the religious sites, reduce available parking, or make it difficult to hold regular services. There is also a long-term fear that Japantown may eventually serve merely as a backdrop for the entertainment district rather than remaining an active, culturally distinct community.
In response, the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA) has moved forward with an $11 million streetscape improvement project for 100 South. As of November 2025, the CRA indicated that full funding for these improvements could be added to the next budget. Recent progress includes the selection of mural artist Cole Eisenhour in April 2026 for a summer project and plans to plant cherry trees in the spring of 2026.
Future Vision for Japantown
Advocacy groups, such as Utah Japantown Advocates co-founded by Marisa Eng, are pushing for a vision that goes beyond mere beautification. Their goal is to secure commercial spaces along 100 South specifically for culturally relevant tenants, including Japanese businesses, restaurants, and artist spaces.
Supporters are currently calling for the city to grant formal local landmark status to both the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple and the Japanese Church of Christ to provide a legal safeguard against future demolition. The community continues to engage in design talks, hoping that the upcoming changes to the 100 South corridor will revitalize the area's commercial identity rather than erase its remaining history.
