San Francisco Peace Pagoda, Concrete pagoda in Japantown, San Francisco, United States

The Peace Pagoda in Japantown is a five-tiered concrete structure with copper-clad conical roofs that taper toward the top, positioned between Post and Geary Streets at Buchanan Street. The building is supported by twelve vertical concrete pillars and features mother-of-pearl decorations and cultured pearls from Japan on its first story.

Japanese architect Yoshiro Taniguchi designed this structure, which opened in 1968 as a gift from Osaka, San Francisco's sister city, to strengthen international relations. The project marked an important moment in postwar cultural exchange between Japan and the United States.

The structure connects Japanese and American communities and serves as a gathering place for cultural events like the Cherry Blossom Festival. You can feel this role simply by walking through the plaza and observing how people from different backgrounds use the space together.

The Peace Plaza surrounding the pagoda offers benches and water fountains where you can rest and take in the surroundings. An underground parking facility is available if you arrive by car, making it convenient to spend time in the area.

The five copper-clad roofs taper from 46 feet (14 m) at the base to 34 feet (10 m) at the top, carried on twelve reinforced concrete pillars 65 feet (20 m) tall, each weighing 12 short tons. The nine-ringed bronze spire above the top roof was cast in Berkeley, and structural engineer T.Y. Lin was retained as consultant.