Salt Lake block may become Japantown Street

The Salt Lake City Council will likely soon rename a part of 100 South as Japantown Street.

The council Tuesday heard a briefing on an honorary name change for the street between 200 and 300 West, a proposal first made in October. All council members who spoke regarding the idea were supportive of it.

"It's a wonderful tribute and reminder to the people that live downtown," said council chairman Van Turner, who said he remembers childhood visits to the historic Japantown area, which has since been displaced by expansion of the Salt Palace.

Japantown once thrived with Japanese-owned shops and businesses. Today, it is the site of two Japanese religious centers: the Christian Church and the Buddhist Temple.

The council is not required to hold a public hearing before voting but may do so anyway, after meeting with leaders of the Salt Lake Japanese-American community to determine their preference. A hearing, some council members said, could provide a forum for members of the community to express their cultural diversity.

Honorary street names do not change postal delivery or other services and are merely symbolic, not official. The council most recently renamed a west-side street after fallen Marine and Salt Lake native Adam Galvez.