Hometown J-Town

 http://www.communitywalk.com/hometownj-town  (click here for map)

I grew up in Japan and feel fortunate to live in San Francisco, where Japanese goods are readily available. J-town is like my second home – I buy groceries there, as well as art supplies and kitchenware.  Though much of J-town is inside the Japan Center Mall, there are still lots of places to explore, lots of delicious restaurants to try. And just a few blocks away on Fillmore is Yoshi’s – a wonderful restaurant and jazz club.

 1. Take the 38 Geary bus and get off in front of the Japan Center building at Geary and Webster.

 2. On Geary, cross the street and walk up Webster to Post. Turn left. Enter  the Japan Center building.  There is a futon shop, florist and noodle shop on the ground floor.  Under the stairs leading  to the second floor is an authentic Japanese tea and sweetshop. Try their fresh dango (sweet rice dumplings on a stick) and bitter matcha (powdered tea used for tea ceremony).  Matcha is the equivalent of espresso c0ffee – a jolt of caffeine to get you going.

 3. Walk upstairs to the second floor. To your right, you will see the Kinokuniya stationery shop where you can get the latest gel pens, notebooks and traditional Japanese papers.

 4. To your left, is the Kinokuniya bookstore.  They sell both English and Japanese books about Japan. I like to check out their how-to books on making trendy handbags, repurposing old kimonos into dresses and skirts and books about how to properly wear a kimono and obi. I also check out the fashion magazines to see the latest trends in Tokyo and of course the manga.

 5. Between the two Kinokuniyas is a small café called Tan-Tan. This place, with little velvet chairs and a plush couch reminds me of coffee shops in Japan. Have a cup of coffee with their green tea icecream. Their version comes closest to what green tea ice cream tastes like in Japan.

 6. Continue onto the bridgeway which connects two of the Japan Center buildings. On the bridgeway, check out the two Asakichi stores. One has a great selection of incense, including the top line Lisn brand from Kyoto. The other specializes in cast iron teapots and wind chimes. The teapots come with a strainer inside. All you do is boil water in the pot, add the strainer with tea leaves, let the tea brew, and drink. Some say tea brewed in a cast iron teapot tastes the best.

 7. Beyond the bridgeway, the path splits in half. On the left side is a row of Japanese restaurants. I like Mifune for their handmade soba and udon noodles.  My favorites are nishin soba (sweet herring) and yamakake soba (grated mountain yam over cold noodles).  Osaka-ya, just next door, specializes in Japanese-style curry rice. I like the ebi-fry curry (large panko-fried prawns) over rice.

 8. Just beyond the sushi boat restaurant is Shiki, which sells authentic pottery from many of the pottery villages in Japan. It’s my favorite place to pick up gifts for people. I especially love their Oribe pottery – dark green-glaze and Western-fabric patterns on a creamy base. 

 9.  Go outside the sliding doors and check out the stone pagoda. It’s the principal gathering spot for festivals and events.

 10. Walk across Post Street to the cobble stone Buchanan Mall. You will see two origami-style fountains designed by Japanese-American artist, Ruth Asawa.

 11. Continue to the end of the cobble-stone street. Go into the fascinating origami store, which has a small origami museum inside. You can get all sorts of origami and how-to books on the subject.

 12. At the end of the block is Benkyo-do, one of the oldest shops in Japantown. They sell traditional Japanese tea pastries on one side and serve Japanese American diner food on the other.  

 13. Retrace your steps on Buchanan towards Japan Center.  Go into Soko Hardware.  Soko has a bit of everything we need: Japanese vegetable seeds, kitchenware, garden shears, hardware, paper lanterns, Japanese aprons, nylon carp and handmade paper.

 14. Cross the street and check out Ichibankan, which melds together with Union Bank. It’s actually a Japanese $1 store. Their focus is mostly food and kitchen goods these days but they have some art supplies too. They seem to have lost some steam since Daiso Japan (the premier $1 store in Japan) opened in Daly City a couple of years ago.

 15.  Turn left and walk down Post Street. You’ll come upon a new multi-level store called New People. If you want a tiny Harajuku experience, check it out. They have expensive J-pop clothes and accessories for the discerning youth. 

 16. Cross the street at the end of the block and check out Nijiya, my favorite grocery store in J-Town.  They’ve got almost everything I need to make a proper Japanese meal: sauces, bread, meat, sashimi, rice, rotted fermented soybeans, tea, seaweed, sake, miso, Japanese vegetables, crackers, candy, etc.  Check out the boxed lunches here – they’re quite good.

 17. If you want to end your day with a splurge, go to Yoshi’s on Fillmore Street – a couple of blocks from Japan Center. Their nouveau Japanese restaurant is quite delicious, especially if you stay away from the fried selections. And the jazz club has a wonderful intimate feel to it. If you are planning to go, best to make reservations.

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