


Japantown has some of the least expensive parking garages in the city, some just $6 an hour. (More on that in a bit.)Īnd – shhhh – here’s a secret. If you come to Japantown for nothing else, go there and get the famous Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake. “Seems like there’s a new ramen place popping up every other day,” says Kenji Yick, third generation owner of Yasukochi’s Sweet Stop inside the Mira Grocery. To be sure, you can’t swing a stuffed Pikachu without hitting a ramen shop. ( Kawaii means “cuteness” – think the ubiquitous Hello Kitty.)Īnd there’s food galore.

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There are eateries, of course, plus clothing boutiques, bookstores, and anime and kawaii knickknack and gift shops.
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Shops and restaurants dot side streets, but you’ll find most of them in a series of connected indoor malls that run for several blocks with uniquely Japanese businesses. This roughly six-block area is centered around San Francisco’s Post Street, branching out to Fillmore and Laguna streets one way and Geary and Pine Street the other, with a pedestrian-only walkway in the middle. You could be dipping into Japanese culture, art, karaoke, fashion, oodles of noodles and maybe even some hot springs. If you haven’t been to this off-the-beaten-tourist-path neighborhood, you’re missing out on a delightful day trip. Others are drawn to the Nihonmachi Street Fair in the fall and the occasional Japanese film or J-Pop bash.īut much of the time, most folks drive right by with nary a glance at the giant Peace Pagoda that rises up alongside Geary Boulevard near Fillmore Street, leaving Japantown as a private playground for those in the know. 16 must-sees in San Francisco's Japantown, from ramen to shoji paper Close MenuĬLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing these photos on a mobile deviceĮvery spring, San Francisco’s Japantown blushes with tender pink petals, not the least bit shy to show off for the hundreds of thousands who flock to the annual Cherry Blossom Festival of music, food and culture.
