Japantown San Jose

If you like Japanese food, crepes, mochi ice cream, manju, or an artistically printed t-​shirt, Japantown should be your next stop!
These are the establishments that capture my attention:
Gombei
Minato
Hukilau
Santo Market
Banana Crêpe
Jimbo’s
Shuei-​Do Manju Shop
Cukui
For those of you who are familiar with the ENTIRE line-​up, it is obvious that there are WAY more restaurants to choose from! I’ve listed the one’s that I frequently visit, but don’t hesitate to give the others a chance. I’m sure I haven’t even scratched the surface.
Overall it is definitely a nice stroll for the family. Most of the hot spots are off of Jackson St., so you pretty much take your pick as you are walking down the strip. Parking has improved with the parking lot on 6^th St., but you do have to pay a couple of bucks to secure a parking pass.
Conclusion:
Great location, great eats, and great treats!
«I’LL BE BACK!»

I’ve been to all three Japantown’s and this has to be the saddest one. Nothing but a handful of places to eat no cafes, Karaōke, or dessert places. We came here on a Saturday night and it
was awfully quiet with very little life and nothing to do. This place looks like it has so much more potential than what it has become. More than half of the stores were closed when we walked around. It was nice to see some of the older Japanese citizens walking around and talking. I just wish this place was a little more vibrant with more choices for activities and places
to eat.

Honestly whenever I’m near the area, I like stopping in. It’s so much more accessible than SF and still has some of the greats. First of all if you want to the get the best manju in the Bay Area you have to come to San Jose. There’s is also a great handmade tofu shop.
They also have plenty of restaurants, a grocery store and plenty of traditional holiday celebrations making this an active Japanese community.
I enjoy visiting here because it’s quaint and approachable and easy to get around. Don’t forget to bring some change to feed the meters.

Been here more than a couple of times, thought I needed to update my review. It’s definitely not San Francisco J-​Town, but it’s really its own type of Japantown.
It’s more homey and down to earth than the one in San Francisco, meaning that parking isn’t bad at all and you’re going to get a lot of people who live in the area. Sometimes we stop around for groceries on the way back from the Korean store. Food, some more traditional decoration shops, etc. It makes it worth it if you’re mainly looking to shop for regular goods.

I’ve been to this Japantown a couple of times. It’s smaller than the one in SF, but it’s got a nice array of restaurants and stores.
I’ve been to Tsugaru for dinner and Jimbo’s for mochi and ice cream. Both definitely worth checking out. The roommate’s also picked up treats for me from Shuei-​do manju shop. If you love mochi and manju, you have to stop by this store!
This past Halloween, we took the roommate’s nephew trick or treating here. Not sure what time the festivities started, but we got here around 5pm and the stores still had plenty of candy. Plus, they had some great entertainment: a band, dancers, a giant dinosaur! A very fun place to take your kids for Halloween.
A very cute and charming Japantown.

Japatown is fun area of San Jose to explore, there are good restaurants and bars. If you haven’t been its a fun place to check out.

There’s shops for tofu, crepes, shaved ice, manju, ice cream mochi, ramen, groceries, souvenirs — almost anything you can think of!
My personal favorites is Roy’s coffee and banana crêpe! Roy’s is the perfect place you can just sit down and enjoy coffee while doing some people watching or catching up with a friend.
Parking can get a bit hard during lunch and dinner times.
There are festivals notifications posted on the bulletin board!

Smaller than its counterpart in SF, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t an awesome place to visit if you’re feeling you need some Japanese shopping in your life.
There are plenty of restaurants to chose from and a few markets here and there. This is why I love California as you can truly immerse yourself in different cultures and this is one prime example of doing so.
If you’re in the South Bay and don’t want to drive all the way to SF, then this is a perfect alternative for yourself. A great spot to visit.

Very quaint, do not get disappointed if you, like me, discover this place during the big festival in April and then go back again and you find, literally, no one on the streets. The restaurants are full, though! I can see the retro-​charm of Japantown in its pagoda-​type facades, the signage, the art here and there and the mix of Asian restaurants of different kinds with memorabilia remembering the workers that came to the Valley during last century to work in agriculture and helped shape the San Jose we know today (at least in my case, that I am ‘knowing’ as I am pretty new here).
I find the area clean and safe and the farmers market of Sundays located in the perfect spot. Besides, there is a mix of old houses/​new condo complexes that makes this area very attractive to my eyes and the proximity to downtown SJ makes me consider this an neighborhood to live in the future.

This place is a sleepy town. It’s just restaurants and stores that sell random items. Just about everything opens late and closes earlier than advertised. I don’t see how the stores here make any money. Don’t bother visiting this place.

It’s always nice walking down Japantown because it offers a different cultural experience. If you live in San Jose, it’s definitely a place to adventure for the day.
All of the shops are really cool and neat.
There’s some good food places and also places to get Shaved Ice, which is ideal for the warm weather

Nice cluster of Asian restaurants and cozy atmosphere. Love going there to shop and enjoy good Japanese, Chinese and Korean food.

With the exception of a Charlie Brown Christmas, the next best holiday animated special to see is Intial D, Third Stage. Although the holiday decorations are understated, a stroll down the main drag sorta feels like Takumi walking from his job at Mr. Tachibana’s gas station to home. Well in this case from Roy’s Coffee to San Jose Tofu.

Mostly filled with restaurants and tiny, but expensive, shops. My family and I decided to visit on a random day, so the area was quite empty, but we’ll definitely stop by during one of their major events next time.

Many many great stores here! The vibe here is always awesome. Think it’s the reason why people are always so nice all the time. They have a festival here once a year called the Obon festival where they celebrate the Japanese culture with food, music, and dancing. An event worth experiencing.

When I first went here with my wife I thought it was big like the one in San Francisco. Love the different Japanese restaurants and shops. When I go here I feel like I’m in Japan.
What’s funny is they have some Korean restaurants here in Japantown.

Went to the Obon festival this evening with my family and I was so damned happy to see that Japantown is not only doing well, it’s THRIVING and people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities are there, enjoying the festival and participating in the dances. Lots of kids, including my own, playing and dancing.
Didn’t go in many of the shops because we were enjoying the festival and the wine margaritas! :-)

DID YOU KNOW?
In the US, there are only 3 Japantowns in existence. They are located in San Francisco, Los Angeles and our very own local city, San Jose. Over the years, this community has experienced tough times, where there was a question of whether our J-​town could survive economic ups and downs and the dwindling Japanese population.
It appears that J-​town has survived and is a flourishing, newly vamped up community. In part, it’s the growing population due to mini communities being built up around J-​town, that has provided businesses with many more patrons. Of course, you will also find the longtime loyalists still making their appearances.
It encompasses a short, 3 block area, but there is everything here from: restaurants, dessert stops, a coffee shop, grocery stores, nail and hair salon, clothing stores, Japanese pottery, animé and gifts, and of course, the SJ Buddhist Church.
MY J-​TOWN FAVORITES!
*Always during the 2^nd weekend in July ~ The Obon Festival. A weekend of Japanese cultural food, displays, booth games, Taiko drumming and Odori dance of over 1,200 participants. I used to perform every year and enjoyed all the energy of the people (and still do).
*Shuei Do Manju Shop ~ Sweet rice flour confection with red or white bean centers.
*Gombei Restaurant ~ They don’t have sushi here, but it’s still one of my favorite, authentic Japanese restaurants. Nothing fancy; just good food.
*Kogura & Nichi Bei Bussan ~ Japanese pottery, papers, books, kimonos & gifts
*Banana Crêpe ~ Great Crepes and refreshing drinks.
*Omogari ~ Korean restaurant
*Roy’s Station ~ Coffee hangout
*Grocery Stores ~ Nijiya & Santo Markets. Nijiya is larger, but Santo Market is a nice Mom ‘n Pop store with homemade specialty items & deli.
What’s not to love about this compact, cultural gem!

Cute area of San Jose that is well manicured, clean and easily accessible.
This part of town is a little gem, emphasis on little. Not even a third of the size of JT in SF, but still full of lots to look at and interesting shops. Many close early, so head’s up.
JT offers a family friendly trick or treat on Halloween which had a performance by a local troupe of Taiko drummers. It was well lit, clean, friendly and fun for the younger crowd. The shop owners passed out candy and it was much easier than typical trick or treating.
Favorite spots include the ramen house (crazy cheap and delicious!), Nijiya (matcha Kit Kat bars!) and Roy’s. The Shiseido store has a little Hello Kitty kiosk in back.

This is a cool couple of blocks near downtown San Jose that is a mecca for Japanese restaurants! Its not just sushi either, you can find shabo shabu, udon, ramen, bento boxes, and even japanese food stores… Beyond food there are a couple novelty shops as well so you can buy your dog a new bone while there as well!
Parking is a bit scarce so its best to carpool but your sure to find something you like at Japantown!

Despite having 50 distinct Japanese «towns» or enclaves at one point in the US, it may come as a shock that there are only three which have passed the test of time. While there is much to eat, see and experience in the LA and SF Japanese corridors, there is something special about the third US Japantown located in San Jose, CA.
In some ways, this is actually the last true Japantown we have. Over time, the larger centers in LA and SF have developed substantially, opening the door for tourism and gradually closing the tradition of stores operated by local Japanese families. A trip to San Jose’s Japantown is a journey into the past. A simpler time of low volume and high quality — of strong community and broad smiles.
Be sure not to blink while driving down Jackson St, because you might miss the entire town! Exaggerations aside, this town is very small, but it packs a big punch per square inch. Boutique stores offer there unique crafted items, a plethora of Japanese, Korean and Hawaiian restaurants begin to fill up as the clock hits noon, and the back aisle of the Nijiya market is packed with people on lunch break looking for a fresh chirashi or sushi tray to hold them over.
A final not-​to-​be-​missed, cornerstone of SJ’s Japantown is the Japanese American Museum of San Jose.
This museum exemplifies all of Japantown in that it doesn’t look like much at first glance, yet has a great deal of heart and character within. We took a docent led tour (free with the $ 3 student admission) in which we learned an in-​depth history of Japanese American conditions during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. From pre-​war prosperity (namely, in agriculture), to the plight of concentration, to life after the war, this museum tells a big story with strong visual queues. In example, JAM-​SJ has a replica of a concentration camp barrack built into the interior space which has been used as the backdrop for movies and documentaries alike. Also, they have a huge inventory of 19^th and early 20^th century Japanese-​owned farming equipment and information.
For this trip, we chose going up to see this quaint little slice of Japan instead of attending Southwest’s Chinese New Year Festival and Parade in San Francisco — the largest celebration of any Asian culture outside of Asia. Regret? I think not. Sometimes, it’s not size that counts — it’s how clear of a view into the past and into a culture an experience brings.

It’s a little corner of Japan in South Bay.
Substantially smaller than its sister communities in San Francisco and LA, Japantown SJ still delivers to those looking for Japanese goods, groceries, or a bite. Every time I’m in the area I make sure I pay this neighborhood a visit for lunch or dinner. It’s calm, clean, and full of charm.

This nihonmachi is small compared to Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles.
I didn’t really see any center and it’s basically two blocks of street.
It’s fun to read the history of nihonmachi and they even have a chess bench.
I saw Nijiya supermarket, nail salon, manju shop, Japanese and Korean restaurants, shaved ice place and even a shop for Sparky.
$ 0.25 for 15 minutes street parking. It’s really hard to see the time available @ the parking meter since the glass was foggy =(
I love Japantown =)

Japantown is a good place to grab a bento box, Gombei, or Korean food, SJ Omogari.
Parking is usually available and is FREE is you’re willing to walk a block! :D