Nihonmachi, Sanfuranshisuko! (Japantown, San Francisco) Photos (Dial up warning)

[AsahinaKimi]

Last edited Mon Apr 30, 2012, 07:12 PM - Edit history (5)

In the United States there are only three Japan-towns. Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, and Nihonmachi in San Jose and San Francisco. San Francisco is the largest Japantown. It has considerably grown smaller over the years, but it is still the number one go-to spot for Japanese culture (Cherry Blosssom Festival ~Sakura Matsurri ) and fine dining.


The Peace Pagoda, a gift from the City of Osaka, Japan to their sister City of San Francisco!













Isobune San Francisco was the first sushi boat restaurant in the United States when it opened in the Japan Center in 1982. Here, you select your favorite sushi and/or sashimi from small boats passing in front of you as they ply the waterway inset in our unique, oval-shaped sushi bar


Kushi Tsuru~ My Favorite Sushi Restaurant in all of San Francisco.


NEW PEOPLE store in San Francisco. This is the sister store to the one in Tokyo, Japan.


Sakura Matsuri Festival~Cherry Blossom festival


Making Takoyaki


Takoyaki !! Oiishii ne!! (Yummy!)



wedding kimonos


free sake sample, anyone?


Girl in Kimono, waiting for the parade


Cherry Blossom Festival Parade


George Takei was Grand Marshall of the Cherry Blossom festival one year..


Little friends in the parade.


San Francisco Taiko Drum Dojo in the parade.

SAN FRANCISCO TAIKO DOJO

[Old and In the Way]

1. Great pics! looks like everyone had a lot of fun. nt

[AsahinaKimi]

2. The Festival has already started...

[MiddleFingerMom]

3. It surprises me that there are only 3 Japantowns in the U.S.

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I fell in love with Taiko drumming from the moment the first live concert I went to started (it was
a Taiko group from a place you would never suspect had even HEARD of Taiko drumming - the
little liberal oasis of Moab in the hardcore Red state of Utah). I've seen two groups since and each
time was viscerally thrilling. The vibrations from the drums flow right INTO you.
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Tucson has a group -- I should find out if they have any performances planned for 2012.
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[AsahinaKimi]

4. It is amazing ..

Than again, the major Asian population is on the west coast.. and while it seems Chinatowns are everywhere, few Japantowns have sprung up. San Francisco, historically was also the first place government soldiers came, to round up the Japanese for interment camps. Because of those bad memories, many Japanese, upon returning, moved out of the city, and ended up in San Jose.

[Art_from_Ark]

5. Japan is a favorite destination of Mormon missionaries

I occasionally see them here in Japan. And when I visited Brigham Young University (at the behest of a friend who was trying to get me to enroll in the graduate program there), I was surprised to see so many books on Japanese language and culture in the university bookstore. So it doesn't surprise me to hear about something like that in Utah, although Moab is somewhat off the beaten track.

[Art_from_Ark]

6. So is that you on George Takei's left?

[AsahinaKimi]

7. Not quite

Art san wa omoshiroi desu ne XD

[Dragonfli]

8. Not Fair! Now I badly wish to go there and have no means to make it happen

Thank you for sharing the experience, perhaps someday I can be there in person, until then I shall rely on your posts to see what I am missing.