{"id":47620,"date":"2016-09-06T16:09:01","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T21:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=47620"},"modified":"2017-10-14T16:23:41","modified_gmt":"2017-10-14T21:23:41","slug":"8-japanese-things-san-franciscos-japantown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/8-japanese-things-san-franciscos-japantown\/","title":{"rendered":"8 very Japanese things to do in San Francisco\u2019s Japantown"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"japantown-san<\/center>Located near the Pacific Heights neighborhood in San Francisco<\/a>, Japantown is off the beaten tourist track.\u00a0 Yet it is an easy bus ride or fast cab ride from the tourist mecca that is Union Square and has plenty to keep visitors busy for at least half a day. Shops and restaurants are spread throughout several indoor malls (this is a great destination when it rains) and the immediately surrounding area. Annual events include a longtime cherry blossom festival in April, when blooming trees around Peace Plaza announce spring.<\/p>\n

Shop a popular dollar store<\/h3>\n

Everything not otherwise marked at Daiso Japan<\/strong> costs $1.50 (not exactly a dollar, but close enough) and items, many of which are made especially for this store, are hard to resist. You\u2019ll find lots of kitty items (A pink silk cat-face pouch for a special child, perhaps?) and lots of colorful housewares. (You need a bright lime-green sweep set, right?) \u00a0Allow plenty of time to browse.<\/p>\n

\"Tamara

Tamara Restaurant | Flickr CC: kennejima<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Eat a traditional Japanese lunch<\/h3>\n

The bargain lunch set at Takara Restaurant<\/strong> includes rice, miso soup and pickles, while the lunch box includes green salad, tempura and three pieces of California roll. The sushi, noodles and tempura are all very good. Seating is mostly at open tables, but a few atmospheric wood booth-style seats for two can be worth a wait.<\/p>\n

Slurp some noodles<\/h3>\n

Another popular lunch spot, Mifune<\/strong>, specializes in noodles. At the SF outpost of this\u00a0well-established Japanese chain, you choose either fresh fat udon noodles made with white flour or thin soba noodles made from brown buckwheat. A display of plastic food in a window by the entrance to the main outlet (there are several shops in the immediate area) lets you see what you will get. A favorite topping is the shrimp tempura, but you can also choose exotic raw egg, sweet herring, and seaweed.<\/p>\n

Browse for antiques<\/h3>\n

The Asakichi Antique, Arts, & Tea Ceremony Store<\/strong> provides a great browse, and gifts can be wrapped Japanese-style in “washi” paper. But you might want to check their other three shops before you decide. One purveys incense, another both new and vintage kimonos, and another heavy cast-iron teapots and bronze items.<\/p>\n

\"Kinokuniya

Kinokuniya bookstore | Flickr CC: Tatsuhiko Miyagawa<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Sift through an\u00a0Asian book shop<\/h3>\n

The gigantic Kinokuniya <\/strong>bookstore holds a vast array of imported Asian magazines and giftoptions, as well as both imported and domestic books on design, and it is the<\/em> place to get your origami supplies. Across the way, a related store, Maido<\/strong>, sells exciting paper goods and office accessories, and a branch downstairs presents an alluring array of gift items. Yes, you\u2019re right, many businesses here seem to turn into little empires.<\/p>\n

Chill at a small mall<\/h3>\n

Three floors of the unusual await you at the New People Mall<\/strong>. In the basement, New People Cinema<\/strong> schedules Japanese anime movies and serves Asian snacks. A proper English tea is served on the first floor, and Japanese Lolita wear and split-toe tori shoes are purveyed by exceptional shops on the second floor.<\/p>\n

ALSO:\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>Sign up for Orbitz Rewards for big savings.<\/a><\/p>\n

Munch on fresh mochi<\/h3>\n

The tiny diner-style cafe and shop that is Benkyodo Company<\/strong> has been making and selling Japanese pastries, candies, and rice crackers since 1906 (with a sad break taken during World War II, when the family was interned). It is famous for their fresh handmade traditional manju and mocha desserts\u2014the strawberry manju has fresh strawberries inside\u2014and is the last place in town to make them.<\/p>\n

\"Kabuki

Kabuki Springs and Spa | Flickr CC: kennejima<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Take a traditional Japanese public bath<\/h3>\n

Facilities at Kabuki Springs & Spa<\/strong> include large Japanese-style hot and cold deep tubs, a whirlpool bath, a dry sauna, a steam room, and showers.\u00a0 A variety of treatments and massage are available, including expert shiatsu. The facility is bathing suit\u00a0optional, except on Tuesdays when both genders are invited to share the facilities together and thus a bathing suit is required.<\/p>\n

\"Orbitz,<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Slurp noodles, see anime and take a hot steam in San Francisco’s fascinating Japantown neighborhood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":177,"featured_media":47697,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1816],"class_list":["post-47620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-california","tag-san-francisco-vacations"],"acf":{"api_active":null,"api_title":null,"api_excerpt":null,"api_featured_image":null,"api_lob":null},"posts_api_cpm_point":[{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA, USA","latitude":"37.7925153","longitude":"-122.43823070000002","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"}],"yoast_head":"\n8 very Japanese things to do in San Francisco\u2019s Japantown | Orbitz<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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