Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and arranged for the construction of two mini-malls for the Japanese commu-
nity, the Japan Center. Near the east end is its most definable feature, a five-level
pagoda given as a gift from Japan. The west side is anchored by the AMC
Kabuki, a standard multiplex, while the rest of the complex, which links over
Webster Street via an enclosed skybridge, is a fascinating place to stroll and shop,
indoors, and peruse authentic Japanese wares. I like to enter around Fillmore, its
western boundary, and then walk along inside until I reach the pagoda; then,
cross the cobblestoned plaza and check out the quieter Miyako Mall segment.
On Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 7pm, the fortune teller
Maya Linda
sets up
in the mall and gives inexpensive readings of many origins (including tarot and
the Japanese astrology of Kigaku).
Not everything at the Center is so tempting; can you see yourself buying car
parts at Auto Freak? Maybe not, but the fabulous
Ichiban Kan
(p. 192),
modeled
on the great 100-yen stores of Japan, may trap you. Across the street, don't miss
Uoki K. Sakai Co.
(1656 Post St.),
a grocery store that has been in business some-
where around town for decades; it sells Japanese crisps, oils, spices, and other
hard-to-find ingredients for supermarket prices. You know a place is trustworthy
when you see lots of little old ladies filling their baskets there. It started as a fish-
monger on Geary Street, and it's still known for fish, but no sane tourist will be
packing that, will they?
Across the street, the gallery at the
Japanese American Historical Society
(1684 Post St.; www.njahs.org; free admission; Mon-Fri noon-5pm and 1st Sat)
sells some fresh local handcrafts, such as peace ornaments and soy candles, and it
mounts the odd historical exhibition. There are also a library and archives, too,
for those interested in the sometimes-painful topic of how Japanese Americans
lived and were treated on the West Coast of America in the 20th century. This is
also the place to obtain a walking map of the San Francisco
Japantown History
Walk,
a series of 16 well-written signs that thread through the area; the first sign
is by the pagoda across the street, by the entrance to Kintetsu Mall. Also at
Buchanan and Sutter, check out
Benkyodo Co.
(p. 79),
said to be the oldest
Japanese confectioner in town, well-loved for its mochi and manju cakes.
Tuesday is a lousy day to go, because many of the shops at the Center will be
closed, but otherwise, they're open from around 10:30am to 8pm. Much of the
food at the Center, typically noodles, is perfectly good and, with the exception
of the Benihana, affordable. The city's well-known boat-sushi place,
Isobune
(p. 83) is also here, as is the all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu family/party restaurant
Mums
(p. 83). Most places post pictures of the dishes in the window, making
knowing what you want to eat easier, although all servers speak English.
