While slurping a steaming bowl of miso ramen sitting in the shadow of a pagoda, and contemplating whether to get mochi or matcha next, we could well be in a Tokyo alley. And even though the surrounding sights, scents, and signboards may have us believe so, we are, in fact, over 8000 kilometres away on another continent.
This is San Francisco’s Japantown, the oldest and largest of only three such quarters remaining in the United States. On a walk through the neighbourhood, we learn that Japanese immigration to North America gained momentum in the late 1800s, with this enclave in California’s ‘Golden City’ soon becoming amongst the largest outside Japan. By 1940, Nihonjin-machi, as this thriving vicinity was called, boasted over 200 businesses, including markets, grocers, restaurants, and sweet shops. Then came the devastating internment period for Japanese-Americans during World War II, and the entire community was forcibly displaced. Only about half returned, and it took them decades to slowly rebuild their neighbourhood to become the cultural hotspot it is today.
Food has remained central to preserving their sense of identity, and Japantown’s diverse culinary offerings have long drawn curious Bay Area residents and visitors alike. Lisa Rogovin, Founder of Edible Excursions, has been leading food tours in the neighbourhood for over 15 years now, and shares, “So deep is Japantown’s connection with food that many popular establishments from Japan open their first overseas outlet here.”
In fact, the comforting ramen bowl in front of us is from Hinodeya, the first dashi ramen restaurant in the US. This iconic Japanese eatery traces its origins back to the Meiji-era, when it humbly began outside Hasuda railway station, to the north of Tokyo. According to Masao Kuribara, head chef and fourth-generation owner, the flavourful stock of fermented bonito (skipjack tuna) and konbu (seaweed), combined with scallop bouillon and pork oil, brings out the ramen’s bold umami character.
For those who prefer their noodles in the form of soba, right next door is Soba Dining Sora, another Japanese institution that is well over a hundred years old. Sora’s outpost in Japantown opened last year and only uses buckwheat flour imported from Hokkaido and Nagano for its soba, adjusting the preparation process to suit San Francisco’s differing humidity levels. With numerous options to choose from, Goma Zaru comes recommended for cold soba, served with a side of sesame seeds that diners can grind to their desired texture. The hot Kamo Zaru soba, meanwhile, has a hearty Kansai-style broth, topped with seared duck loin and grilled green onions, and best paired with a clear Junmai Ginjo sake.
A minute’s walk away are three “malls” collectively forming the Japan Centre, a defining feature of Japantown. While many commercial complexes built across the US between the 1960s and 90s are now dismissed as drab – or worse, dead – these ones here are anything but. Inspired by Japan’s traditional architecture and narrow streets, the Centre’s intimate walkways with sloping tiled shopfronts, staircases resembling red soribashi bridges, and a little rock garden, bustle with shoppers. Japanese bookstore chain Kinokuniya has an entire floor for anime and manga fans; Kohshi stocks artisanal incense, oils, and soaps; and ChaTo offers an enviable collection of seasonal first-flush Japanese teas, alongside beautifully crafted teapots and matcha bowls.
The malls are home to over two dozen eateries, and we spot several display windows showcasing shokuhin sampuru – the eye-catching Japanese art of crafting hyper-realistic wax replicas of dishes from a restaurant’s menu. The dozen-odd barstools around Tenroku’s sushi conveyor belt remind us of hole-in-the-wall izakayas in Osaka’s boisterous Dotonbori stretch. We are tempted to stay, but the promise of succulently grilled chicken yakitori draws us to Edomasa instead. This century-old Tokyo eatery relocated to San Francisco, with its chef and his original serving counter both in tow. “Edomasa’s teishoku (set-meals) with a variety of skewers pair well with sakes from local Bay Area producers like Sequoia Sake and Den Sake,” reveals Adrian, a guide at Edible Excursions.
Perhaps the underlying reason behind Japantown’s lasting appeal is its ability to make space for the old and the new, much like its host city and the community’s country of origin. The neighbourhood remains as welcoming to Paper Tree, a nearly-60-year-old family-run origami and crafts store with sheets of paper stacked as far as the eye can see, as it is to Best Boy Electric, a chic coffee shop with all-white interiors and a minimalist menu emphasising subtle flavours of its organic matcha drinks.
It also lies in the community’s ability to adapt to changing times. Septuagenarian Philip Ashizawa has been working at his family’s Soko Hardware store since his high school days decades ago. Operating since 1925, Soko is Japantown’s oldest running establishment and sells lots more than just hammers and nails. Their shelves are now stacked with Japanese cookware and tableware of all sorts, from yanagi ba (specialised knives) to donabe (clay pots to cook on an open flame). When asked about the store’s success, Philip puts it simply, “No surprises, we sell what our community needs.”
Shuvajit Payne (@RicketyRoads) writes about travel, food, and the outdoors.