Japantown, commonly known as J Town, is a historic cultural district of San Jose, California, north of Downtown San Jose. Historically a center for San Jose’s Japanese American and Chinese American communities, San Jose’s Japantown is one of only three Japantowns that still exist in the United States, alongside San Francisco’s Japantown and Los Angeles’s Little Tokyo. Japantown was originally formed as a site for boardinghouses for Japanese men, just west of the 1887 “Heinlenville” Chinatown settlement, which was the block bounded by Sixth, Seventh, Taylor, and Jackson Streets. Initially, the residents of Japantown were primarily male, attracted by farming or general labor jobs. In the early 20th century, more women began to arrive as picture brides. As families began, local businesses were started to serve everyday needs for food and clothing. The local Japantown Asahi baseball club improbably defeated the visiting Tokyo Giants in 1935. By 1941, there were 53 businesses in Japantown. During World War II, the Japanese American population was forcibly removed from Japantown and unjustly incarcerated in camps. On their return after the war, many resettled in the area.
The upward mobility of the children and grandchildren of the original immigrants to San Jose, along with the expansion and growth of Silicon Valley, caused many Japanese-Americans to leave the area for the suburbs. Still, the culture and vitality of this community remain in the businesses and festivals serving locals and tourists. Bed Bug Exterminator San Jose
Community
Japantown is the site of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, which moved into a new building in 2010;[4] San Jose Taiko, Shuei-do Manju Shop, whose manjū were specifically requested during the 1994 visit of the Emperor of Japan; Nichi Bei Bussan, founded in San Francisco in 1902 by the father of prominent local businessman Dave Tatsuno and relocated to San Jose after Tatsunos were interned, transformed from a general merchant to an Asian goods gift shop; and a variety of restaurants, professional services, community organizations (for example Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center, and the Japanese American Citizens League) and small retail shops. Japantown had two hand-made tofu shops, the last closing in 2017.
Directions
Japantown is located in Central San Jose, just north of Downtown San Jose. The Northside neighborhood surrounds it to its south and east. To its north are the Hyde Park and Luna Park neighborhoods. To its west is the Santa Clara County Civic Center district.
Restaurants and Pubs
- Hukilau is located at 230 Jackson St, San Jose, CA
- Omogari is located at 154 Jackson St, San Jose, CA
- Jack’s is located at 167 E Taylor St, San Jose, CA
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