I threatened to post this before, and this seems like as good a time to make good on that threat as any, as I just got back from a quick overnight trip to Japantown.
Friday Night
There’s really nowhere else to stay but Hotel Kabuki. Well, that’s not literally true, but you’re not going to *want* to stay anywhere else once you see the views, the amazing lounge space, and how close it is to everything on this list including relatively cheap parking ($29 a day). You’re probably getting in too late for their in-house Thai restaurant, Nari, but not too late for ramen! I like both Marufuku and Hinodeya, which are both open till later in the evening. I haven’t tried the karaoke at the Pagoda or the KBQ at Galbijjim Daeho but have heard good things about both of those late-night options as well. Whatever you decide, make sure to make it back for a cocktail in the Kabuki lounge before they close at 11. Take it up to your balcony for a jaw-dropping view of the Peace Pagoda lit up at night, or just walk out into the plaza and take some pics for the ‘gram.
Saturday
If you’re up early, stroll over to Jane the Bakery or, if you’re trying to get your steps in, B. Patisserie, and pick up coffees and pastries for everyone in your room. If you get up at a more normal Saturday time, then you need to hit Jina Bakes in the Japan Center, or Mochill for mochi doughnuts. Either way, after you eat, you’ll need to go center yourself in the meditation garden in the Kabuki atrium because you’re about to embark on some serious capitalism. Start with the Kinokuniya bookstore on two floors of the westernmost Japan Center building and then visit Maido stationery across from the bookstore upstairs. Then work your way back east through the two malls, making sure to pop in at the incense shop and the woodcut gallery on the Bridge. Beyond that, it just depends what you’re in the market for: geta or yukata, tea and ceramics, anime art, Japanese cosmetics, home goods, hair sticks, wind chimes…it’s all there.
At some point you’ll need lunch, and if you didn’t hit Marufuku yesterday, now’s the time; Tenroku sushi is also good. If you’re still full from breakfast, you can just drop down to the Kissako Tea kiosk in the basement of the Kinokuniya building for made-to-order onigiri. Outside the Center you need to take in a couple of other shops in Japantown. Soko Hardware is do-not-miss: family owned and operated, absolutely chock-a-block with high-quality Japanese tools for everything from cooking to bonsai. I also discovered SF76 on this trip, and they have a stellar selection of Japanese home wares.
While you’re up there at the north end of the mall, stroll a block west to the Issei Garden and enjoy the memorial to Japanese gardeners (who accounted for 10% of the immigrants to San Francisco in the 19th century) as well as the adorable houses on Cottage Row. On your way back, I would have recommended you stop at the venerable Benkyodo for Japanese sweets, but sadly the bakery was a victim of the pandemic. So, after you drop in at Forest Books, your best option is Uji Time for ice cream taiyaki.
Now you’re going to need to detox, so ladies, head to Pearl Spa (made an online appointment in advance) to get all that consumerism scrubbed away by Korean grandmas who are way tougher than you (if you don’t identify as a woman, Imperial spa is close by and gets good reviews, but I haven’t personally tried it). Restore some of those depleted toxins with a cocktail at the kitschy, fun On the Bridge bar in Japan Center, and then it’s dinner time! I haven’t tried Nari, in the Kabuki, but it was recommended to me by the front-of-house manager at Liho Liho Yacht Club, so it’s a safe bet. There are also the other options I listed (I have been known to go for an early dinner and get late ramen, ahem).
Sunday
If you’re an early riser and so inclined, I highly recommend the 7:30 mass at St Mary of the Assumption cathedral, a stunning example of mid-century brutalist architecture with surprisingly warm acoustics. After that, unless you want more ramen or sushi for brunch (and I do understand if that’s the case), you’ll need to stray outside Japantown to Son & Garden or Sweet Maple or Dottie’s Blue Plate (if you pick Sweet Maple, stick around till noon and visit Song Tea & Ceramics around the corner—you won’t be sorry). Alternatively, you can just hit up Jina Bakes or Mochill again, check out of the Kabuki early, and mosey over to the Hagiwara Tea Garden for a relaxing stroll and a cup of matcha to stand you up for your flight or drive home. Either way you choose to finish it off, you’ve had a memorable weekend in Japantown, I guarantee.
The Rookery 