Japantown San Jose -One of the Last Remaining Authentic Japantowns in the US

Japantown San Jose is also known as, Japan Town, Nihonmachi, or "J Town" to the locals. This unique cultural section of San Jose, California celebrates traditional Japanese life and is one of the last remaining authentic Japantowns in the US.

Visitors will have the rare opportunity to experience the beauty and flavors of Japan as they peruse art galleries, watch performances, listen to music, visit the Japanese American Museum, and eat at local restaurants celebrating authentic Japanese cusine.

Every Sunday from 8am to 12pm Japantown hosts a farmers market featuring fresh and dried produce perfect for cooking traditional Japanese dishes. From persimmons to a wide variety of mushrooms, the produce is varied based on the seasons.

Japanese Tea is another popular item at the market, along with tea utensils. It is hard to find good tea in local San Jose grocery stores but Japantown's market offers some of the finest tea leaves available for everyone from the casual tea drinker to those who celebrate traditional tea ceremonies.

To celebrate tea, dressing in a vintage traditional Japanese kimono is possible by visiting the one hundred year old Nichi Bei Bussan, one of California's first Asian goods store. They sell hard-to-find martial arts items, fabrics, Japanese kimonos, home decor, books, crafts and more.

Nichi Bei Bussan
140 Jackson Street, 95112
Phone: (408) 294-8048

Another favorite is the unique San Jose Taiko (Japanese for drum) performance, "with a deep respect of cultural traditions and a commitment to artistic excellence, dedicated to the advancement of the Taiko art form through the development of its world-class Performing Ensemble and the San Jose Taiko Conservatory", according to Taiko.org. They offer both public workshops to learn the art and performances throughout venues in Santa Clara County.

After watching a Taiko performance, visiting one of the most popular restaurants in Japantown will give the visitor a complete cultural experience. Gombei Japanese Restaurant serves traditional Japanese favorites such as Chicken Teriyaki & Shrimp Tempura, hama sushi, fresh Udon, Katsu Don, and spring rolls.

Gombei Restaurant
193 Jackson Street, 95112
Phone: (408) 279-4311

Tips for visiting Japantown in San Jose, California:
--Parking meters cost $1 an hour
--Purchase a Maneki Neko or 'Beckoning Cat' -the lucky charm of Japan-- if you want good luck according to traditional folklore.
--It is less expensive to take public transportatioVTA light rail into Japantown than to park for the day
--Lightrail VTAStation is available at Japantown/Ayer. Walk north to Jackson Street. Turn right onto Jackson.

2010 Events in San Jose Japantown
SATURDAY - July 10, 2010
Obon Festival Weekend
SATURDAY - August 28, 2010
Japanese American Museum of San Jose Grand Opening
SATURDAY - October 2, 2010
Spirit of Japantown Fesival
SUNDAY - October 3, 2010
Rock 'n Roll Half-Marathon

Sources:
http://www.jtown.org/
http://www.taiko.org/
http://www.taiko.org/calendar-of-events-san-jose-taiko/
http://www.gombei.com/