I visited the Japanese American Museum of San Jose in San Jose Japantown, about an hour’s drive from San Francisco. Unlike San Francisco and Los Angeles, San Jose Japantown is not a place that attracts many tourists, but it is one of the places where Japanese culture remains deeply rooted in the local community.
There are not many tourist spots in San Jose Japantown, but the Immigration Museum is one of the places you should definitely visit. This museum is a great place to learn about how our Japanese ancestors survived in a foreign land, something that Japanese textbooks don’t tell you.
When you pay the entrance fee at the reception desk on your left as you enter, a receptionist will ask you if you need a guide. When I said that I didn’t need a guide, I received an instruction booklet of about 20 pages! It contained a detailed explanation of each exhibit. This is the first time I’ve been to a museum and received such a detailed explanation!
It’s a must-have for anyone who wants to know more about Japanese immigrants. There was a store next to the entrance, selling books about Japanese immigrants and Japanese goods (accessories, hanafuda, etc.).
Exhibits at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose
You can learn about the history of Japanese immigrants who came from Japan to the San Jose area in the Meiji era (1860’s).
A life in old Japantown
There is also a map of the time that shows that San Jose Japantown actually developed together with Chinatown, and you can learn about how people from the Orient cooperated with each other in America at that time.
Many of the Japanese immigrants at that time made their living from farming, so the tools used for farming and daily life are on display. There were also old sewing machines and katsuobushi shavers, which made me feel nostalgic for the tools I had seen at my grandparents’ house.
There were a lot of trunks which Japanese immigrants used at the time. They look a little heavy. But the design is retro and stylish.
A life during World War II
There is also a model of the living space in the Japanese American internment camps on display, which gives you a pretty good idea of the harsh conditions of life back then.
日系人収容所の模型
There were also several internment camps for Japanese Americans, not just one, and there are displays about the conditions in the various camps. In fact, more than 110,000 people were forced to live in the camps.
日系人収容所に関する展示
I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t know that Japanese immigrants were in internment camps during World War II. Japanese public schools did not teach this fact if I remember correctly. Do I feel upset to know this fact? I feel sad to know and make me think how I should do if we have another war. At the same time I feel proud of Japanese immigrants who survived such a tough era. Thanks to their effort, I can live comfortably in the U.S.A. I would like to say big “thank you” to all immigrants.
Other places to learn Japanese immigrants
Japanese American National Museum (Los Angels, California)
Manzanar National Historic Site Visitor Center (Manzanar, California)
Kobe Center for Overseas Migration and Cultural Interaction (Kobe, Japan)
In fact, there is still a place in Sannomiya, Kobe where Japanese immigrants used to visit before emigrating to the US and Brazil. This museum was also really interesting, with many interesting exhibits about the personal stories of the immigrants. If you are interested, visit Kobe Center for Overseas Migration and Cultural Interaction.
Overview
This is an introduction to the Japanese American Immigration Museum in San Jose. If you are ever in San Jose Japantown, you should definitely visit it!
However, please note that the museum is only open from Thursday to Sunday. But please note that the museum is only open from Thursday to Sunday. For more information about the tourist attractions in San Jose Japantown, please see the article “How to visit San Jose Japantown”.
The most famous Japantowns in the U.S. are the Japanese neighborhoods of San Francisco and Los Angeles, but there is also a historic Japantown in San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley!
In this article, I will introduce the history, safety, festivals, and recommended restaurants of San Jose Japantown.
San Jose Japantown
Address: 240 Jackson St, San Jose, CA 95112 (map)
Opening hours: Depends on the restaurant and shops
Admission: None
Parking: On-street or pay parking available
Official website: https://www.japantownsanjose.org/
Access
It is very close to San Jose Airport. Around 10 minutes drive away from the airport.
The best way to get to Japantown is to rent a car. During the day, there are paid parking lots on the street and in front of Union Bank. Please do not park your car without paying because the police are not around. I was told by a store owner in the area that the police often enforce this rule.
Another way to visit Japantown is to take the public bus or the VTA. If you take the VTA, get off at the Japantown/Ayer station and walk for about 10 minutes. It is a safe area during day time, but if I need to go there night time, I would take a taxi or rental car.
San Jose Japantown and its atmosphere
In the area of Japantown, there are about a dozen restaurants, Japanese supermarkets, Japanese souvenir shops, and temples. There used to be a good old-fashioned homemade tofu shop in Japantown, but it closed in 2017. Too bad!
Japan Town in San Francisco and Los Angeles is more of a tourist attraction, while Japan Town in San Jose is smaller and more intimate. Most of the people who come to San Jose Japantown are locals. If you want to enjoy the quietness of Japantown, I would recommend San Jose Japantown.
San Jose Japantown is surrounded by residential areas, and it’s fun to walk around the area a bit. There are houses with Japanese-style gardens, houses with miniature shrine gates (To-ri-i), and you can see Mexican people coming out of these houses, which is an unexpected and interesting sight.
Safety in San Jose’s Japantown
San Jose Japantown is in a residential area, and the main Jackson Street and its surrounding 1-2 blocks are safe. However if you are away from Japantown, the atmosphere changes a lot. It is okay in daytime, but I would not walk around in night time. Just trust your instincts. But trust your instincts and leave the area as soon as you feel like it.
Also, when it gets dark, it is better not to wander around the streets alone. I have not heard many criminals but as far as I know, there has been only one murder by gun in the past year.
Places to visit in San Jose Japantown
There are not many tourist spots in Japantown, as it is more like a shopping district. However let me introduce some interesting spots to visit.
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin
I think it would be interesting to enjoy Japantown from the perspective of what kind of streets were created by immigrants in the past. I was surprised when I first saw the above temple standing in the middle of the United States.
Japanese American Museum
I think the Japanese American Museum, which exhibits the history of Japanese immigrants, is worth a visit. You can read more about the museum in this article, “Learn about the handed down history at the Japanese American Museum in San Jose’s Japantown! You can read more about it here.
Nijiya
A Japanese grocery store. Small store, but they sell enough products. Japanese sweets, sake, etc. I took my friend to this store once. He bought a lot of Japanese sweets including Japanese KitKat! If you are looking for a place to buy Japanese products, this is the place.
History of San Jose Japantown
I am personally interested in Japanese immigrants, so I did some research on the San Jose Japantown web site.
It all started around 1890 when Japanese immigrants came to San Jose to work as farmers. At that time, there was a Chinatown in the area (not anymore), and since the Japanese at that time were also Asians, they lived in Chinatown and built up a Japanese community, and by the early 1900s, Japantown was established.
Thanks to a treaty signed in 1907, Japanese women were able to immigrate to the U.S., and the second generation of Nikkei were born, reflecting the growth of Japantown. In the 1920s, the city grew steadily, with the opening of the San Jose Buddhist Church, gas stations, new stores, and a hospital for American-educated Japanese doctors.
On the other hand, ironically, Chinatown, which had first supported the Japanese, was driven out of its residents by the Great Depression and laws against Chinese immigrants, and Chinatown was converted into a warehouse district.
In May 1942, during World War II, the Japanese Americans who lived in this area were forced to move to internment camps or farther away from the West Coast. As a result, this Japantown became a ghost town as well.
In 1945, the Nikkei were allowed to return to Japantown, and the entire community worked together to develop the area into the Japantown we know today. The people of Japanese descent who are active today are the 4th and 5th generation.
Festivals in San Jose Japantown
Every few months, some kind of event is held on a regular basis. You can check the San Jose Japantown website for the latest events.
In 2018, for example, the following events were held.
April: Japanese American Festival
June: Sake Walk
July: Obon Festival
December Beer Walk
If you’re asking me what event I recommend, I’d say the Obon Festival in the summer!It’s held in America, but it’s more Japanese style than the one in Japan! I felt that way when I saw this festival. I was very surprised to see this festival for the first time. It reminded me of my childhood memory with grand parents. Nowadays we cannot see this kind of festival in city areas. This is very authentic. I am impressed very much. In addition, familiar Japanese songs such as “Ue wo Mite Aruko” and “Tankobushi” were being played!
They played “Tankoubushi” for the dance. I’m from Fukuoka, so the Tankobushi was nostalgic for me. I danced with this music when I was a student at an elementary school. Now they play with J-POP music though.
I felt both happy and sad when I imagined that the people who came to the U.S. in the 1890s were holding these Bon festivals with their friends, thinking of their homeland from afar in the midst of a difficult life in a foreign country.
Japanese American Festival/Nikkei Matsuri
Recommended Restaurants in San Jose Japantown
If I were to take my friends, I would go to GOMBEI or SUSHIMARU.
GOMBEI
San Jose Japantown Restaurant GOMBEI A popular Japanese restaurant that is always packed with customers.
The menu can be seen on the GOMBEI menu.
Mostly set menus. The food is prepared by a Mexican chef, but the taste is quite good.
Don’t forget to bring cash as they only accept cash as payment. You can read more about GOMBEI’s recommended menu in the article “Gombei, a popular set meal restaurant in San Jose Japantown! for more information on the menu.
GOMBEI Information
Address: 193 Jackson St, San Jose, CA 95112 Google Map
Phone number: +1 408 279 4311
Opening hours: 11:30AM-2PM, 5-9PM
Closed: Sunday
Parking: Not available (on the street or in nearby pay parking lots)
Official website: http://gombei.com/
SUSHIMARU
A popular restaurant that always has a good number of customers. It mainly serves conveyor belt sushi, but also has an izakaya menu. Some of my Japanese friends said that the sushi here is delicious, and the taste is not bad.
I had the impression that the izakaya menu was also tasty as usual. However, the price seems a bit high to me. We ate modestly and spent about $80 for the two of us. However, I would rather eat sushi at this restaurant than at any other restaurant.
TSUGARU
TSUGARU is a Japanese-American restaurant that serves everything from izakaya (Japanese style pub) menus to set meals and sushi. My friend said that the nabeyaki udon was delicious. I also thought the fried oysters were delicious. The staff was friendly, but seemed to be busy, as if they were short-staffed. Personally, I think there is room for improvement in the sushi and fried chicken.
KAITA
This izakaya is filled with customers on Friday nights. They also have a set meal menu. The atmosphere of the restaurant is quite casual. There are many tables lined up in a small restaurant. Some of my American colleagues seem to be KAITA fans, going there for lunch once a week. Personally, I think the taste is average.
Summary
San Jose Japantown is loved by the local. The size is much smaller than San Francisco and Los Angels Japantowns. However you will enjoy more local restaurants.
