1737 Post Street
(Between Geary and Fillmore Sts.)
(415) 922-6776
Home to a movie theater,
shops, bars, an excellent spa and shops selling Japanese
furnishings, clothes, cameras, pearls and porcelain, Nihonmachi
— better known as the Japan Center — is most notable for
what's inside it, rather than for its somewhat drab exterior.
Noted American architect
Minoru Yamasaki created the three-block-long, 5-acre complex,
which opened in 1968. The plaza is landscaped with traditional
Japanese style gardens and reflecting pools and its open
courtyards are the center of the yearly Cherry Blossom Festival
each April, featuring taiko drumming, a parade, martial arts
demonstrations, music and lots of freshly grilled Asian street
foods.
Every August, the
Nihonmachi Street Fair celebrates the contributions made by
Asian Americans in the United States.
The AMC Kabuki 8 Theater,
home to the annual San Francisco International Asian American
Film Festival, is a popular destination for locals. Grab a bowl
of thick, white udon noodles, soba (thin buckwheat
noodles) or sushi before showtime at one of several restaurants,
many offering delicious dinners for under $10. Take your choice
from the edibles displayed in a window near the front door,
Japanese style: shellacked plastic miniatures, or full color
photos offer a tempting glimpse. At the sushi bar at Isobune, on
the second floor of the Kintetsu building, plates of lovingly
crafted sushi and sashimi rest on tiny boats which float by
customers, who take what they want and pay per plate at the end
of the meal.
The center's Peace Plaza
and five-story Pagoda were designed by Tokyo architect Yoshiro
Taniguchi as a gesture of goodwill from the people of Japan. The
original design of Professor Taniguchi, an authority on Japanese
buildings, has undergone some puzzling "improvements"
over the years to detrimental effect; nevertheless, the yagura
(wooden drum tower) that spans the entrance to the mall and the
copper-roofed Peace Walkway between the Tasamak Plaza and
Kintetsu buildings are still worth a look. The Pagoda draws on
the 1,200-year-old tradition of miniature round pagodas
dedicated to eternal peace.
The buildings lining the
traffic-free, open-air mall are of the Shoji school of
architecture, encompassing one city block. Looking for a place
to cool your heels? Take a break on the twin origami-style
fountains in the middle of the mall. Designed by local artist
Ruth Asawa, the fountains are squat circular structures made of
fieldstone, with three levels for sitting and a brick floor that
doubles as a drain.
Located one mile west of
Union Square, the Japan Center includes a hotel (the Miyako, at
Post and Laguna, with a picturesque Japanese garden) and 2
public garages with discounted validated parking.
Hours:
The Japan Center is open
daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Most shops: 10-6
Most restaurants: 11-9
Most cocktail lounges and
karaoke bars:
open 'til midnight
JAPAN
CENTER
ATTRACTIONS
