How to spend a day in San Francisco’s Japantown, the poster child for the city’s post-Covid recovery

Our microguides series is inspired by the slow travel movement, encouraging travellers to relax their pace and take a deep dive into one particular neighbourhood in a well-loved city. Rather than a whirlwind itinerary which aims to hit up every must-see attraction, these compact, close-up guides encourage you to zone in, take your time and truly explore like a local

There are at least 50 Chinatowns across the US but only three Japantowns remain, all located on the country’s Pacific coast. San Francisco’s is the oldest; Japanese Americans have been populating this six-block neighbourhood in the Western Addition district for more than a century, and in that time have made an impressive job of recreating a small slice of their motherland in northern California.

More sedate and secluded than SF’s Chinatown a couple of miles to the east, Japantown still packs a hefty cultural punch, keeping its national spirit alive not just with annual community events and festivities but every day, in its authentic outlets, where you can feast on the best ramen and shabu-shabu in the city, and buy your fill of imported manga, anime and all things kawaii (cute).

More recently, Japantown has led the charge for San Francsico’s recovery from Covid, being one of only three neighbourhoods reporting higher sales tax revenue today than before the pandemic – despite suffering terribly throughout.

Now is a better time than ever to visit this thriving, underrated district of a city that is still getting back onto its feet. Here’s how to make the best of your time here.

Do

Peace Plaza

This focal point at the heart of Japantown is its main gathering space, from which the rest of the neighbourhood radiates. It’s a serene pedestrianised square, somewhere to relax and people-watch, but it really comes alive during community celebrations and festivals that draw people from all over the city. Towering over the plaza is the Peace Pagoda, an impressive five-tiered structure reaching 100ft, presented to SF in 1968 by its sister city, Osaka, and inspired by a series of pagodas in Japan’s ancient capital, Nara.

Read more on US travel:

Kabuki Springs

A traditional, tranquil Japanese spa and bathhouse on an unassuming corner of Japantown, this oasis from city life makes…