San Francisco Visitors Planning Guide - 2025 VPG

The oldest of only three remaining Japantowns in the country, this next-door neighbor to the Fillmore is packed with cultural and culinary delights.

SEE & DO

The five-tiered Peace Pagoda towers over Peace Plaza, which plays host to community celebrations throughout the year, including the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in April and the Nihonmachi Street Fair in August. Get a crash course in Japanese culture at the Japan Center, a shopping mall bursting with restaurants, tea shops and stores selling everything from authentic kimonos to bonsai. Kabuki Springs & Spa offers Japanese-style bathing followed by another relaxing import from Japan: shiatsu massage.

EAT & DRINK

Japantown’s cultural menu ranges from Japanese staples like sushi, ramen, manjū and shabu-shabu to Thai, Korean and more. If a steaming bowl of noodles sounds good, Hinodeya Ramen, Marufuku Ramen and Udon Mugizo are all great bets. The signature dish at Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup is braised beef ribs smothered with cheese — a Korean delicacy. Snag a coveted reservation for one of Yuji’s nine seats for a masterful 12-course meal featuring bites like A5 wagyu, sea urchin and rare fish imported from Japan. And you can’t visit Japantown without nibbling a slice of coffee crunch cake from Yasukochi’s Sweet Shop.

WHERE TO STAY

The hip Hotel Kabuki fits in perfectly with its environment and has its own MICHELIN-starred restaurant, Nari. The art-filled Mansion on Sutter brings five-star accommodations to an opulent home from San Francisco’s golden age of Victorian architecture.

Neighborhood Voice

“San Francisco is a city of innovation,” says Masao Kuribara, owner of Hinodeya Ramen. “So, I took up the challenge and I opened the first dashi ramen restaurant in the United States.” Discover why Masao believes Japantown to be the heart of the city. Find Your Heart