Japantown Offers a Retro San Jose Tour

Aug 23, 2011 No Comments by
Pockets of old Santa Clara County remain in Silicon Valley, despite the region’s massive growth.  Down the street from downtown San Jose is Japantown, one of the three existing Japanese neighborhoods officially recognized as such by cities (Los Angeles and San Francisco house the other two).

San Jose’s Japantown is almost deserted during the day, but is worth a visit for several reasons:  quaint shops, the Victorian homes, its window into Japanese-American history, mid-century architecture chic, and retro business signs.  After a day of meetings, I ended up in this unique neighborhood, and took more than a few pictures.

not sure if there are wings here, but the sign is cool

not sure if there are wings here, but the sign is cool

restaurant on Jackson Street, Japantown

restaurant on Jackson Street, Japantown

Nikkei Lantern, Japantown

Nikkei Lantern, Japantown

the best signs now rarely seen--the old cocktail symbol above a bar in Japantown

the best signs now rarely seen--the old cocktail symbol above a bar in Japantown

Soko Hardware, a holdout against those orange Home Depot signs

Soko Hardware, a holdout against those orange Home Depot signs

front of restaurant, Japantown

front of restaurant, Japantown

when was the last time you heard the term "oriental?" - gift shop, Japantown

when was the last time you heard the term "oriental?" - gift shop, Japantown

facade of office building, Japantown

facade of office building, Japantown

restaurant, corner of Jackson and 6th, Japantown

restaurant, corner of Jackson and 6th, Japantown

construction and architecture

About the author

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about waste, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon lives in Los Angeles, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 50+ countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.
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