Asakichi Iron Teapot
Here, they sell iron and bronze products such as teapots, sculptures, pots, and vases. Some of the items are antiques while others are newly created from popular craftsmen. I especially love the sculptures as they are very unique and extremely detailed. The service here is especially helpful, as they are very knowledgeable about the products they sell.
Asakichi Antiques & Arts
Asakichi has beautiful hand crafted antiques from teapots to furniture. The majority of the furniture is made from wood and cast iron, materials used in traditional Japanese-style furnishing products. The prices reflect the quality and age of the items, so they are reasonable.
Asakichi Incense
I always come here to buy incense for my Obutsudan (family alter). They have a large variety of incenses to choose from. Not only do they have incense for alters, but they also have novelty incenses for aroma therapy and for air fresheners.
Miyako Hotel
The rooms of the Miyako Hotel are absolutely stunning! They are furnished with antique Japanese furniture and the bathrooms have ofuro (Japanese bathtub). It's a little on the expensive side, but I think it's worth the price. It is also conveniently located in the heart of Japan Town, so it's walking distance to most of the shops and restaurants.
San Francisco Taiko Dojo
I absolutely love coming here to buy taiko bachi! The chudaiko bachi are made of solid oak and last a very long time. I've had the same pair of bachi for about 7 years now and they have never splintered or broken. If you're lucky, you can catch Tanaka-sensei at the shop and he'll offer his advice and suggestions for bachi. I recently bought a pair of shime bachi from the shop and he personalized them for me by writing the kanji for "dragon" on them! I feel so honored!
Andersen Bakery
Although this is a bakery, they also have delicious coffee and ice cream, both of which are very cheap and worth the price! I just got the vanilla ice cream, but it was very creamy and smooth. The coffee was just right and you can add your own cream and sugar to taste.
Izumi Ya Restaurant
I always come here to eat the Okonomiyaki! I especially like the one with seafood and noodles. The portion is huge and I can never finish it by myself. They also have very good saba and korokke (potato croquettes)!
Ryowa
I've been coming to Ryowa for about 6 years now and it's still just as good as the first time! I usually order the Ryowa ramen. It has a really tasty sesame and miso soup base that's full of flavor! The portions are pretty big, too, so I always leave with a full stomach!
Nipponya
I absolutely adore this small hole-in-the-wall, literally, place! They sell fresh Japanese mochi, daifuku, dango, cookies, and candy. I especially love the black sesame mochi and green tea manju with azuki bean filling. The prices are fairly reasonable and the service is excellent!
Tsuruhashi
The owner is Korean and his wife is Japanese, or maybe it's the other way around, but the two definitely mix their Japanese and Korean cooking together to make delicious bbq! This place is pretty well ventilated and the service is very good. The meat is always tender and full of flavor!
