Japantown | |
|---|---|
.jpg) .jpg)  _(cropped).jpg) .jpg) Clockwise: San Jose Obon Festival; Gordon Biersch Brewery; Betsuin Buddhist Temple; Japantown blossom landmarks; Cannery Park. | |
  Japantown | |
| Coordinates:37°20′54″N121°53′44″W / 37.348463°N 121.895421°W /37.348463; -121.895421 (Japantown) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Santa Clara |
| City | San Jose |
| ZIP Code | 95112 |
| Area code | Area code 408 |
Japantown (Japanese: 日本町;Nihonmachi), commonly known asJ Town, is a historic cultural district ofSan Jose, California, north ofDowntown San Jose.[1][2] Historically a center for San Jose'sJapanese American andChinese American communities, San Jose's Japantown is one of only threeJapantowns that still exist in the United States, alongsideSan Francisco's Japantown andLos Angeles's Little Tokyo.[citation needed]
Japantown originally formed as a site for boardinghouses for Japanese men, just west of the 1887 "Heinlenville" Chinatown settlement, which was the block bounded by Sixth, Seventh, Taylor, and Jackson Streets.[1]
Initially the residents of Japantown were mostly male, attracted by farming or general labor jobs.[1][2] In the early 20th century, more women began to arrive aspicture brides.[1][4] As families began, local businesses were started to serve everyday needs for food and clothing.[2] The local Japantown Asahi baseball club defeated the visitingTokyo Giants in 1935.[1]
By 1941, there were 53 businesses in Japantown.[2] DuringWorld War II, theJapanese American population was forcibly removed from Japantown and unjustly incarcerated incamps. On their return after the war, many resettled in the area.[2]
The upward mobility of the children and grandchildren of the original immigrants to San Jose, along with the expansion and growth ofSilicon Valley caused many Japanese-Americans to leave the area for the suburbs,[2] but the culture of this community remains in the businesses and festivals serving locals and tourists.[2]
Japantown is home to many traditional Japanese restaurants.[5] The California State Legislature mentioned this area as one of the last three remaining historical Japantowns in theUnited States.[6]
In 2004, nearly 227,000 people resided within a 3-mile (4.8 km) radius of Japantown, of which 25% were of Asian descent.[7]
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Japantown is the site of theJapanese American Museum of San Jose, which moved into a new building in 2010;[4]San Jose Taiko, Shuei-do Manju Shop,[2] whosemanjū were specifically requested during the 1994 visit of theEmperor of Japan; Nichi Bei Bussan, founded in San Francisco in 1902 by the father of prominent local businessmanDave Tatsuno and relocated to San Jose after Tatsunos wereinterned, transformed from a general merchant to an Asian goods gift shop;[2][8][9] and a variety of restaurants, professional services, community organizations (for example Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center, and theJapanese American Citizens League) and small retail shops. Japantown had two hand-madetofu shops,[10] the last closing in 2017.[11]
Two churches founded by Japanese over 100 years ago, Wesley United Methodist Church[12] and San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin,[13] thrive on the same street, Fifth Street. They are home to many of the local community organizations including active Girl and Boy Scout organizations, and host several of Japantown's largest cultural festivals.
Japantown's Fifth Street now also leads to the newSan Jose City Hall.[14] Indeed, the Fifth and Jackson Landmark was designed to be seen from City Hall as a beacon and reminder of the people that have helped build the city.[15] The Fifth and Jackson Landmark is part of a larger California Japantown Landmarks Project to create powerful and emotional permanent outdoor exhibits, including monuments in San Francisco and Los Angeles.[16]
Japantown is also home to a number of non-Japanese businesses, including Mexican, Hawaiian and Korean restaurants.[2][5]
A number of organizations, including the Japantown Neighborhood Association, have joined to form the Japantown Community Congress of San Jose, which is a community partner to the City of San Jose (represented by theSan Jose Redevelopment Agency) that looks after cultural preservation of the area (begun with CA SB 307).[6]
Major festivals includeObon (every July), Nikkei Matsuri (every spring) and Aki Matsuri (every fall) and a newer festival, The Spirit of Japantown Festival (also in the fall).[17] In addition there are events that are open to the public at Art Object Gallery and various street venues, including a year-round Certified Farmers Market run by the Japantown Business Association.[18]
On March 22, 2021, the Japantown community formally started citizen foot patrols to increase security and prevent attacks onAsian Americans.[19]
Japantown is located in Central San Jose, just north ofDowntown San Jose. It is surrounded by theNorthside neighborhood to its south and east. To its north are theHyde Park andLuna Park neighborhoods. To its west is theSanta Clara County Civic Center district.
The Japantown area is also served by theVTA light rail Blue and Green lines at nearbyJapantown/Ayer station.
Parks within Japantown include:
Backesto Park is located nearby inNorthside neighborhood.
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THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
[...]
(d) For example, prior to World War II, more than 40 historical and geographic Japanese-American communities flourished throughout the United States. Sadly, today only three remain, all in California: San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles.
Wesley United Methodist Church was established in 1895 by the evangelical spirit and vision of pioneer Issei (first generation Japanese-American) Christians and the struggles and hopes of immigrant families who had come to farm the rich soil of the Santa Clara Valley. [...] In 1913, their sacrifices and labor built the first modest church structure at our present site.
The San Jose Betsuin's colorful origin can be traced to the early Issei pioneers who immigrated around the turn of the Twentieth century. The temple began in August of 1902 when ministers journeyed from San Francisco to San Jose to conduct Buddhist services. Earlier, the San Jose Church was a branch of the San Francisco Church. [...] Our current temple was completed in 1937, and continues to serve our Sangha.
City Hall is located at 200 East Santa Clara Street between Fourth and Sixth Streets in downtown San José. [...] Construction began in August 2002 and the doors opened in October 2005.
In making connections to the south, to Civic Plaza on Fifth Street:
the landmark will be a strong, statement, visible from City Hall;
