8 Best Shopping in Japantown, San Francisco

The shops lining this open-air mall next to the Peace Plaza (look for the giant pagoda) are geared more toward locals, but there are some fun Japanese-goods stores here, too. Start your exploration with exquisite Japanese homewares in a gallery-like space at SF76 ( 1758 Buchanan St.  www.sf-76.com). Look for Hasami and Tomoro pottery and ceramics by local artists. It's easy to spend hours among the fabulous origami and craft papers at Paper Tree ( 1743 Buchanan St. paper-tree.com). After shop browsing, have a seat on the steps around local artist Ruth Asawa's twin origami-style fountains, which sit in the middle of the mall. Wrap up a visit with lunch at Hinodeya Ramen ( 1737 Buchanan St. hinodeyaramen.com), serving lighter dashi (clear-broth) ramen, a rarity in the city.

This is the perfect spot for all things British; C&C serves traditional afternoon tea starting at 11 am, complete with cucumber sandwiches and scones. The shop also sells china cups and other teatime accessories such as candies, clocks, and coasters.

Traditional sit-down Japanese showers and communal bathing are two out-of-the-ordinary experiences at the Kabuki. The renowned Javanese Lulur Treatment includes a combination massage with jasmine oil, exfoliation with turmeric and ground rice, a yogurt application, and a candlelight soak with rose petals. Men and women are welcome every day for private treatments, but call ahead regarding communal bathing schedules; the baths are coed only on Tuesday. Clothing is optional except on coed days.

The selection of English-language books about Japanese culture—everything from medieval history to origami instructions—is one of the finest in the country. Kinokuniya is also the city's biggest seller of Japanese-language books. Glossy Asian fashion magazines attract the young and trendy; the manga and anime books and magazines are wildly popular, too.

Japanese pop culture has never been so neatly organized as it is here at this state-of-the-art minimall divided into four shiny levels: the cinema/café downstairs; MARUQ (selling Tokyo's hot fashion right here in SF) on the first floor; clothing shops like Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and Sou-Sou on the second floor; and the Superfrog Gallery on the third floor. Expect to see a rotation of emerging artists in the gallery and make sure you try the superstrong coffee and vegan donuts on sale in the café.

The younger generation's counterpart to the Japan Center, this fresh shopping center combines a cinema, a tea parlor, and shops with a successful synergy. The downstairs New People Cinema shows classic and cutting-edge Asian (largely Japanese) films. Upstairs you can peruse Japanese pop-culture items and anime-inspired fashion, like handmade, split-toe shoes at SOU • SOU and Lolita fashion at Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.

This shop specializes in beautifully crafted Japanese tools for gardening and woodworking. In addition to the usual hardware-store items, you can find seeds for Japanese plants and books about topics such as making shoji (paper screens). There are also lots of Japanese teapots and cookware vessels to browse. It's a great destination for a unique souvenir and a fun experience to see a truly historic San Francisco business.

Massages at this oasis of calm near Japantown include and hot-stone options. Acupunture and facials are also available. The focus is on cleansing and calming the mind as well as the body.