San Jose Japantown

A century ago there were dozens of Japantowns in California. Today only three historic ones remain in the whole country: in San Francisco, in Los Angeles and here in San Jose. San Jose's is the smallest and the most neighborhood-like. It is a grid of low buildings around North Fifth and Jackson streets, with family restaurants, a Buddhist temple, a Methodist church, a museum and granite monuments that tell the story of the people who built it.

For a Palo Alto visitor it is an easy half day by train or car. It works well on its own, as a lunch stop on a San Jose day trip or as a family history outing for anyone with roots in the Japanese American community. This guide covers getting there, the history, the museum, the monuments, the temples, the festivals, the food and practical tips.

Where Japantown is and how far

Japantown is in central San Jose, five blocks north of City Hall. The Japantown Business Association places its center at North Fifth and Jackson streets and its edges at First and Seventh streets, Empire Street to the south and Hedding Street to the north. The county civic center lies just west.

From downtown Palo Alto it is about 18 miles. Outside rush hour the drive takes 25 to 35 minutes on Highway 101. San Jose Mineta International Airport is only a few minutes away, which makes Japantown a good last stop before a flight. See our San Jose airport guide.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By Caltrain and light rail

Take Caltrain south to San Jose Diridon. Palo Alto is in zone 3 and Diridon in zone 4, so it is a two-zone fare: $6.25 in October 2026 and $6.50 from January 1, 2027. At Diridon, transfer to VTA light rail heading north through downtown on First Street and get off at Japantown/Ayer. From the station it is a short walk east to Jackson Street. Plan the light rail leg with VTA's trip planner and see our VTA guide for fares.

By car

Take Highway 101 south, exit at North First Street and head south toward Jackson Street. Street parking in the center of Japantown uses SmartMeters that accept coins and cards, at $2 an hour according to the business association. On festival days, arrive early or take the train.

A short history

Japantown began in the late 1800s as boardinghouses for Japanese men who came to work on the orchards and farms of the Santa Clara Valley. They settled just west of Heinlenville, a Chinatown that John Heinlen built in 1887 on the block bounded by Sixth, Seventh, Taylor and Jackson streets. Early residents were mostly men. In the early 20th century more women arrived, many as picture brides. Families started businesses to serve daily needs: groceries, clothing, baths, doctors and social clubs.

The community grew strong enough that its Asahi baseball club beat the visiting Tokyo Giants in 1935. By 1941 Japantown had 53 businesses. Then, after Executive Order 9066 was signed on February 19, 1942, Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from the West Coast and incarcerated in camps. When the war ended, many came back to San Jose and settled again around Jackson Street.

In later decades, rising incomes and the spread of Silicon Valley suburbs drew many families away. The businesses, churches and festivals held the neighborhood together. California later named San Jose's Japantown one of the last three historic Japantowns in the state and funded preservation work through a state bill, SB 307. For local context, read our history of Palo Alto's Japanese American community. Our Chinese American history page adds more local context.

The Japanese American Museum of San Jose

JAMsj at 535 North Fifth Street is the best first stop. It moved into its own new building in 2010 and covers more than a century of local Japanese American life: immigration, farming, family businesses, the wartime incarceration and the community's return. Rotating exhibits add art and personal stories. In fall 2026 it opened Judi Oyama: To Be Seen / Not Heard, about the pioneering skateboarder and designer, on October 31.

The museum lists hours of noon to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for seniors, students and educators, according to the JAMsj visit page. Plan on an hour or more.

Monuments and landmarks

Japantown is full of small markers. The business association describes them and suggests walking the neighborhood to find them all:

• Issei Voices: a 36-foot horizontal granite monument at Jackson and Fifth with words and phrases of the first-generation immigrants, topped by a timeline of Japanese American history.
• Issei Pioneer stone: an 11,000-pound granite rock from Inujima Island, a gift from San Jose's sister city of Okayama, Japan.
• Nikkei Lantern: best seen after dark. Etched into its bend is "February 19, 1942," the date of Executive Order 9066.
• Civil Liberties Monument: outside the Issei Memorial Building, one of three matching monuments for the three remaining Japantowns.
• Ikoi no Ba: five resting areas themed on incarceration, festivals, farming, immigration and culture, plus historical benches funded under SB 307.

Temples and churches

Two congregations founded by Japanese immigrants more than a century ago still stand on Fifth Street. The San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin was founded in 1902 and belongs to the Buddhist Churches of America, a Jodo Shinshu organization. Its website lists Sunday Dharma School at 9:30 a.m. and an adult service at 10:10 a.m., with a Japanese language service on the second Sunday of each month. Visitors are welcome. Wesley United Methodist Church is a few doors away. Both host scout troops, community groups and some of Japantown's largest festivals.

Festivals and the farmers market

• Obon: every July at the Betsuin, with bon odori dancing, taiko and food. Palo Alto has its own Obon each August; see our Obon festival guide.
• Nikkei Matsuri: a spring street festival of Japanese American arts, crafts and food.
• Aki Matsuri and the Spirit of Japantown Festival: both in fall.
• Japantown Farmers' Market: Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon at 357 East Taylor Street. It ran from May to October in 2026 and will reopen in May 2027, according to the business association. There is no on-site parking. Pets must stay outside.

Food and shopping

Most visitors end up eating. Japantown has long-running Japanese restaurants serving sushi, ramen, teriyaki, curry and shabu shabu, plus a traditional manju shop, Japanese grocery stores and gift shops. Hawaiian, Korean and Mexican places add to the mix, which reflects the neighborhood's real history. Many places are small and family run, with limited hours, so check before a special trip. Our guides to Japanese food and ramen in Palo Alto cover options closer to home.

Why a Palo Alto visitor might go

1. History you can walk. Few places explain the Japanese American experience as clearly, on the ground where it happened.
2. An easy transit trip. Caltrain plus light rail gets you there without a car.
3. Lunch with character. Family restaurants and sweets shops that have outlasted many trends.
4. Gardens nearby. Pair it with the Japanese Friendship Garden in Kelley Park, a short drive south.

If you are flying out of San Jose or attending an event downtown, you can compare downtown San Jose hotels a few minutes from Japantown.

Frequently asked questions