How to spend your day in Japantown, San Francisco
Want to go to Japantown in San Francisco, but not sure where to start? Look no further, I have compiled a list for the cutest, most delicious and fun itinerary to make sure you’re going to have the best day here. Whether you are looking for the best food and restaurant recommendations in Japantown or you want to spend your time shopping for books, kitchenware and more, this neighborhood of San Francisco has it all for you.
Food + Restaurant Recommendations in Japantown
Sasa
Let’s start off with some lunch. I love going to Sasa for lunch, they have multiple tiers of omakase and they’re all quite reasonably priced. Especially the $65 chef omakase. The quality is fantastic and it always tastes amazing. Their dinner menu is basically the same as lunch, it’s just a little bit more affordable to go in the afternoon, so I’d highly recommend!
If you want a bit of a more affordable option, I’d go for the $32 sushi moriawase which includes 7 pieces of nigiri and a roll. There’s also a soup on the side. Their fish is cured and is of the same caliber as a high end omakase spot, just not the same price. And we all love a good deal, right? 😉
Omakase is always a little bit of a splurge, but definitely worth it. If you’re not too much in the mood for pieces of sushi, you could always go for their Chirashi Bowl, which is a chef-chosen assortment of fish on top of a bed of rice, yum!
Check out their menu here if you want!: https://www.sasasf.com/#/menu
📍Sasa
22 Peace Plaza suite 530, San Francisco, CA 94115
Udon Mugizo
Now let’s talk dinner. Japantown has so many amazing options, but if I had to recommend you one spot, it’s Udon Mugizo. They serve fresh udon, and trust me, once you’ve had a taste of that, you never want to go back.
My two favorites are the uni cream udon and cold tempura udon. The taste is so fresh and creamy.
When you order the cold udon, they also give you sesame seeds so you can grind them into your dish.
You have a look at their website here.: mugizo-us.com
📍Udon Mugizo
1581 Webster St #217, San Francisco, CA 94115
Matcha Maiko
After having a savory meal, we’re all ready for something sweet, right? Luckily Japantown has a great selection of dessert options and boba.
If you want some matcha, I’d recommend you stop by Matcha Maiko. They use ceremonial grade matcha, it’s so high quality and you can definitely taste it. But be careful, it’s going to be super potent! If you are a first time matcha-trier, this could be a little intense.
📍Matcha Maiko
1581 Webster St # 175, San Francisco, CA 94115
Mochill Mochidonut
Mochi donuts are the best invention since sliced bread. It’s so delicious, and they have a bunch of different flavors to choose from, so you’re bound to find something you like. If they have it in stock, I’d recommend the strawberry one. It’s sweet, but also refreshing.
📍Mochill Mochidonut
1737 Post St STE395, San Francisco, CA 94115
Belly Good Crepes
We all like a good crepe, but what if I tell you this one comes with the cutest character design on top of it? It’s so adorable. Each crepe is made fresh to order and it has a cute character on top of it, like a bear of a bunny. If you’re wanting a dessert that’s definitely worth taking a few pics of, stop by here.
📍Belly Good Crepes
1737 Post St #393, San Francisco, CA 94115
Nijiya Supermarket
If you want some food for on the go, or you’re just looking for some snacks to bring back home, you should stop by Nijiya Supermarket. They have an amazing snack selection, you’ll want to buy everything. I can definitely recommend their onigiri or their bento boxes if you’re looking for something on the go, they’re filling but delicious. Also, their specialty soda drinks are amazing and definitely worth checking out!
📍Nijiya Supermarket
1737 Post St #333, San Francisco, CA 94115
Activities in Japantown
If you’re not so much in the market for food recommendations, but rather are looking for activities to do in the area, do not worry, I got you. ✌️
iFun, San Francisco
iFun is such a unique, and as the name suggests, fun place to be! You can decorate your phone case or any other item you want, decoden style! This means it almost looks like a cake. They have an amazing assortment of charms to decorate further. I did a blog post on it not too long ago, so check it out of you want to read any further details about it!: https://www.prettycozydays.com/blog/decoden-japantown-san-francisco
📍iFun
1737 Post St #315, San Francisco, CA 94115
Kinokuniya
While this may seem a regular bookstore at first glance, I personally think they have more to offer than that. Of course they sell books, but they also have manga and an amazing selection of art and design books. They often have limited edition goods, like Studio Ghibli postcards! I got mine there not too long ago and they look so cute at my desk. They also have a wide selection of magazines, which often come with goodies inside. So if you love to read of just like to browse around in bookstores, definitely give Kinokuniya a try.
📍Kinokuniya
Japan Center- Kinokuniya Building, 1581 Webster St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Daiso
Daiso is the epitome of: I’ll let the store tell me what I need. It’s a chain from Japan and they have a lot of specialty goods in a variety of categories, like beauty, tech, homeware etc. Everything is affordable, it’s all around $1.50, which makes shopping here great, but also dangerous, you’re always going to end up with a few extra items in your basket.
📍Daiso
22 Peace Plaza Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94115
Soko Hardware
I’m obsessed with pretty bowls and cookware, and Soko Hardware is the perfect place for this. It’s a cozy homeware shop that sells ceramic bowls, cutlery, anything your cute little cooking heart desires. They also have a gardening section where they sell a unique variety of seeds, like shiso. These will also make great gifts!
📍Soko Hardware
1698 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Highballs at Hotel Kabuki
If you want to end your day on a highball note, spend the night at Hotel Kabuki. It’s a modern, luxury hotel with super stylish rooms, most of them have a Japanse bathtub!
📍Hotel Kabuki
1625 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115