Jackson St, Downtown

Jackson Street and Taylor Street are the heart of Japantown in San Jose. They claim to be "over 100 years old and one of the last three remaining authentic historic Japantowns in the United States" so you don't want to miss it.

They have so many wonderful activities going on there. There's the Farmer's Market on Jackson between 6th and 7th St. every Sunday morning from 8:30-Noon. They always have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables including a great selection of Asian greens.

Every year they have the Spirit of Japantown Festival includes exhibits, performances, food, an ikebana exhibition, and more. This festival occurs in October and is a wonderful celebration of all things Japanese.

There is also the Obon Festival every July. They offer temple tours, a San Jose Taiko performance & Obon dance performances as well as a carnival.

Even when there are no festivals you'll find a nice variety of stores offering Japanese goods, both edible and non. During festivals parking can be a bit of an issue so be prepared to walk!