It’s the holiday shopping season in San Jose Japantown! This year, as you hunt for gifts for loved ones, don’t miss out on all the fabulous and eclectic gifts available from our beloved J-Town shops. Below we’ve compiled a sampling of some of the amazing things you’ll find in the neighborhood, including handmade and locally produced items you won’t find anywhere else. So grab an egg nog latte at Roy’s, bring your reusable shopping bags, and help support the small businesses in our community!
Can’t make it over to Jackson Street any time soon? No worries, many of the businesses have online stores as well, so get in your orders soon!
Note: Prices mentioned are representative of typical offerings; actual prices may vary.
Japanese American Museum of San Jose Gift Shop
Before COVID-19, a dedicated group of volunteers used to meet at the museum every Friday to make these gorgeous greeting cards by hand, cutting and folding decorative papers into elegant designs. Many of them are seniors, and with shelter-in-place, several have been making cards at home and donating them to the museum for sale. Besides the popular kimono designs, there are Christmas cards and gift tags, as well as adorable hand-sewn ornaments, such as the mouse and owl shown above. Stationery and gift tag sets range from $2.50-$6.00. Hand-sewn ornaments cost $7.00-$8.00.
The museum is also a great place to shop for Asian American books, toys, and vintage housewares. And don’t forget, you can give a membership to the museum!
5 N 5th St. www.jamsj.org Open Thu-Sun, 12-4.
Roy’s Station Coffee and Teas
Roy’s is such a local institution, wouldn’t you feel proud to sport one of their pegasus logo hoodies? The thermal bottles unfortunately are no longer for sale, but plenty of other merchandise is available, with a 20% discount through Christmas Day at their online store. These include the zip-up hoodie (starting at $40), Japantown t-shirts ($24), and Roy’s beanies ($14). If you visit Roy’s in person, be sure to grab a cuppa one of their special holiday beverages: Egg Nog Latte, The Great Pumpkin (Thai with pumpkin spice) or Churro Churro Latte. Yum!
197 Jackson St. www.roysstation.com Open daily 8-3.
Biscuits Pet Boutique
Sorry folks, these mouth-watering treats are for fur babies, not for people. Visit Biscuits to get a festive assortment of peanut butter-based doggie snacks, all made in USA. Prices range from $1.99-$6.99. The shop also has a large inventory of bowties, bandanas, and other apparel for your furry fashionistas.
223 Jackson St. shopbiscuits.com Open Tue-Fri 11-6. Sat 10-6. Sun 10-5.
Kogura Company
You can’t go wrong with gift shopping at Kogura Company. The spacious store is teeming with wonderful finds, from kawaii sticker sheets (perfect stocking stuffers!) to elegant porcelain vases and origami books and papers. For the doll collector in your family, or anyone who could use some cheerful home or office decor, these charming hand-painted kokeshi dolls are an excellent gift. Kogura Company has more than 20 different kokeshi to choose from, starting from $26.95.
231 Jackson St. Open Thu-Sat, 10-5. Sun 10-4.
Cukui
For the sports fans in your family who also love great street style, Cukui is the place to get awesome t-shirts, sweatshirts, and caps, all featuring original hand-drawn designs that pay homage to Bay Area cultural heritage. You’ll find unique apparel for all your favorite Sharks, A’s, Giants, Warriors, 49ers and Raiders fans. Their Black Friday sale lasts until the end of the year, with many items 50% off, including selected caps now only $20!
229 Jackson St. cukui.com Open Tue-Fri 11-5. Sat-Sun 11-5.
Nikaku Animart
When you finish your Godzilla pie at JTown Pizza and head back on N 6th St, don’t overlook the stairs that lead up to Nikaku Animart. This place is one of the oldest purveyors of manga and anime books, posters and collectibles in the country! The folks at Nikaku Animart assured me that the hottest holiday gifts for anime fans this year are the Demon Slayer action figures ($19.95). They’ve also got plenty of Totoro stocking stuffers and K-Pop merchandise, check out their Facebook page for their latest offerings. On the other end of the spectrum, Nikaku also specializes in traditional Japanese arts and crafts, and features a wide assortment of handicrafts, housewares, and ceramic bonsai pots.
615 N 6th St. Open Dec 1-19: Wed-Fri 12-5:30. Sat 11-5:30. Sun 12-4:30.
Dec 21-23: 11-5:30. Dec 24, 11-4
Nikkei Traditions
Do you have a wacky cousin or goofy pal who shamelessly professes their love of Spam? Or maybe you know someone obsessed with corgies or maneki nekos or matcha taiyaki? Well, if these special folks are on your gift list, look no further because Nikkei Traditions has a ginormous collection of snazzy socks, ranging from $8.00-$9.75 a pair. It’s always a delight to visit this gift shop, with so many fun items to explore. For the holidays, they’ve even got Hawaiian themed Christmas ornaments -- wouldn’t a surfing snowman be perfect on your tree?
219 Jackson St. nikkeitraditions-sj.com Open Thu 3-6. Fri 2-6. Sat 11-6. Sun 11-4.
Classic Loot
The fashionistas of the world love to scoff at Crocs, but no more! Now you can make your favorite foam clogs as fashion-forward as they are feet-friendly. At Classic Loot, you’ll find a colorful assortment of statement-making Croc charms ($5), ranging from Tupac Shakur and Hello Kitty to popular slogans like “Save the Turtles.” For the non-Croc wearing folks on your gift list, Classic Loot is a great place to find trendy apparel, accessories, and novelty items. Amp up the style of your loved ones with a new, used or homemade gift from this awesome boutique!
570 N 6th St www.classicloot.com Open Tu-Thu 12-7. Fri-Sat 12-8. Sun 12-6.
The Arsenal
The Arsenal is easy to find because it has a hilarious mural of a gorilla holding a cone of oozing purple ice cream. If you go to the art supply section of the business (they also have an art gallery and art classes), you’ll find some nifty gifts for artists, like these stunning pearlescent watercolors, which you can buy individually for $8 or get a set of six smaller pans for $12. Other special items are their 10th-anniversary custom sketchbooks, embossed with The Arsenal logo ($20) and hand-printed greeting cards featuring vibrant designs from local artists ($12-$15).
208 Jackson St. www.thearsenalsj.com Open Tue-Sat 1-5.
Nijiya Market
Photo copyright Nijiya Market
While shopping for gifts in J-Town, you’ll probably want to stop by Nijiya Market to get some fresh vegetables, sushi rolls or frozen udon. As you enter the store, grab a flyer on the table advertising their traditional Japanese Christmas cakes, available as strawberry cream or chocolate round cakes (starting at $32), or a chestnut-flavored Mont Blanc roll ($38). They’re available at Nijiya Markets throughout the Bay Area for pick-up on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
240 Jackson St. www.nijiya.com Open daily 9-7. Christmas 9-6.
Come Visit!
Thanks for reading our San Jose Japantown Holiday Gift Guide! Unfortunately, we weren’t able to feature all the amazing businesses in our neighborhood, but hopefully we’ve piqued your interest enough to swing by for your holiday shopping. For a complete list of businesses, please visit the Japantown Business Association website.