A thanks to someone

I want to thank my friend, Sophia Q., who has helped me edit the current layout of my blog.

Thanks again Sophia :D

Happy holidays everyone!

(Pictures were taken by me LOL)

Finals impressions of Japantown/Western Addition

Two communities full of history and culture established on each side of Geary Boulevard: Japantown and Western Addition are clearly divided and tell two different stories.

Japantown stretches for two to three blocks along Geary Boulevard as it showcases an oriental aura surrounding the mall. On the other side of Geary, the Western Addition carries an atmosphere closely related to intimacy.

The amount of time I’ve spent in the two communities involved a lot of walking and taking in what the neighborhood offered. I observed what I considered the norm and talked to a small amount of people who only had good things to say about their communities.

I saw that he two communities are independent from each other. It’s apparent that Geary Boulevard acts as an imaginary barrier and division between the two neighborhoods.

Japantown:

Japantown (or in Japanese, nihonmachi) is a mall full of Japanese restaurants, souvenir shops, and miscellaneous stores related to the culture of Japan. In the surrounding area around the mall, there are community centers that serve the residents, i.e. Japanese cultural center.

I knew what to expect from the mall as I’ve visited the mall several times. I know I’ll find Japanese-style restaurants, stores, souvenir shops, and other services, but after visiting the mall since last spring semester, it was a breath of fresh air once again.

Japantown went through a reduction in size since it was first established.  It once spanned 20 blocks altogether and was considered the largest Japanese community outside of Japan.

When the United States entered World War II and Executive Order 9066 was passed, the Japanese community was forced to move away. After the war, many Japanese people didn’t come back to the area.

The mall was built to bring back the former glory of its past self, but it was ineffective.

Although the mall is only a shell of its past self, I found myself enjoying the bits and pieces of the Japanese culture. Pika pika, a purikura shop, showcases a part of the Japanese modern culture while visiting stores that sell Japanese trinkets, food, or other assorted items allow customers to view other parts of the culture.

Western Addition/The Fillmore

In terms of the Western Addition, I wasn’t able to stray very far from the crowded Fillmore Street, but I was able to see what neighborhood had in store.

As you head down Fillmore Street passed Japantown, you’ll find many stores, Korean restaurants, and other conveniences you may find in a neighborhood.

One thing I noticed was that this part of the Fillmore is totally different from the other side of Geary Boulevard because of the demographics here. There was a significantly larger population of African Americans here than other parts of the city.

At first, I wasn’t expecting a lot from this neighborhood, but after making trips back and forth throughout the semester, I found the neighborhood to carry a great amount of hospitality.

The people I’ve talked to throughout the semester had only praise about the safety of the neighborhood. I certainly felt that way while I was there.

My time in the neighborhood was interesting while it lasted. I recommend first time visitors to check out Japantown and its surrounding neighborhood. You’ll find a different perspective on the city by the bay.

This may be the last post on this blog, so I hoped you enjoyed your stay. ありがとうごさいました！まだねえええ～（Thank you very much. Hope to see you again~)