San Francisco — By Katrina Verweel on December 17, 2009 at 11:24 am

Peace in Japantown

A really neat place to visit in San Francisco is Japantown, a colorful area right in the heart of the city that is home to many Japanese restaurants, supermarkets, shopping malls, hotels, bookstores, and more. This area is the oldest and largest Japanese enclave in all of the United States.

There is much to see in Japantown; one of the main attractions is the Peace Pagoda, a Buddhist stupa that was given to the City of San Francisco by the people of Osaka, Japan. These were designed and given to nations all around the world to unite people in their search for world peace. Most Peace Pagodas were designed by Nichidatsu Fujii, who was a Buddhist monk from Japan, and after meeting Mahatma Gandhi, decided to devote his life to promoting non-violence.

The first Peace Pagodas were erected in Hiroshima and Nagasaki where over 150,000 civilians were killed from the atomic bombs at the end of World War ll. Today, there are 80 Peace Pagodas spread over Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Japantown is a great place to go and find unique Japanese antiques, art, accessories, the best sushi, and Japanese culture.

Here are a few places worth checking out:

Kiss Seafood, a 13-seat intimate sushi bar.

Sushi Zone, a busy sushi bar with a great atmosphere. Arrive early to get a table.

Japan Center, hosts many shops and restaurants.

Kabuki Springs & Spa, a unique bathing and massage facility.

Photo credit: wikimedia commons