Today my hubby and I headed down to Japantown in San Jose. It seemed like a good place to go to see if we could drop off some of Tami's postcards and flyers to local businesses to help spread the word about Tami's website and upcoming marrow donor drive at The Tech Museum on April 12th.
If you've never been to Japantown? You should head down to take a peek at the gift shops and grab some lunch or a nice dinner. Nikaku Gift Shop and Animart have always been one of my favorite places to shop to purchase gifts and origami paper over the years. They have beautiful dishes and a wonderful collection of anime products.
Nikkei Traditions is a newer gift shop that has lots of cute t-shirts, hats, baby items, music and more modern gift items. 
Kogura Co. has a lot of gorgeous dishes and ikebana vases. They also have beautiful Japanese dolls and a nice selection of books and magazines.
Hukilau is where we stopped for lunch. A fusion of Japanese and Hawaiian food, we've eaten there twice and both times the food and service were both excellent.
Banana Crepe has excellent crepes and Hawaiian shaved ice. Also lots of drinks to choose from so stop by on a hot summer day and try them out.
The Nijiya Market is bright, clean and has a wonderful selection of products and produce.
246 Studio Spa is a cute little place tucked between the Nijiya Market and Banana Crepe. They describe themselves as a friendly neighborhood salon. Their services include hair styling, waxing and nails.
The Nikkei Matsuri Festival is Sunday, April 26, 2009. As the Japantown website says: "What better way to share Japanese American Culture, than, through food and the arts! There is something for the entire family at Nikkei Matsuri! Plan to spend the entire day in Japantown.Our Food Court, features traditional and non traditional Japanese cuisine. Our food is prepared on site and served by local Japanese American non-profit organizations.
The Arts and Crafts Fair includes over sixty arts and crafts vendors from throughout the Western United States and Hawaii. Everything is handmade with a focus on Japanese American tradition and contemporary style. The Arts and Crafts fair features a wide variety of clothing, ceramics, pottery and gifts all uniquely- Japanese and Asian American.
Our Indoor Stage, features Japanese culture through music (koto, shakuhachi), martial arts, and dance (Bando and Hanayagi styles).
Our Outdoor Stage is contemporary and hosts groups like the well-known San Jose Chidori Band (Japanese music), the Wesley Jazz Band, and the San Jose Taiko.
Cultural Displays, such as ikebana (flower arranging), suiseki (rock displays), bonsai (miniature trees and plants) and kimekomi dolls (handmade dolls based on a wooden form) which are a part of everyday Japanese life are shown in the San Jose Buddhist Church Annex. Several schools and organizations are represented in these craft displays, spanning centuries of Japanese tradition."
The AADP.org will be hosting a marrow donor drive at the Nikkei Matsuri Festival at 250 Jackson St. San Jose, CA. from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Sign up to register as a donor or to be a volunteer
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