Unlike in most of SF, Japantown’s small businesses are thriving

Rich Hashimoto, president of the Japantown Merchants Association, said the neighborhood is stronger for having such businesses, and it’s important for them to find ways to thrive. “The merchants that sell traditional items, we tell them to try to change up what you’re selling if you’re not doing well,” he said. 

Philip Ashizawa, owner of Soko Hardware, said his shop’s mix of practical cultural goods, like takoyaki pans and donabe, has kept shoppers coming back. His grandparents opened the store in 1925, making it the oldest business left in Japantown, he said. That status means community members visit to ask for his perspectives on the neighborhood and its evolution. 

He generally demurs: “Being here day to day, I don’t get to look in the big picture,” he said. “I’m just concentrating on the here and now. But I do feel pressure to keep the store going.”