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Since some of you are traveling to the San Francisco Bay Area for Ursa Major, we thought we'd put together a brief guide for kawaii/J-fashion enthusiasts! Our focus is on locations within the city of San Francisco, but for those of you staying further out or taking a longer trip, check out our recommendations in The Greater Bay Area as well.
Table of Contents
J-Fashion Shops
We recommend double-checking open hours before visiting either Angelic Pretty or Baby! This is a busy time of year and lots of people will be excited to visit the Bay Area’s local J-fashion shops. Please be courteous to shop staff and be prepared for staff to limit the amount of shoppers in the store
Angelic Pretty/Harajuku Hearts (SF - Union Square)
Angelic Pretty is located inside Harajuku Hearts, a J-fashion retailer that carries many popular brands, such as Atelier Pierrot, Emily Temple Cute, Enchantlic Enchantilly, Victorian Maiden, Melody BasKet, Listen Flavor, and more! They also occasionally feature other brands in their store for a limited time.
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright & Alice and the Pirates (SF - Japantown)
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright & Alice and the Pirates is located inside the New People building on the second floor - take the elevator or stairs up, it should be easy to spot! Please note: this is a relatively small space. Do not crowd the stairwell, elevator area, or other shops on the second floor.
Food/Drink
December is a busy time of year, so we recommend making reservations whenever possible. Weekends can be especially hectic, so if you’re staying a while and planning on visiting a specific venue, make a reservation on a weekday!
Tea Salons
There are plenty of options to get tea around the city! Many offer a holiday tea near the end of the year, so be sure to check out their special offerings.
Lovejoy’s Tea Room (SF - Noe Valley)
Lovejoy's is a staple of SF meets for good reason! Their food is delicious and filling, and the staff are extremely kind and friendly. Don't forget to take a pic in front of the giant heart outside!
Sip Tea Room (SF - Sunset)
A modern take on traditional tea service - Sip Tea Room has all the options of a full tea service with the option to dine outside on their back patio.
Dartealing Lounge (SF - SoMa)
Dartealing offers an afternoon tea service as well as tasting events and classes.
An elegant tea service in downtown SF with dietary restriction-friendly options.
Luxurious dining under a beautiful glass dome! The Palace Hotel is a beautiful historic building, and offers full meals as well as a tea service.
Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Hotel (SF - Nob Hill)
Their Holiday Tea is available until January 31st!
Son & Garden (SF, Peninsula)
Son & Garden has two locations - one in San Francisco, and one in Menlo Park. You can order their set tea service for two, but they also have great brunch options! Visit either location if you want beautiful images for your Instagram - their interior decor & food presentation is divine.
Food
Sweet Maple (SF - Japantown)
Luxurious and filling brunch spot with highly Instagrammable meals
Jane the Bakery (SF - Japantown)
It’s good bread 🥐
On The Bridge (SF - Japantown)
Beloved family-owned restaurant located in the Japantown mall, serves Japanese-style Western cuisine. Their large menu means they should have something for everyone!
Nari (SF - Japantown)
One Michelin Star Thai restaurant located in Hotel Kabuki. Make sure to make reservations!
Hed 11 (SF - Japantown)
Why are there two Michelin-recommended Thai restaurants in Japantown? We don’t know but it’s a win for Thai food fanatics.
Pa’ina (SF - Japantown)
Hawaiian-style tapas, poke, cocktails, and karaoke rooms 🎤
Marufuku Ramen (SF - Japantown)
Kui Shin Bo (SF - Japantown)
State Bird Provisions (SF - Japantown)
Hikari Bullet Train Sushi & Bar (SF - Japantown)
Nyoom! Sushi go fast.
Ippudo (SF - Downtown)
Ramen worth trekking to downtown for!
Shizen Vegan Sushi Bar and Izakaya (SF - Mission)
Entirely vegan sushi, noodle, and curry options.
El Farolito (SF - Mission)
Mission-style burritos (what more do you need in life)
Panchita's Pupusería & Restaurant (SF - Mission)
Pupusas are an El Salvadorian flatbread filled with cheese, beans, meat, or other savory fillings. Great if you are in need of vegetarian/vegan options!
Limón (SF - Valencia, S Van Ness)
Peruvian restaurant specializing in rotisserie chicken, w/ small plates & cocktails
Beep’s Burgers (SF - Ingleside)
A retro drive-in burger joint - Obsixwi’s favorite veggie burger!
Cha Cha Cha (SF - Haight Ashbury)
Cuban tapas restaurant & bar on Haight St
Ghirardelli Square (SF)
Historic chocolate factory-turned shopping and dining complex
Ferry Building (SF)
A marketplace filled with amazing food & drink options
ACME bread
Hog Island Oyster Co
Miette
Daily Driver
El Porteno Empanadas
Gott's Roadside
and more!
Sweets/Snacks
Uji Time (SF - Japantown)
Ice cream taiyaki
Mochill Mochidonuts (SF - Japantown)
Matcha Cafe Maiko (SF - Japantown)
Sophie's Crepes (SF - Japantown)
Sweet and savory crepes, along with Fiorello’s gelato by the scoop in fun flavors (try the black sesame!)
Belly Good Crepes (SF - Japantown)
Japanese-style dessert crepes with cute animal faces that you will deffo take a photo of for your socials.
Yasukochi's Sweet Stop (SF - Japantown)
Kissako Tea (SF - Japantown)
Daydream Cake Shop (SF - Sunset)
Try the cheese wedge-shaped yuzu cheesecake. They also have earl grey molten boba cakes and adorable drinks!
Salt & Straw (SF - Pacific Heights, Hayes Valley)
Ice cream with unique flavors
B. Patisserie (SF - Lower Pacific Heights)
Dandelion Chocolate (SF - SoMa, Mission)
Dandelion specializes in single-origin chocolate. They also have a sit-down cafe and offer factory tours and classes!
A Buttercup (SF - Mission)
Stonemill Matcha (SF - Mission)
The Ice Cream Bar (SF - Cole Valley/Haight-Ashbury)
1930s ice cream & soda bar (has alcoholic milkshakes)
Mitchell’s Ice Cream (SF - Outer Mission)
ONE65 Patisserie & Boutique (SF - Union Square)
Milk Tea
Many of the shops on this list are chains or franchises, and have multiple locations all over the Bay. Here, we’ve listed just the SF locations.
Yi Fang (SF - Japantown) Asha Tea House (SF - Union Square)
Their SF location is right next to Angelic Pretty/Harajuku Hearts!
Gong Cha (SF - Union Square)
Sharetea (SF - Union Square)
Plentea (SF - Union Square)
Brew Cha (SF - Mission)
Teaspoon (SF - Russian Hill)
Urban Ritual (SF - Hayes Valley)
Happy Lemon (SF - Embarcadero, Mission Bay)
Known for cheese tea (a layer of salty foam on top of the tea)
Honeybear Boba (SF - Dogpatch)
Coffee Shops and Cafes
Home Coffee SF (SF - Sunset, Richmond, Chinatown)
Adorable and colorful lattes
YakiniQ Cafe (SF - Japantown)
Sweet. Potato. Latte
Haraz Coffee House (SF - Lower Pac Heights)
Sightseeing
Museums
Legion of Honor / de Young Museum (SF - Golden Gate Park)
California Academy of Sciences (SF - Golden Gate Park)
Asian Art Museum (SF - Civic Center)
SFMOMA (SF - SoMa)
The American Bookbinders Museum (SF - SoMa)
Letterform Archive (SF - Dogpatch)
Cable Car Museum (SF - Nob Hill)
Exploratorium (SF - Embarcadero)
Shopping
Japan Center Malls (SF - Japantown)
Ursa Major is hosted in the Kabuki Hotel, right next to the Japan Center Malls, so it's a perfect place to explore in your downtime, with plenty of food and shopping options! For more information about specific shops, check out the Japantown shopping directory!
KOHO Holiday Artist + Maker Marketplace (SF - Japantown)
KOHO is a non-profit organization that works towards the revitalization of SF Japantown. On December 7-8, they are hosting an artist market featuring local vendors in Japan Center Mall East, right next door to Ursa Major!
For people who want to shop until they drop, you can also check out the many vintage shops in the Haight, kitschy shops on Valencia Street in the Mission District, or luxury boutiques in Union Square.
Activities
There’s no shortage of things to do in the Bay Area, but all of these activities are conveniently located in the city of San Francisco!
A decoden shop right here in Japantown where you can decorate various homegoods and accessories!
This is “The Pier”. They seem to think you’ll wanna see the sea lions.
It’s a roller rink in a repurposed church. What more do you need to know?
Golden Gate Park is the home of many SF gardens and museums, including the Botanical Garden, the Japanese Tea Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers, the California Academy of Sciences, and the de Young Museum.
Arcade, bowling alley, karaoke, and more!
Photo Ops
Sutro Baths (SF - Lands End)
The Painted Ladies (SF - Alamo Square)
Conservatory of Flowers (SF - Golden Gate Park)
Coit Tower (SF - Telegraph Hill)
Palace of Fine Arts (SF - Marina District)
Lyon Steps (SF - Pacific Heights)
Fairmont Life-Sized Gingerbread House (SF - Nob Hill)
Golden Gate Bridge (SF)
It’s the only bridge the tourists care about, usually. Snap a photo for your socials, or enjoy the physical experience of walking across it. (Kelp’s favorite Bay Area bridge is the San Mateo Bridge, which no one was wondering.)
Nightlife
The bar at the Hotel Kabuki is a convenient option for those waiting to shop at Ursa Major! But if you’re looking to Step Out, then…
Bourbon & Branch (SF - Tenderloin)
1920s-themed speakeasy
Cat Club (SF - SoMa)
From their website: “The Cat Club has been an institution in the San Francisco nightlife scene for over three decades. Known for hosting some of the best events and parties from its long running weekly 80’s night to monthly Goth/Industrial, New Wave, 70s Disco, and 90s Hip Hop nights and everything in between.”
DNA Lounge (SF - SoMa)
A long-running alternative venue, we particularly recommend Death Guild on Monday nights: “Death Guild is the oldest weekly goth/industrial dance night in the world! Every Monday, six DJs in two rooms play a mix of gothic, industrial, synthpop, noise, ambient, and weird stuff for those who love the darker side of things.”
Oasis (SF - SoMa)
A drag & cabaret nightclub - check out their website for their event calendar!
Holy Water (SF - Bernal Heights)
A church-themed bar featuring cocktails and all sorts of beer, if you’re into that.
Last Rites (SF - Duboce Triangle)
Not a church-themed bar, but a spoooooky tiki bar! They have non-alcoholic cocktails too, for any teetotalers looking to enjoy the ambiance.
Smuggler’s Cove (SF - Hayes Valley)
Pirate-themed tiki bar specializing in rum-based cocktails. Like, seriously specializing. You cannot get any more into rum than this place is. There’s no non-alcoholic drinks on the menu, but the bartenders are nice about whipping you up something if you ask!
Emporium Arcade Bar (SF - Alamo Square)
What it says on the tin - an arcade that’s also a bar. Or a bar that’s also an arcade? Anyways. This place is focused more on pinball and other classic games.
The Greater Bay Area
As mentioned earlier, the above recommendations are all in the city of San Francisco, but here are a few other options a little further out in case you are willing to travel or staying outside the city.
Tea Salons
Malaya Tea Room (East Bay - Alameda)
Located in Alameda in the East Bay, Malaya Tea Room combines traditional English tea with Malayan flavors!
Pardee Home Museum Tea Service (East Bay - Oakland)
The Pardee Home Museum is a historic building that invites guests to explore the history of early Oakland. Tea parties of 6-25 guests can be booked two weeks in advance, tour included!
The RoyalTEA Garden (East Bay - Pleasanton)
Tyme for Tea & Co. (East Bay - Fremont)
Leland Tea Company (Peninsula - Burlingame)
Tea Time (South Bay - Palo Alto)
Chelo Tea House (South Bay - Sunnyvale)
Serving sweet and savory Persian treats with their afternoon tea service. Also a full restaurant serving Persian food!
iCHINA Afternoon Tea (South Bay - Santa Clara)
A Dim Sum Afternoon Tea located in Westfield Valleyfair in Santa Clara.
K Cafe Patisserie & Tea (South Bay - San Jose)
Lisa’s Tea Treasures (South Bay - Los Altos, Campbell)
Serving traditional English tea.
Food
Backhaus (Peninsula - San Mateo, Burlingame)
Bread! Bread! Bread! Be sure to get there earlier in the morning to beat the crowd.
Pacifica Taco Bell (Peninsula - Pacifica)
Taco Bell! On the Beach! It’s a Cantina location that offers alcohol! Taco Bell Cantina on the beach!
(Warning: it will be chilly. Please dress warmly.)
San Pedro Square (South Bay - San Jose)
One of those ‘Markets’ that’s too cool to call itself a Food Court featuring various food and drink options with lots of seating inside and outdoors. If you’re in Downtown San Jose, this is sure to offer a ton of options!
Sightseeing
Pacific Pinball Museum (East Bay - Alameda)
Are you a pinball wizard? Well, either way, you can play the machines here!
Mountain View Cemetery (East Bay - Oakland) Check the tour schedule of the historic cemetery grounds, or drop by their holiday light display!
Oakland Museum of California (East Bay - Oakland)
Brushing up on Ursa Major’s Golden State theme? Check out this California-focused museum!
Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles (East Bay - Berkeley)
We recommend calling ahead to book a tour! The staff are very happy to help show you all the Cool Stuff.
Aftel Archive of Curious Scents (East Bay - Berkeley)
Only open on Saturdays from 10am to 6pm, but if you book an appointment, you can smell all sorts of things! If that’s your thing.
Filoli Historic Home & Garden (Peninsula - Woodside)
From their website: considered one of the finest remaining country estates of the 20th century, Filoli features a 54,000+ square-foot Georgian revival-style mansion, 16 acres of exquisite English Renaissance gardens, a 6.8-acre Gentleman’s Orchard, and hundreds of acres of Natural Lands with 6 distinct ecosystems and nature trails.
Winchester Mystery House (South Bay - San Jose)
If you’re wondering “do they decorate the house for the holidays”, the answer is yes!
Computer History Museum (South Bay - Mountain View)
They have an AIBO on their home page banner image. Hopefully that tells you all you need to know.
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