had two hand-made tofu shops, the last closing in 2017. Two churches founded by Japanese over 100 years ago, Wesley United Methodist Church and San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, thrive on the same street, Fifth Street. They are home to many of the local community organizations including active Girl and Boy Scout organizations, and host several of Japantown's largest cultural festivals. Japantown's Fifth Street now also leads to the new San Jose City Hall. Indeed, the Fifth and Jackson Landmark was designed to be seen from City Hall as a beacon and reminder of the people that have helped to build the city. The Fifth and Jackson Landmark is part of a larger California Japantown Landmarks Project to create powerful and emotional permanent outdoor exhibits, including monuments in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Japantown is also home to a number of non-Japanese businesses, including Mexican, Hawaiian and Korean restaurants. A number of organizations, including the Japantown Neighborhood Association, have joined to form the Japantown Community Congress of San Jose, which is a community partner to the City of San Jose (represented by the San Jose Redevelopment Agency) that looks after cultural preservation of the area (begun with CA SB 307). Major festivals include Obon (every July), Nikkei Matsuri (every spring) and Aki Matsuri (every fall) and a newer festival, The Spirit of Japantown Festival (also in the fall). In addition there are events that are open to the public at Art Object Gallery and various street venues, including a year-round Certified Farmers Market run by the Japantown Business Association. On March 22, 2021, the Japantown community formally started citizen foot patrols to increase security and prevent attacks on Asian Americans. Geography Japantown is located in Central San Jose, just north of Downtown San Jose. It is surrounded by the Northside neighborhood to its south and east. To its north are the Hyde Park and Luna Park neighborhoods. To its west is the Santa Clara County Civic Center district. Transit The Japantown area is also served by the VTA Light Rail Blue and Green lines at nearby Japantown/Ayer station. Parks and plazas Parks within Japantown include: Bernal Park Cannery Park Backesto Park is located nearby in Northside neighborhood. Gallery References Bibliography External links Japantown San Jose Japantown Business Association Map of San Jose Japantown San Jose Japantown Guide Japanese American Museum of San Jose Further reading Arnold, Bruce Makoto. "The Japanese