Nihonmachi Afternoon: Exploring Seattle’s Historic Japantown

Did you know that Seattle’s Nihonmachi (a.k.a. Japantown) is the most intact historic Japanese American district in the U.S.?

While an active Japanese American community doesn’t live there anymore, it’s still culturally important here in the Puget Sound region.

 And definitely worth a visit.

Nihonmachi’s numerous old and newer buildings are scattered across a south-facing hill tucked on the southeast edge of downtown, in Seattle’s International District.  It’s an eclectic mix of historic buildings with modern boutiques and galleries, Japanese restaurants, and a hillside garden park.  The destination businesses are centered on the block between South Jackson Street, 6th and 7th Avenues South, and South Main Street.

Looking south on Seventh Avenue South in Seattle's historic International District

I can’t quite pin down why I’m so drawn here (and the International District in general).  I suppose for a variety of reasons—the historic charm of the low-rise brick and stone masonry buildings, the sense of history the district evokes, the intriguing East-meets-West and old-meets-new vibe, and of course some of my favorite businesses there.

Panama Hotel Teahouse
As I often suggest to out-of-town visitors, last weekend I met friends for tea at the Panama Hotel Teahouse up the hill on South Main Street.  About 10 years ago this serene space was renovated and reopened as a lovely teahouse in the old Panama Hotel.  With exposed brick walls and gleaming refinished wood floors, the teahouse is a relaxing spot to meet friends, read a book, write, or just enjoy the fine tea and maybe a delicate wagashi confection made by Chef Chika Tokara in north Seattle.

Seasonal artisan wagashi by Tokara served at the Panama Hotel Teahouse

It’s also a bit of a museum. Framed black and white photographs of the district from the pre-World War II era line the walls, when Japantown was a thriving community of Issei (first-generation) and Nisei (second-generation) Japanese Americans.  As detailed in the bestseller novel The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, which features the Panama, the formerly bustling Nihonmachi was decimated when Japanese-American families were forced from their homes and businesses to internment camps here on the West Coast.

Photos from pre-World War II Japantown

The Panama Hotel back in the day

Cullom Gallery
[Cullom Gallery no longer is in this space and has converted to a pop-up, online gallery] Next door to the Panama Teahouse on South Main, petite Cullom Gallery features contemporary and historic Japanese and Japanese-influenced woodblock prints and paper art. I’ve got my eye on one of artist Kristina Hagman’s 36 Views of Mount Rainier prints, an ode to the famous Hokusai and Hiroshige series 36 Views of Mount Fuji woodblock prints.

Collum Gallery is one door south of the Panama Hotel Teahouse

Kaname and Maneki Restaurants
Maneki, which claims to be Seattle’s oldest restaurant at over 100 years, is just around the corner from the teahouse and gallery on Sixth Avenue. It has a bit of a hole-in-the-wall look out front, which is just as well. This popular spot is often crowded, especially on weekend nights.  Yelpers rave about the black cod collar bone, but my tastes run toward the perfectly prepared soba noodle bowls.

Down the hill on the same block, but on busy Jackson Street, Kaname specializes in classic, rustic Japanese fare.  The interior is charmingly decorated like an authentic old Japanese noodle joint.

Stop in Kaname for a steaming bowl of noodles

Momo and Kobo at Higo

Right next door to each other at the corner of 6th and Jackson, Momo and Kobo at Higo are destination shops.  Momo’s friendly owner Lei Ann Shiramizu was featured in Seattle Magazine for her great sense of style, and Momo reflects her varied and impeccable taste. I’ve purchased numerous gifts here, from an antique clay sake jug to an authentic Saint James French sailor shirt. Momo is part high-fashion boutique, part gift shop, and always fun to shop. 

Unique gifts and clothes with flair at Momo

In a nod to history, Kobo has maintained the original Higo sign and some old fixtures from Higo’s 73 years as a family general store. Today Kobo sells exquisite artisan ceramics, woodwork, jewelry, prints, books, silk scarves, and more, with an eye to Japan.  When in need of inspiration for gifts, I always find something at Momo or Kobo.

Kobo's  has preserved portions of the old Higo store in their artisan gallery shop

Fuji Bakery
If you want a snack, scoot a block south of Jackson Street beyond the Nihonmachi boundary to Fuji Bakery, named one of Seattle’s top ten new places to eat in 2011. This jewel of a small corner shop features exquisite pastries and baked goods prepared in a classic France-meets Japan style. Beautiful round sesame seed-sprinkled buns sit next to glistening fruit tarts and croissants in the display case. My personal favorite:  the seasonal vegetable focaccio.

Get your fresh veggies in a delectable focaccio at Fuji Bakery

And how about you? If you're a local or have visited this part of Seattle, what are your favorite places?

When You Go

Click here for a map of the area. Be sure and check the Seahawks or Mariner’s schedules in the summer and fall because parking and traffic can get ugly in the I.D. on game days.

Snowy in Seattle: Subies, Sorels, and NOT Snowmageddon

Whenever we get much of any snow here west of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and Washington, our newscasters and local governments work themselves into a frenzy.

It's Stormwatch 2012! 

With our many steep hills here in Seattle and Portland, and drivers inexperienced with driving in the snow (except us skiers), it really can get hazardous out there on the roads. Schools start late, close early, or don't open at all (to the delight of my niece); buses reroute or drop routes; and generally most of us hunker down at home.

Then we venture outside to play.

Snow days here in the western Pacific Northwest bring out the ebullient kid in most of us.  The famous "Seattle Freeze" thaws a bit as people talk, laugh, and maybe commiserate or cheer with strangers about the weather.  It shakes up our routine, cleans up the neighborhoods in a layer of white.

For me it may as well be another day because I work at home. But I'll sneak out for a walk at lunch in my Sorel boots, then maybe later head down in the all-wheel-drive Subaru to my go-to teahouse and mingle with friends. Tonight I'll throw some logs in the fireplace and be cozy and warm while the snow lightens the dark winter night.

How about you? How do you like to spend snow days, wherever you are? Have you met anybody because of the snow? Chime in below with your comments.

Happy winter!

Skiing the Summit at Snoqualmie: Early Does It

Hey skiers and riders, sometimes do you just need to get in some turns but can't take a full, long day away for the joy? While there's nothing flashy or glamorous about skiing Snoqualmie Pass just an hour east of Seattle, it's easy in/easy out when you're short on time.

 Here's a tip for some really quick access to skiing:  Get yourself up to the Pass before 8:30 and head to the Silver Fir lift parking lot (east of the main Summit Central parking/base lodges). I consistently find a parking space in the front row just 20 or 30 feet from the lift. So it's not Crystal  Mountain (or Alpental), but you're not slogging 20 minutes up to the base from the lower lots or waiting in the cold for the shuttle.

While I assumed the lifts opened at 8:30 a.m. like they do at Crystal, they actually don't officially open until 9:00. This past Saturday we parked right in front, bought our tickets at the warming hut, and got on our skis in front of the lift by 8:40. Nobody else was there (duh!).  The friendly lifties let us scoot onto the lift anyway, and we had the slopes to ourselves for a couple runs. Whoo hoo!

After a few cruiser runs on the groomed corduroy off Silver Fir, we took the "Inter-Summit 90" crossover to Summit East. Personally I always enjoy this trail through beautiful evergreen forest.

Despite its slightly lower elevation, there are some fun little steeps and trees to ski through over at Hyak, especially since they moved the summit chairlift back over to the left side of the front hill and returned the lift to the backside last season. And it's generally less crowded because the ski school buses don't park there and it's the Nordic Center, where more mellow cross-country skiers abound and head off away from the downhill runs. 

A little skating at the beginning of the Inter-Summit 90 Crossover

 Yes, that's a Christmas ornament in the tree!

Looking across I-90 from Hyak toward the Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Another tip:  Don't wear your new, light-colored parka on the backside lift.  It was dripping muddy drops onto us when we passed under the lift towers.

Even though the Summit at Snoqualmie is the ultimate local ski area and will never be a destination resort, it still always surprises me with the beauty of its majestic alpine backdrop. Any day in the mountains is a good day.

Looking northwest towards Alpental



Moi having fun!

So we got in a good three and a half hours of skiing, got some freshies in the bit of untracked fresh snow over on the backside lift at Hyak, and were back in Seattle by about 1:15. Not bad.

And how about you? Have any tips to share about how  or where you get in your skiing/riding fix when you're short on time? Thanks for your comments!


When You Go
Head east from the Seattle metropolitan area on Interstate 90 and you'll hit Snoqualmie Pass in about  an hour if the roads are snow-free and you're not speeding. This season daytime lift tickets are $59.

Happy New Year, Happy No Drear

While I'm a passionate Pacific Northwesterner, I have to admit: The contrast between my New Year's weekend in sunny San Francisco and gray Seattle was harsh this morning as I rode the Link light rail home from Sea-Tac Airport.

Even native Mossbacks have our moments of impatience with the dark, damp, chilly winter days. (Which is why we often leave for winter vacations to sunnier, warm climes.)

Now that I've been home for 8 hours and I'm parked at my favorite teahouse, which is warm and light and friendly, the  dark skies and rain seem comforting again. ( Not that I wouldn't take blue skies, sunshine, and mild temperatures for a while longer.)

And so the new year begins. 

 Although in year's past I've made all sorts of health and fitness resolutions, this year I'm thinking more about precious time and using it as wisely as possible. Because really, right now, this very moment, is all and everything we have.

How about you? What are you resolving to do (or not do) in the year ahead?

Here's to a wonderful year ahead, in which every moment is fresh and new.

And more Pacific Northwest adventures!





 

And So This is Christmas

And how are you celebrating this holiday season? 

Perhaps you're an Aussie drinking white wine in the sunshine with family and friends. Or maybe you're huddled around an adobe fireplace in northern New Mexico waiting for the blizzard outside to abate. Maybe you don't celebrate the season at all.

 Here in the Pacific Northwest many of us get outside for a walk or run in the woods before or after big holiday meals. Temperatures are mild, it's not raining (today at least), and the mountains are vivid on the horizon.

A man I passed on the trail today in Carkeek Park said he hadn't been back since leaving the region 47 years ago. He looked happy to be here.

As I was finishing my walk through the forested gully, a jet soared low overhead, no doubt on a landing pattern for Sea-Tac Airport 20+ miles south. I thought of all the people in that plane coming to see loved ones, and darn if it didn't give me a little lump in my throat.  The holidays are like that--amped up emotions mixed with nostalgia and hope.

Wherever you are, whether you've traveled a long distance or are sticking close to home this season, I sincerely wish for everyone lots of love, hugs, laughter, propserity, and peace now and in the year to come.

Happy holidays from the Pacific Northwest!

Holiday Shopping in Ballard: Keeping it Indie and Local

 
Revisiting this 11 years later - 6 out of 15 shops featured here have since closed and one has changed owners. That's actually not bad that 9 of 15 are still in business! I have noted below which ones are closed.

Despite my adolescent past as a mall rat, over the years I’ve developed an aversion to big box stores and shopping malls.  Give me small stores that are charming, useful, and manageable.  

Remember that sweet little bookstore in the film You’ve Got Mail that was driven out of business by the big bad chain store? That’s my kind of store. 

Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood has several blocks of such great little shops right on the street where you can hop in and out quickly (or slowly if you want to browse longer).  And small doesn’t necessarily mean more expensive.

Here’s a run-down of must-visit Ballard shops in a neighborhood that’s becoming a bit overrun with trendy restaurants.  Head to Ballard for the feel of a true urban village and support these quality small retailers!

Market Street

Just a few doors east of Ballard’s main intersection (Market and Leary) is La Tienda Folk Art Gallery, [closed] which features hand-knitted hats, gloves, socks, lots of cool jewelry, fabrics, and more with an international, ethnic flare.  Look for the frame-worthy hand-embroidered, colorful molas from the San Blas Island of Panama and beautiful Woodstock wind chimes.

Woolly knit gloves at La Tienda

On the next block west are several more shops worth a visit.  Romanza  [closed] is the place for extravagant Christmas decorations, lotions, soaps, and of course much more. This is one of my go-to shops for tree ornaments.

One of the beautifully decorated trees at Romanza's

A few doors down to the west is Annie’s frame shop, which also sells artsy cards, posters, and other interesting knick knacks. I always find gifts here when I’m in need of inspiration. Then just a few steps away is Ballard’s prime indie bookstore, Secret Garden Books. Besides books, they also carry cool calendars. 

For the foodie on your gift list, stop in Savour [closed] (west past Bop Street Records, [closed] which sells vintage record albums). You might be tempted to grab a tasty sandwich or gourmet mac ‘n cheese to eat there while picking up unusual imported and local foods like divine hot cocoas, honey from Tasmania, or fine Washington wines.

Treats from Italy at Savour

 

Ballard Avenue

Cross to the south side of Market street mid-block at the pedestrian crosswalk and angle down historic Ballard Avenue, which I think is the most charming several-block stretch in all of Seattle. There are too many wonderful little shops on Ballard Avenue for me to list here without this post getting way too long, so here are some gems.

Historic Ballard Avenue

Pass several great bars, pubs, and restaurants en route to Kavu, home-grown in Ballard. Kavu, which expanded their retail space couple years ago, sells locally designed and made hip, casual clothes  for guys and gals that are relatively inexpensive. And they regularly have great sales!  

After shopping for a spell, stop in Miro Tea for a relaxing break and sip some fine tea.  And then pick up some tea or accoutrements for the tea drinkers on your gift list.

Tea lover's gifts at Miro's

Continuing down Ballard Avenue, you must stop in Curtis Steiner’s [closed] new, larger digs. This world-famous, jewel box-like shop features exquisite jewelry, beautiful artisan cards, and other unique hand-crafted stuff.  Not cheap, but everyone needs a splurge now and then, right?  

Curtis Steiner new location in the old Guitar Emporium

A couple doors down is d’Ambrosio Gelateria Artiginiale, [new ownership and different name but still selling gelato] where you might just need to indulge in the best gelato this side of Italy when you’re buying gift certificates. Proprietor Marco d'Ambrosio's father Enzo, who is a master Italian gelato maker, helped Marco develop the business and gelatos.  Check back often for their seasonal flavors.

Cross the street to stop in a string of cozy and lovely little shops. One of my favorites is Lucca Great Finds, an enchanting store designed to echo Parisian gift salons of the 1920s and ‘30s. Want a paper cut-out of the Eiffel Tour? This is the place. You’ll also find fine linen tea towels, soaps, beautiful cards, and such. Continue to the very back for a tiny hand-paved courtyard with rustic garden ornaments.

Feel transported back to 1920s Paris at Lucca's

Next door is Camelion Design [closed], chock full of quality home furnishings as well as some gorgeous jewelry around the front counter.  Check the very back of the store for handsome leather purses.

Had enough of the oh-so-charming giftie stores?  Go down almost to the end of the next block to Second Ascent for the outdoorsy/backcountry person on your gift list (or yourself, in my case). With the closure of Outdoors and More, this is now THE place for discounted outdoors clothing and gear in Seattle.  They get and sell samples from many top-rate brands like Mont Bell, Arcteryx, and even Patagonia that are new but not quite so outrageously expensive.  Get backcountry ski gear, climbing gear, snowshoes, bicycle gear, hiking boots, and lots of clothes.  In the very back you’ll even find some used clothes, which are a great bargain. 

Venue features artist studios within their store

Okay, if you’re still reading, here’s a plug for one more gallery/gift boutique: Venue on 22nd Avenue between Ballard Avenue and Market Street is full of hand-crafted items made by local artists.  Besides jewelry, there are lovely photographs, artisan chocolates, and, well, you’ll just have to go see for yourself. Venue also has studio space for artists , so you might get a chance to chat up an artist who made the gift you just bought.

Searching for the Fungus Among Us

Sometimes you see the most amazing things when you’re paying attention.  A Ballard birder I know saw five orca whales (with a baby!) swim past the beach at Seattle’s Golden Gardens Park a few weeks ago.  Never been that lucky. 

But here in the Pacific Northwest, our forests and many patches of earth even in cities are teeming with ubiquitous, otherworldly, and ever variable fungi. We have thousands of varieties here lurking in dark corners, under leaves, on decaying downed trees, and sometimes in your front lawn. They especially love our damp climate here west of the Cascade Mountains.

Last weekend on my weekly hike through the forest trails in Carkeek Park in north Seattle, my niece and I ended up on a quest to shoot mushrooms—with cameras.

“Wow, look at that!” exclaimed my niece, pointing out a florid-looking fungus growing on a log beside the trail. But this was like a Halloween version of a floral display, dark gray with rusty-orange “buds” and weird fang-like spikes on their underside.

Now I’m the first to admit I don’t go hunting for chanterelles, morels, or other wild edible mushrooms, although I enjoy eating them. I leave foraging to the pros. And I’m not a true naturalist.  I don’t know what the names are of these fungi. But once we got started looking, it was like an organic scavenger hunt, a challenge to see as many as we could.

Moss-covered, decomposing downed logs were the best spots. And there the mushrooms were, gray and smooth, dark brown and in clumps, small and delicate, mossy green, biomorphic, with DNA somewhere between human and plant.

We didn’t touch any because, well, you never know. Some are highly toxic, with names like Death Cap.  When I was a kid, a group in Portland cooked dinner with some wild mushrooms they harvested. Four died that night and two needed liver transplants.

So instead we looked, found, and shot.

Can you name any of these? 

When You Go

The Puget Sound Mycological Society has regular events and foraging trips led by experts. In the Portland area, check out the Oregon Mycological Society for similiar educational events and outings. If you want to explore further online, check out the Pacific Northwest Fungi Database out of Washington State University.

Skiing Crystal Mountain: Seize the Bluebird Days

Mount Rainier from the top of Crystal's Green Valley chair

Usually I ease into the new ski season by starting out on mostly groomed blue runs to loosen up and get my ski legs back. (Sound familiar?) But when the first day brings blue skies, a foot of fresh powder, and avid skiing buddies who challenge me to keep up, I can’t resist pushing it. Even though I know certain neglected muscles will scream at me the next day.

Such was the case last Friday at Crystal Mountain, the Pacific Northwest’s premier downhill ski area. Okay, I can hear you Bachelor and Baker skiers grumbling at me now, but c’mon. On OutsideOnline.com, former U.S. Mogul Ski Team member Mike Hattrup recently listed Crystal as number two of his five favorite ski mountains in the U.S.  And as the dude who rode up the High Campbell chair with me said,

“Crystal is a skier’s mountain.”

How true. With bowl after bowl and seemingly endless routes down steep and steeper pitches, many not officially designated runs, it’s a mountain of well-kept and not-so-well kept secrets.

With November storms smashing into the Cascades every few days and the freezing level jumping up and down like a kid on a trampoline, I watched the weather forecasts carefully.  Friday after Thanksgiving was the day to go over the holiday weekend.

The traverse down Kelly's Gap

I wasn’t alone, that’s for sure.  But I still managed to find a few stashes of untracked pow in which to leave my signature, whooping with joy as I floated down.

And I’ll never tire of the always stupendous view of Mount Rainier, just 20 miles distant, as you crest the ridge near the Summit House above Green Valley. Rainier is, after all, the biggest, most heavily glaciated mountain in the contiguous U. S. (although the second-highest, just shy of Mount Whitney). How many times can I take pictures of Rainier on a beautiful day?  No limits.

The Big Kahuna of Cascade volcanoes

For November, the snow coverage  was good (helped along by new snow-making at the top of Green Valley). Yea, I got one particularly nasty gash in the base of my skis on the southward High Campbell traverse, but Powder Bowl was in fine form for early season.

Also in fine form was Lyndsey, the Snorting Elk cookie-baking maven.  I scooted into Snorting Elk Deli after a great day skiing and snagged one of her freshly baked crocodile spice cookies. Hmmmm.  Still the best around.

So get on up to the mountains, skiers and riders, and start your ski season.  Like my late friend and former Crystal ski instructor compadre Dean Meinert always did, watch the weather and carpe diem. Life is too short to spend those bluebird days indoors.

Have you gotten up yet this season? We'd love to hear about your best first-day-of-the-season ever in the Comments below!

When You Go

While Crystal is awesome, there are plenty of great places to ski throughout the Northwest. Here’s a tip to save a little money on your lift ticket:  After buying your first ticket of the season, keep the plastic Go Card they give you and reload online at the Crystal website. You save $5 a day on your ticket and bypass the ticket booths lines. Just flash your card in front of the scanner at the base lifts.  BTW, Crystal did NOT raise their rates this season, as of last weekend.