Japan Village is a fast growing and exciting spot in Industry City, Brooklyn. The genius of Tadao (Tony) Yoshida, it opened in 2018 and offers Japanese dining, shopping and culture. Only a short walk from the 36th St. station, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Recently I returned to Japan Village to see what is new – and enjoy some good food.
Off the 36th St. Station, you just walk north one block then turn left onto 35th. Past Dunkin Donuts, under the Belt Parkway, and you can’t miss it!
I took the photo below for future reference as I had no idea there was so much going in Industry City. From antiques to comics, kitchen supplies to comfort food, it seems like you can find it all here in this waterfront warehouse complex. Japan Village is in Building 3/4.
Sunrise Mart, Japan Village
Our first stop was Sunrise Mart. We’re big fans of Sunrise Mart and it’s eatery on E. 41st Street near the NY Public Library, and were super excited to see the size of this one.
I had to include a snap of this wonderful dragon bowl at Sunrise Mart. I love the talons and teeth!
My travelling companion today is a huge fan of Japanese candy and found this display irresistible. Who wouldn’t?
Not just any peach.
No space in the renovated factory is wasted. There are plenty of comfortable seats available. The fun, organic art and lanterns are everywhere. The restrooms are large and clean, too.
The Loft, Japan Village
There is an elevator available, but the artwork practically pulls you in to take the stairs. We decided to explore the second floor before eating.
The second floor at Japan Village is known as The Loft. Founder Tony Yoshida intends it to be a center for Japanese art and culture, and offer crafts from small makers in Japan. The first thing you see when you come upstairs is the beautiful shoji screen tea house.
I could not find out who did the work on this beautiful chashitsu (茶室 “tea room”) but the search for info led me to learn some new things: the soft, subtle colors are traditional, as the goal is simplicity and tranquility. One of the main purposes of the tea ceremony is for the guests to enjoy the hospitality in an atmosphere far removed from the fast pace of everyday life. Sign me up.
You can take a tea ceremony class here every Wednesday (10am, 2pm, 5pm) and learn the details of a proper Japanese tea ceremony. Japanese Tea Ritual Master Yoshitsugu Nagano will help you to deepen your understanding of the tranquility and harmony of this traditional Japanese practice. Find out more about him on his website.
Japanese Bridge at The Loft
In the center of The Loft is a wonderful Japanese bridge. In front of the bridge are two mikoshi, portable shrines that are carried on the shoulders during ceremonial processions, and house a god. I wish I had been able to find out more about these two, they’re beautiful. They are carried at the Annual Japan Village Summer Festival.
Below are detailed shots of the two beautiful mikoshi on display at The Loft.
The amount of gachapon (ガチャポン) toy vending machines at Japan Village continues to grow. They’re called gachapon because of the sound of the crank: “gacha”, and the sound of the prize capsule landing in the tray: “pon”. They’re hugely popular in Japan due to the wide range of trendy prizes available. Tokens are $2 and the machines take a different quantity of tokens, depending on the prizes inside.
The store BookOff is actually how I stumbled onto Japan Village, when I was looking for used book shops. BookOff is Japan’s largest chain of used bookstores, mostly manga and novels. They’ve got a ton of anime merchandise like CDs, DVDs, video games, figures, and toys.
Also at The Loft (not shown) is Beauty at The Loft, natural Japanese beauty products, and Setomonoya, which offers stunning Japanese pottery.
They’ve done a great job transforming an old factory into a fun place to spend a few hours.
Taro Yaguchi grew up in Japan and his love for paper started at his grandfather’s traditional Japanese paper factory. Now Taro’s Origami Studio offers origami diagram books, a space for birthday parties, drop-in folding, field trips, and private & group lessons on the ancient art of paper folding.
Taro’s Origami Studio, Japan Village 2nd Floor, 934 3rd Ave, Brooklyn. Visit him here
Next up was a walk through Daiso. You can find almost anything you need at Daiso, a large Japanese franchise. A step up from a traditional dollar store, they have the latest trends and are very affordable…but first you’ll have to convert, as the products are priced in yen! They’ve got toys, home goods, snack food and school supplies. My companion got an large, extremely soft stuffed cat holding a donut for just $12.
It’s time to head back downstairs and find something yummy to eat. I so loved this giant lantern!
Dining at Japan Village
Outside of Sunrise Mart is a large, cafeteria style eatery. There are at least a dozen different vendors to choose from. You can’t see them in this photo, but the baked goods at Café Japon look outstanding…one of these times I’m going to cave!
It’s a really relaxed atmosphere here, with plenty of great choices for eating, or grabbing a drink.
The Courtyard, Japan Village
After lunch we walked through the courtyard. It offers plenty of shade on these hot days, but in the cooler weather they’ll light the firepits. I’d love to know what the lanterns say.
The courtyard is very family friendly, there are some things for the kids to climb on. On occasion they have family and cultural events here.
This seemed a bit odd, and at first I thought it was part of the old factory left standing, but then I realized it was artwork. It’s the 25th Street Series #1 and #10 by Masao Gozu. Masao Gozu was born in Nagano Prefecture, on Japan’s Honshu island, and moved to Brooklyn in 1970. His photography focused on people in windows and in 1984 he began collecting rubble from NYC construction sites.
The sculptures are careful recreations of settings he has photographed and experienced while living in New York.
I wish I had grabbed the information on the artist who painted this mural. Regardless, you can see it’s a really nice place to sit.
Just in case you needed more incentive to visit Japan Village, this is Sahadi’s, with a Mediterranean-style deli, bulk nuts, dried foods and coffee. All that plus a sit-down eatery serving beer, wine & meze. And cookies!
At the end of the courtyard is 2nd Avenue, and beyond that the train tracks and South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. It really does feel like the end of the line.
You can feel the energy in this neighborhood, and it’s obvious how they’re growing and welcoming businesses here. I’m starting to believe that Brooklyn truly is leading NYC into a new era. Thank you for walking with me, and I’ll see you soon!
You can read more about the fascinating Tadao Yoshida, creator of Japan Village, and his inspirational story here.
All photos property of DebbieInTheCity, all rights reserved.
2 responses to “Great food, shopping and culture at Japan Village in Brooklyn, NYC”
Japan Village is such a cool getaway! Love everything about it … the lanterns alone. I’m with your traveling companion. The colors and types of confections, ahhhh!
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