Fun things to do in Chicago with friend from Japan (Mark: violent crime, homes)

[Blue Grass Fever]

Coming to Chicago to meet up with a friend from Japan soon and need tips to entertain.

Is there anything that resembles Japan in Chicago? (Japan-town?)

[marothisu]

Please tell me the title of your thread is a joke. If it's not then you better be prepared for some back lash on here.

Anything that resembles Japan - not really. There's many japanese/sushi restaurants in town and some Japanese markets in some northern suburbs. Are you sure he wants to travel all the way to the US just so he can have some stuff that's exactly like where he's from? Show him something new that he might not get in Japan..that's my suggestion FWIW

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Blue Grass Fever

Coming to Chicago to meet up with a friend from Japan soon and need tips to entertain.

Is there anything that resembles Japan in Chicago? (Japan-town?)

There is not a Japan-town in Chicago. The only period in Chicago history where a large number of Japanese came here was after WWII and, for a short time, there was sort of a Japantown on Belmont Ave near Clark St, but that is long gone. There isn't even the one last vestige of that, a sort of trinkets shop owned by a relative of Tokyo Rose, anymore as it shut down a few years ago.

There are plenty of Japanese restaurants, and a Japanese supermarket in the suburbs (Mitsuwa), although I suspect Japanese food is better in Japan than in the U.S. If you really want to try some non-sushi Japanese food here, I'd recommend Sumi Robata Bar on the corner of Wells St and Huron St in the River North neighborhood.

Otherwise, do whatever types of typical touristy things you and your friend enjoy, be it museums or shopping or parks or shows or music or architecture or tall building viewing decks. Contrary to press accounts, the parts of Chicago with things you'll want to see are going to be perfectly safe. That's assuming you're not wanting to make friends with heroin and crack dealers, of course.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by emathias

There is not a Japan-town in Chicago. The only period in Chicago history where a large number of Japanese came here was after WWII and, for a short time, there was sort of a Japantown on Belmont Ave near Clark St, but that is long gone. There isn't even the one last vestige of that, a sort of trinkets shop owned by a relative of Tokyo Rose, anymore as it shut down a few years ago.

I'm not sure if it was the same but there was actually one in the Gold Coast/Old Town called Niseitown bounded by Goethe, LaSalle, Oak, and Dearborn. There's barely anything left from it as the Sandburg village construction tore down a lot of what was there. There's a few businesses like Kamehachi from the late 60s which still exist that were from that era and a Japanese Buddhist temple in Old Town Triangle.

Chicago's lost ethnic neighborhoods: Niseitown - Chicago Ethnic Community | Examiner.com

[Blue Grass Fever]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Please tell me the title of your thread is a joke. If it's not then you better be prepared for some back lash on here.

Anything that resembles Japan - not really. There's many japanese/sushi restaurants in town and some Japanese markets in some northern suburbs. Are you sure he wants to travel all the way to the US just so he can have some stuff that's exactly like where he's from? Show him something new that he might not get in Japan..that's my suggestion FWIW

A quick question: Are there large pockets of
Japanese-speaking Chicagoans?

Btw--I understand your POV, but my friend and I are meeting for business primarily. Not necessarily a tourist-lets-see-Chicago/America. He may want the comforts of his homeland.

[knitgirl]

no

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Blue Grass Fever

A quick question: Are there large pockets of
Japanese-speaking Chicagoans?

In Chicago itself - not really. There are some suburbs closer to O'Hare where you will find some greater concentrations. In the city of Chicago, Japanese people are kind of dispersed. I'd say there aren't tons of Japanese to begin with but still sizable. The Chicago area has more Koreans, Chinese, Filipino, and Indian/Pakistani than Japanese.

Nonetheless, you will have no problem finding Japanese food in Chicago but you aren't going to find an enclave in the city anymore nor a part of the city that looks like Japan unless you are talking about a mass concentration of tall buildings (i.e. downtown - but still different than a Tokyo, Osaka, etc).

[youthcom]

Anime Central (acen.org) is about two weeks away if he or she is into that. You can always people watch all the non-asian cosplayers there. Won't get shot or killed there, but mugging (glomping) is a possibility if your friend is bishonen or kawaii...

[Nonesuch]

Chicago used to have a heavily-Japanese-settled neighborhood on the far Northwest side near what remains of KoreaTown, but never anything on the scale of what you'd find in California.

Coming to Chicago to meet up with a friend from Japan soon and need tips to entertain.

Unless your friend is homesick, I'm not sure why you are looking for japan-like qualities in Chicago?

If it's just a question of finding authentic food, drink, and housewares, there are many shops and restaurants in Chicago area which have large numbers of Japanese customers. Specifically, for everything Asian under one roof, drive out to the NW suburbs for Mitsuwa Marketplace or their smaller competitors.

Anime Central (acen.org) is about two weeks away if he or she is into that.

A visit to ACEN might be a bewildering (but fun) experience for the friend from Japan! Also not really worth visiting unless you spend $60pp for membership badges.

As long as you avoid non-tourist-attracting neighborhoods, set yourself a curfew, and don't attempt to mug anybody, you won't get shot in Chicago. IIRC, the violent crime victimization rate for people of Japanese descent visiting Chicago is lower than the violent crime victimization rate in Tokyo, Japan.

[marothisu]

My question - why would you want to travel hours on a plane only to see stuff you could get at home (and better) besdies a time or two seeing how your culture is done in other countries? Come on...do people miss the point of traveling?