This week: a trinket box in the Sunset, a coyote in Japantown, a denim design legend, a local inventor, and a one-day artist talk on “taking a knee” activism. Plus, remembering Oscar Grant on his 40th birthday, catching crab right off the boat, foraging wild garlic, and protecting the snowy plover.

From boat to pot

On Saturday mornings at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, customers can purchase live Dungeness crab directly from individual fishing boats, then carry it to a dockside popup where it’s cooked — or cooked and cleaned — while they wait.

The market also sells whole fish and fillets from the local fleet, an effort to broaden what people associate with Bay Area seafood beyond crab season. The popup fish market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of March at 101 Al Scoma Way. — Chronicle

Happy 40th Birthday, Oscar Grant

The Black Panther Party Museum is marking Oscar Grant’s birthday with a new exhibition, Happy Heavenly Birthday, Oscar, celebrating Grant’s life through sound, images, and participatory ritual as part of the 1-800 Happy Birthday project.

Grant, who was killed by a BART police officer in 2009, would have turned 40 this year.

The exhibition runs February 1 through February 28 at the Black Panther Party Museum in downtown Oakland, with an opening reception February 1 from 6 to 9 pm. — San Francisco Bay View

Little treasures

At 48th Avenue and Moraga in San Francisco, a tiny junction box has become a weekend destination. Sunset Trinket Trade overflows with friendship bracelets, claw clips, and tiny ceramic frogs, all curated by Deanna, who cleans, repairs, and sometimes reimagines items to make them swap-ready.

Neighbors and visitors line up to trade, chat, and leave little surprises for one another, turning a street corner into a small, shared celebration. The project has inspired people beyond the Outer Sunset to start their own trinket exchanges, and Deanna reminds participants to keep the goodwill going without disturbing nearby homes. — Mission Local

Side routes around the big game

Super Bowl week doesn’t require a watch party. Around the Bay Area, a handful of low-key options offer a different way to spend the weekend, from ice skating in downtown San Jose to a Bad Bunny lookalike contest at San Francisco’s Tacolicious.

Museums lean in too, with family craft sessions at SFMOMA and a one-day screening and talk by German artist Kota Ezawa at Santa Clara University’s de Saisset Museum on the history of taking a knee during the national anthem, spearheaded by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016. — KQED

Love, Melody

From a pile of salvaged Levi’s to the suits of Elvis and Tina Turner, Melody Sabatasso built a career stitching together recycled denim into finely crafted, iconic outfits. Her early days involved hitchhiking across the Golden Gate Bridge, arguing for fittings, and discovering her own worth alongside Hollywood legends.

Today, her Greenbrae studio is a working archive filled with machines, studs, and memories, where past creations sit alongside new projects. She still collaborates with musicians, filmmakers, and collectors, keeping her decades of denim craft alive. — SFGate

Windows without walls

A San Rafael filmmaker stepped into the national spotlight this winter, pitching LiquidView — large-format digital windows that stream continuous outdoor scenes — on a January episode of Shark Tank. The idea grew out of years spent working in windowless rooms and gained wider notice after a feature on the Today show, helping the screens find homes in hotels, offices, and memory care spaces around the Bay Area.

Though he didn’t land a deal on the show, the appearance brought a surge of attention and new leads. LiquidView launched in 2021 and now displays places like Rodeo Beach, the Farallon Islands, and Venice in installations across Marin and San Francisco. — Marin Independent Journal

Foraging fever

Three-cornered garlic is spreading fast across Bay Area parks and can be harvested straight from the root. This pungent and flavorful vegetable grows abundantly, so don’t plant it at home since it’s invasive.

Forays organized by local foragers such as Cindy Doe Dee are teaching participants how to identify and gather plants safely, turning the hills and edges of the city into hands-on classrooms. — Cindy Doe Dee/Instagram

Snowy morning

Along Ocean Beach, Western Snowy Plovers make their home for most of the year, delicate birds eking out a life on shifting sand. Fewer than 2,000 adults remain along the Pacific coast, and simple habits — sticking to marked paths, staying near the wet sand — help them thrive.

Observers can watch without disturbing, keeping the upper beach clear for nesting. — Bird Curious SF/Instagram

Courtyard visitor

Amid a string of recent animal visits — from a mountain lion at Lafayette Park to a coyote swimming to Alcatraz — another young coyote, likely from the Presidio, spent three nights quietly in Hotel Kabuki’s garden in Japantown this week.

Onlookers were urged to give it space and to keep pets at a distance while it gathered some respite before disappearing back into the urban wilderness. She’s quite a beauty. We’d love to see some paintings of her! — Hotel Kabuki/Instagram

Top image: ‘National Anthem’(2018); Kota Ezawa

Previously: Field Notes: Ancient Star Map, New Cat Cafe, San Jose’s Batman, and Disquiet in Suburbia

Field Notes highlights the Tanforan Memorial’s history, Isaac Julien’s cinematic art at the de Young, SF’s cameo in '9 to 5,' Pescadero’s coastal charm, and Charlie’s Café—a vibrant Mission District spot bringing people together with food and music.

A local autistic youth's BART summer tour

Zayn, a youth participant in the Autism Transit Project, took followers on a BART journey highlighting his favorite spots — bagels near North Berkeley, a bookstore downtown, and frozen yogurt by UC Berkeley. Each spring, local autistic youth visit BART HQ to learn about transit and record station announcements for Autism Acceptance Month.

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The Godmother of Japantown, and a champion for Japanese American rights

Aaron Kitashima, aka retired blogger AgentAkit, is encouraging the public to visit the  Tanforan Memorial near San Bruno BART, where 8,000 Japanese Americans were held in horse stalls during WWII after being evicted from their Bay Area homes.

His grandmother, Tsuyako “Sox” Kitashima, was 23 when her family was incarcerated there. After four months, they were sent to Topaz in Utah, where Sox became a community leader and married her husband. After the war, she settled in San Francisco and worked for federal agencies.

Later, she emerged as a national advocate for reparations, hand-mailing thousands of letters, speaking publicly, and lobbying in D.C. Her efforts helped bring about the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which included an apology and compensation to survivors.

Known as the “Godmother of Japantown,” Sox also volunteered with senior groups and shared her story with students. She died in 2006 at 87. Her legacy lives on in her community—and in her grandson’s efforts to honor her at Tanforan. — KQED

A beloved Precita Park gathering spot

Charlie’s Café at Folsom and Precita, founded by Charlie and Kristy in 2001, has become much more than a neighborhood eatery. It’s a vital community hub that hosts events promoting social justice, art, poetry, and music, including fundraisers for Palestine and Ukraine.

During the pandemic, the café added a parklet and launched outdoor bluegrass jams that continue to draw locals on weekends. Whether fostering connections or offering a welcoming spot to relax, Charlie’s Café remains a cornerstone of District 9’s community life. — Jackie Fielder, Facebook

Coconuts and comebacks in the Mission

After 21 years selling fresh fruit and coconuts from a sidewalk stand near 22nd and Mission, Óscar Olguín has opened a tiny storefront just across the street. He and his wife invested $20K to launch What’s Up, Coco—his dream shop inside the old Grand Theatre building—eight years after a fire destroyed his first store.

A beloved presence in the neighborhood, Olguín built a following with his machete skills, affordable snacks, and quiet persistence through loss, bureaucracy, and skyrocketing rent. Now, with steady sales and no price hikes, he’s betting on a fresh chapter. “El sol brilla para todos.” — El Tecolote

A cinematic dreamscape at the de Young

At the de Young’s first-ever exhibition dedicated to moving images, British artist Isaac Julien transforms the galleries into a dreamlike cinematic maze. I Dream a World spans decades of his lush, politically charged work — from queer cowboy reveries to poetic meditations on the Black diaspora, migration, desire, and identity.

Visitors are immersed in multi-screen installations featuring archival footage, sensual tableaus, ocean waves, and references to everything from Langston Hughes to Blaxploitation film to Caribbean postcolonial life. For Julien, beauty has always been a radical act. — SF Chronicle

Greens, blooms, and flavor from the garden

Master gardener Anne-Marie Walker highlights the seasonal Asian greens and flowers fresh from her Marin garden that feed both pollinators and people—like spicy shiso, Komatsuna, and calendula.

Her nasturtiums make pesto and petal confetti; violas sweeten cakes and ice cubes. It’s a planting palette rooted in global cuisine, tailored to the Bay Area’s Mediterranean climate. — Marin IJ

A ship's annual voyage to China Camp

The Grace Quan, a hand-built replica of a traditional Chinese shrimping junk, recently made its annual sail to China Camp State Park. Vessels like this once filled San Francisco Bay, piloted by Chinese immigrants who brought boatbuilding knowledge from across the Pacific.

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Built using techniques like fire bending and edge-joined nailing, the Grace Quan now spends part of each year docked at the historic fishing village where the Quan family once lived and worked. — NPS, Facebook

A slower pace in Pescadero

Pescadero is the kind of coastal town where redwoods meet tidepools, and artichoke bread is always fresh from the oven. Just south of Half Moon Bay, it’s home to trails, seals, berry farms, and a downtown that’s two blocks long — but packed with local charm.

Highlights include olallieberry pie at Duarte’s, spicy chai at Downtown Local, and goat cheese from Harley Farms. You can hike with elephant seals at Año Nuevo, forage tidepools at Pescadero State Beach, or even bunk at a lighthouse. — 7x7

A city, a commute, a legacy

It’s been 45 years since 9 to 5 hit theaters, and in its opening moments, downtown San Francisco steals the frame—orange-striped Muni buses, the Samuels Clock, a blink-and-you-miss-it shot of the Brown twins. Director Colin Higgins gave the city that brief cameo.

Higgins got his start in Bay Area theater, performed at SF venues while finishing his Stanford degree, and wrote Harold and Maude here. Though most of 9 to 5 unfolds in LA, the rush-hour energy of Market Street was his shorthand for working women everywhere. A small choice, but a lasting imprint. — SFGate

Top image: Installation view of 'Baltimore (2003)' in Isaac Julien: I Dream a World, de Young, 2025. Artwork ©️ Isaac Julien. Photograph ©️ Henrik Kam

Previously: Field Notes: Amy Tan Watches Birds, a Pop Star Emerges in Marin, and a Lost Gay Film is Found

Field Notes highlights moments of connection, culture, and community across the Bay Area—from a new Peninsula trail network and thriving raptors to Japantown’s retail revival, a Mission escape room, Black history exhibits, and Oakland’s tribute to a cherished mentor.

654-acre Peninsula estate launches new trail network

Filoli, an historic 654-acre estate on unceded Ramaytush Ohlone land in Woodside, has launched a new trail network guided by six giant trolls by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. The whimsical Trolls: Save the Humans exhibit marks a shift from manicured gardens to wild spaces, inviting visitors to explore two miles of easy trails through redwoods, willow houses, and playful art. It’s part of Filoli’s effort to reconnect with the land’s deeper roots and invite broader public engagement through nature, history, and imagination. [7x7]

The raptors are alright

Pinnacles National Park’s 2025 nesting season is off to a strong start. Biologists are monitoring four peregrine falcon and nine prairie falcon territories, with most pairs actively nesting. Other raptors, including golden eagles, long-eared owls, and white-tailed kites, are also settling in. After years of concern—from DDT’s legacy to avian flu outbreaks—this “wonderfully normal” season is a welcome sign for the park’s recovering raptor population. [Pinnacles National Park]

Retail revival in Japantown

While downtown’s San Francisco Centre continues to shed tenants, Japantown’s Japan Center Mall and the Stonestown Galleria are thriving—thanks to a wave of Asian retailers, nostalgic collectibles, and student-friendly entertainment like arcades, escape rooms, and karaoke bars.

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With nearly full occupancy and rising foot traffic, both malls show how cultural relevance, safe neighborhoods, and suburban-style accessibility are reshaping the city’s retail future. [Chronicle]

Unlocking connection in the Mission

Lore, a new speakeasy-style escape room, opens June 12 in San Francisco’s Mission District, inviting guests into a whimsical world of puzzles, Vietnamese-inspired cocktails, and Mad Hatter–style tea parties.

Founder Vy Tran created the space as a response to the loneliness epidemic—and as a love letter to the city that made her dream possible. In an open letter on Lore’s website, she writes, “I hope you meet someone new and that you’ll plan new adventures together.”

In a recent Reddit post, Tran explains how she taught herself building codes, drafted her own architectural plans, and made 80 trips to the Department of Building Inspection to bring Lore to life. Her long-term vision is to expand it into a full underground universe of wonder and connection, according to the Chronicle.

Black history in the American West

Two major exhibitions are honoring Black history in California, offering a fuller, richer picture of the American West:

• Black Gold: Stories Untold at the Presidio, reframing the Gold Rush through Black resilience, entrepreneurship, and military service. [FOR-SITE]

• Routed West at BAMPFA, showcasing over 100 historic quilts from African American families who migrated to California. [BAMFA]

“Be Like Boomer”

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee declared June 6 Dr. Marvin Boomer Jr. Day in honor of the beloved Castlemont High mentor and College and Career Pathways Coach who was killed in a hit-and-run last week.

At his memorial service, a student returned a stuffed bear she’d promised to give him when she graduated. His partner, Nina Woodruff, called him “Mr. Wonderful.” The city is urging everyone to carry his legacy forward. [KRON4]

Top image: Yinka Shonibare, CBE, Man Moving Up, 2022 at Black Gold: Stories Untold                          

Japantown’s Korean spa Imperial Day Spa is the latest bathhouse facility with an uproar over where transgender patrons fall in its gender policy, though right before a planned Monday protest, the spa announced it would just go with customers’ chosen gender identity.

The SF controversy du jour last week was a dust-up over Hunters Point bathhouse Archimedes Banya banning transgender women from its monthly “women’s night.” That facility responded to the controversy by splitting the baby and declaring a trans-friendly women’s night and a separate “Cultural & Religious Women’s Night” at which trans women were excluded. This may not be enough to stave off an investigation by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, so we’ll see what comes of that.

Meanwhile, the Chronicle reports that a week later, another spa facility had a similar controversy brewing. Japantown’s Imperial Day Spa faced a Monday protest after a transgender man was asked by staff whether he was transgender, perhaps an attempt to whisk him into the women’s side of the facility. (Imperial Day Spa is a gender-segregated facility during all hours, unlike the specific “women’s nights” and “men’s nights” at Banya.)

As seen above, Imperial Day Spa was the target of the Monday night protest. And that business is getting the old “Unusual Activity Alert” pop-up on Yelp as the place is being inundated with angry one-star reviews about its policies towards transgender patrons. But before that protest even started Monday, the facility posted a new policy saying patrons could just use whatever area corresponded with their chosen gender identity.

The whole controversy started after a recent visit from transgender man Calder Storm, who’d been at the spa some 90 minutes in the men’s area. He was approached by staff who yanked him out of the sauna and asked if he was transgender, which he told them was a “wildly inappropriate question,” per the Chronicle. He then felt uncomfortable with the place and left, but before leaving visited the front desk in the video seen embedded in the Facebook post below.

The conversation certainly went awkwardly. And much is being made of the staffer’s response that “If you have female parts, you go to the female side. If you have male parts, you go to the male,” and “We still go based on genital parts.”

In fairness, it does not seem English is the staffer’s first language, so that may account for the less-than diplomatic language. Though the policy explained here is still along the same lines of the “biological women only” or “assigned at birth” language that brought up the controversy at Banya.

Either way, the incident and sharing of the video led to a Monday protest that the Chronicle describes as having “dozens of people,” with a few Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in the mix.

Yet protesters found Imperial Day Spa closed during normal business hours Monday, supposedly for a “plumbing” issue. They also found a new notice on the door saying “Guests may use facilities that correspond to their gender identity in accordance with California law.”

Storm told the Chronicle, “We all have a lot to be really mad about, but I’m really really happy that this is a win, this is a victory, and we can celebrate this instead.”

Is it a coincidence that two spas have had a similar controversy in a week? It is not. Storm said to the Chron that he went to Imperial Day Spa specifically because of the change in policy at Banya. But it may not be a coincidence that people have complained at or about trans people, specifically at a time when anti-trans hostility is becoming more fashionable in American political discourse.  

Related: Archimedes Banya Gets Social Media Uproar After Banning Trans Women From ‘Women’s Day’ [SFist]

Image: Ann L via Yelp

The much anticipated return of chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher, taking over a cozy Japantown space, arrives this week, but the new restaurant is not exactly Marlena part 2.

The name of the restaurant, as we surmised back in June, is 7 Adams — and we now know this is an homage to Fisher's childhood home in upstate New York, and the street he grew up on. The husband-and-wife team, who left their three-year-old restaurant Marlena in late June, have moved into the space formerly occupied by neighborhood gem Gardenias at 1963 Sutter Street, which closed over the summer.

Like Marlena, 7 Adams will offer a tasting menu experience, this one five courses for $87. But here, each night's menu will culminate with a large-format entree shared family style — something that Fisher says, he hopes, will take some of the stuffiness out of the fine-dining experience. Dishes being offered include roasted black cod in a mussel butter sauce, and a chicken farce.

Fish and vegetable dishes are likely to start the meal — and fans of Marlena will likely see the reappearance of a popular scallop dish in which Hokkaido scallops are dressed with cured black olives and fish sauce crème fraiche and covered in a pickle brine gelatin "veil." And all menus will include a handmade pasta course, with everything changing with the seasons, and diners will be able to choose between two or three pasta options. Current options are red kabocha squash caramelle with sunflower pesto and smoked chives, and tagliatelle with braised lamb shoulder ragu and shaved matsutake mushrooms. There is also a ricotta gnudi available as a supplement, with black truffle, parmesan, and poached new crop chestnuts.

Ultimately, Fisher says, the plan is to offer a traditional chef's counter tasting menu at the restaurant's six-seat counter as well, which will vary in its number of courses by the night.

Each night's menu will also conclude with one Chow Fisher's desserts, like hojicha opera cake with compressed pear, or apple crumb cake with satsuma "snow".

The Fishers cut their teeth in New York City kitchens — the pair met while working at Pearl & Ash, and Serena also worked as pastry chef at the Michelin three-star Eleven Madison Park. They made an immediate name for themselves after opening Marlena in Bernal Heights at the height of the pandemic in mid-2020, starting out just offering picnic-basket to-go meals.

They would go on to earn a Michelin star in their first year in business, but ultimately the restaurant's demise came about due to a conflict with business partner and restaurant owner Stephan Roulland. (Roulland has gone on to reopen the former Marlena as Foliage, with a new chef.) Earlier this year, they partnered with Hi Neighbor Restaurant Group, and now they have a new restaurant with a charming back patio to boot.

Chow Fisher tells Eater this week that it's been especially exciting to be able to start over on their own terms.

"Everything here was so intentional," she tells Eater. "It’s just so purposeful that it brings new meaning to this fresh start for us. Now, this is actually a really great representation of who we are as people and cooks and chefs."

7 Adams is now accepting reservations, and will be serving seven nights a week.

A two-alarm fire Friday evening displaced two residents and a pet from a multi-residential building on the border of Japantown and Pacific Heights.

The San Francisco Fire Department initially reported it as a one-alarm fire around 4:30 p.m. Friday night, but upgraded the blaze to a two-alarm fire within an hour around 5:15 p.m., according to the department’s tweets.

UPDATE: THIS IS NOW A 2-ALARM FIRE AVOID AREA PIO ENROUTE https://t.co/7dIzFqhYsV pic.twitter.com/N3lipKUpOM

— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) March 4, 2023

The structure fire was reported at 2143 Pine Street, a four-story, multiresidential building, according to KRON4. SFFD warned people to avoid the area.

Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control by 5:45 p.m. SFFD said that while there were two people displaced and a German Shepherd rescued from the fire, no injuries were reported (including the dog, who the department tweeted “will be okay”).

Muni service in the area experienced some delays, with the OB 1X having to be rerouted around Pine and Webster, according to the agency's social media.

Over 70 firefighters appeared at the scene, according to Captain John Baxter, the public information officer for SFFD. They were able to prevent the fire from spreading to any neighboring buildings.

The fire’s origin is under investigation, Captain Baxter said.

KCBS reporters captured a video of the firefighting efforts, as well.

UPDATE: THIS FIRE IS NOW UNDER CONTROL WITH NO INJURIES-2 DISPLACED- 1 DOG RESCUED (will be okay) AND UNDER INVESTIGATION

Thank you, @KCBSAMFMTraffic reporters, for the video https://t.co/cFiKPTdE0d pic.twitter.com/2fCpVBUgXN

— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) March 4, 2023

Image via Google Street View.

A much anticipated new Indian restaurant is getting ready to open in the splashy former Dosa space at the corner of Fillmore and Post streets, and it's just gotten a full makeover.

Copra, the new restaurant from former Campton Place chef Srijith Gopinathan, has been aiming for a mid-February opening, and the space is looking almost ready for its debut. SFist first reported on the new concept headed to the former Dosa back in April 2022, and since then more details have arrived about the project, which is a third partnership between Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar. The partners also operate the popular and well designed Ettan in Palo Alto, and the casual Little Blue Door in Los Altos.

The name Copra refers to dried coconut meat, an essential Indian ingredient, and as the Chronicle reported, the menu will focus on the southern coast of India, which is where Gopinathan grew up. Dishes are expected to include "Dungeness crab swimming in a bath of caramelized coconut, tamarind and coconut milk; and kothu roti, a popular street food dish of chopped roti and meat that pulls flavors from nearby Sri Lanka," per the Chronicle.

Gopinathan also hints at an upcoming tuna dish made with betel leaf, which he told the Chronicle he was working with a local farmer to grow. Betel leaf has been commonly chewed since ancient times in multiple Asian cultures, and Gopinathan says it was something his grandmother chewed after meals.

You can also expect some interesting vegetarian options at Copra. Gopinathan is the chief culinary officer of Mamu, a mushroom-based meat alternative he developed for Morgan Hill-based Sempera Organics, and dishes made with Mamu have already made it onto his menu at Ettan, as the SF Business Times reported.

Gopinathan and Thapar opened Ettan to immediate acclaim just before pandemic lockdowns began, in February 2020 — and it's known as much for its atmosphere and design as for the food. Thapar earlier told the Business Times that Copra would have the same "scale and design grandeur" as Ettan, and promised a "prominent, landmark-style destination restaurant."

The exterior of the former bank building that for over a decade was home to Dosa has received a new, bright white coat of paint. And we're looking forward to getting a glimpse of the interior, which the Chronicle said would include "tropical wallpaper and decor."

Gopinathan first made waves in SF as executive chef at Campton Place, the restaurant that ultimately held two Michelin stars in the Taj Campton Place hotel. That restaurant has since closed and Gopinathan parted ways with the hotel.

An exact opening date for Copra has not been announced, and there does not appear to be a website live yet. We'll update you if we learn more in the coming days.

Copra - Opening  soon at 1700 Fillmore Street, at Post

A big tree fell over Tuesday next to the Hamilton Playground and tennis courts on Post Street between Pierce and Steiner, totaling a parked car and temporarily blocking part of the street.

The tree, which was apparently over 100 feet tall, came down sometime before 8 a.m. Tuesday, and an alert went out from the AlertSF system at 7:50 a.m. to avoid the area of Post and Pierce streets.

No one was injured, and the tree had been trimmed and the street obstruction removed by afternoon.

Trees fell in multiple locations across the city amid high winds this morning, and obstructions were reported at Union and Hyde streets, Mission Street and Van Ness Avenue, on the 100 block of Fell Street, and the 100 block of Guerrero.

AlertSF also told drivers to avoid the area of Park Presidio between Lincoln Way and Geary Boulevard (that is several blocks), and the area of westbound Fulton Street between 14th Avenue and 20th Avenue.

As seen below, a ficus tree fell on top of a Muni bus in the area of Stockton and Sutter streets, taking with it charged overhead power lines.

A 15-year-old and a 14-year-old are in custody for the Wednesday night shooting of a security guard at the Japantown mall, who was declared dead at the scene shortly after SFPD arrived.

It appears San Francisco has suffered its first homicide of 2023. The Chronicle reports that a security guard was shot and killed near the Japan Center mall late Wednesday afternoon, and two unnamed teens are in custody; one on suspicion of murder, and the other on suspicion of accessory to murder.  

According to a release from SFPD, “On January 4, 2023, at approximately 5:07 p.m., San Francisco Police officers from Northern Station responded to the 1500 block of Webster St. regarding a shooting. Officers located an adult male victim, who was a security guard, suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers rendered aid and summoned medics to the scene. Despite the lifesaving efforts of emergency responders, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased at the scene. “

The Chronicle has the additional information, from a preliminary incident summary, that “the victim was ‘involved in a dispute’ outside a collectibles shop at 1581 Webster Street near Geary Boulevard. The guard was escorting somebody at the moment an assailant shot him in the head.”

Because they are minors, the names of the two suspects are not being released. But per the SFPD release, “investigators located two juvenile males and developed probable cause to arrest them.” The 15-year-old was arrested for murder, while the 14-year-old was arrested on accessory to murder charges. Both have been booked into the Juvenile Justice Center.

Even though they’ve made two arrests, SFPD still considers this an active investigation. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with “SFPD.” Tipsters can remain anonymous.  

Related: SF Sees Exact Same Number of Homicides In 2022 As Previous Year, While Burglaries Are Down [SFist]

Image: Google Street View

Five people were hospitalized, two of them in critical condition, after they all apparently suffered accidental overdoses inside a residence on Japantown's main drag on Christmas Day.

Details are thin about what happened at the residence on the 1700 block of Post Street Sunday — likely an apartment in one of the only (or the only?) residential complexes on that block, which is the main strip of Japantown including the Kabuki Cinema, half of the Japantown Mall, and mostly retail storefronts on the north side of the street.

The San Francisco Fire Department's public information officer, Captain Jonathan Baxter, would only confirm to the Chronicle that six individuals at the home were treated for accidental overdoses using Narcan, five of whom were taken to the hospital for further treatment — with one individual refusing further treatment. Two of the individuals hospitalized were reportedly in critical condition.

Paramedics and San Francisco police arrived on the scene around 2:20 p.m. on Christmas Day.

The group had apparently ingested cocaine laced with another drug, likely fentanyl, or a substance that was an opioid but they thought it was cocaine. The San Francisco Standard reports that a source at the CPMC Van Ness hospital confirmed that the individuals being treated had ingested a substance they believed to be cocaine — but the presence of fentanyl has yet to be confirmed.

The case is reminiscent of one that occurred in March in which three people died in a Mission District apartment after all doing cocaine together, which turned out to be contaminated with fentanyl. That case, and two others involving 9 other individuals who inadvertantly consumed fentanyl but survived, led to the Health Department issuing a citywide alert to be extra cautious about the source one's drugs, and to test them for fentanyl.

"Fentanyl overdoses have increased precipitously in San Francisco since 2015, with an estimated 474 deaths in 2021," the department said. "Fentanyl overdose deaths usually involve cocaine and/or methamphetamine."

Anyone using cocaine in this day and age should keep fentanyl-testing kits around — and they can be obtained for free around the Bay through the Friends of FentCheck network, and you can get them at the Community Behavioral Health Services (CBHS) Pharmacy at 1380 Howard Street, which also gives out free naloxone/Narcan.

“You never know what’s in your drugs,” said Kristen Marshall of the harm reduction org the DOPE Project, speaking to Broke-Ass Stuart. “The market is criminalized, so the supply is unregulated, inconsistent, and unpredictable. Always has been, fentanyl didn’t change that. Whether you cop from the corner of Turk and Hyde, or your dealer is just a text away and delivers discreetly to your door in Pac Heights, remember: This ain’t the cereal aisle at Safeway – no nutritional facts, no ingredients lists, and not a ton of choice. White powders all look the same, drug markets are chaotic, and mistakes happen.”

As KPIX reports, the Japantown incident is under investigation by the SFPD, which is trying to determine if anything criminal occurred.

Related: Cocaine Laced With Fentanyl Blamed for Spike in OD Deaths, DPH Urges Use of Fentanyl Test Strips and Narcan

Assemblymember Phil Ting brought home the bacon Tuesday, announcing $6 million in state funding to revitalize Japantown Peace Plaza, which hasn’t seen an upgrade in 20 years.

Japantown Peace Plaza is a vibrant community space that hosts some of San Francisco’s favorite events — during maybe, like, four or five weekends a year. Otherwise, not so much. The decline of the one-time tourist destination could be pegged on a few things; the slow death-march of multiplex theaters has made the Kabuki Theater much less of a draw, the Japan Center mall is losing tenants thanks to a landlord monopoly, and the crown jewel Japantown Peace Plaza has not been renovated or upgraded in more than 20 years.

But Peace Plaza is being renovated now, and KRON4 reports Assemblymember Phil Ting was there today to announce $6 million in state funding for the redesign.  

“After decades of neglect, the Peace Plaza will finally see improvements, which will also help revitalize Japantown by attracting visitors to support small businesses and fostering cultural relations,” Ting said in a press release. “The work includes waterproofing and paving, as well as beautifying the space with plants, lighting and seating so it can serve as an essential location for festivals, celebrations and historic commemorations.”

You can see the plans above for the new Japantown Peace Plaza in the video above. According to Rec and Parks (who officially own the plaza land), “The renovated plaza will have all new features: new paving (over new waterproofing), planting, informal seating, and maintain the highly used, central gathering space for cultural events.”

The plaza has been around since 1968, and was part of a larger Western Addition redevelopment that ultimately did more to drive out Japanese-Americans than to bring them in. It has always had drainage issues with the parking lot below. DPW redesigned the plaza in 2001, without much real input from the Japantown community. The new redesign hopes ton change that, and has incorporated more elements from community feedback.

That feedback period is scheduled to continue through next year when a final design is completed in late 2023. Construction is expected to begin in early 2024.

Related: Japantown Revels in Successful Return of Cherry Blossom Festival [SFist]

Image: PeacePlaza.org

While there was no parade this year, the 55th annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival blossomed again, and every performance is available online so you can relive all the anime cosplay, Taiko Dojo, and swordsmanship.

These days we often use the phrase “Nature is healing” as a pandemic-era meme referencing things getting back to some semblance of normalcy. And certainly festivals and large events are part of that, but few urban festivals celebrate nature itself quite like the SF Cherry Blossom Festival (proper name: Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival) which KPIX reports brought large crowds back to Japantown the last two weekends.

There was not a parade this year, but otherwise, fans of Japanese food and culture got the full two weekends of Cherry Blossom Festival. As a bonus, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival Facebook page livestreamed all the performances, and each is available on demand (Sunday’s is seen below).

Each of the on-demand video posts is multiple hours long, and there are four of them. So if there's something in particular you want to watch, check out the Cherry Blossom Festival online schedule, then find that day’s post on their Facebook page, and skip through the video until you find what you want to watch.

Despite the lack of parade, the festival still satisfied. “I’m just happy to have the festival again where people can come out and see that we can have a good time and be safe,” festival organizer Grant Tsuji told KPIX.

And it was on some level fortuitous that the technical problems that have caused the closure of the Kabuki Theater came last week, and not the week before. That’s because the crowning of the Cherry Blossom Festival Queen was on April 9, the first weekend of the festival. So that still went off  — erm, took place, whereas the Kabuki started encountering its technical difficulties on Tuesday, April 12.

There has of course been drama with a couple of the cherry blossom trees themselves, which were vandalized in January 2021, but replaced last July. And while Japantown is not necessarily awash in pink flowers (and their blossom times can vary by year), you do still see a solid smattering of pink above.

Related: Photos: Cherry Blossom Anime Costume Contest

Image: @churrrr0_ via Twitter

The badly needed rainstorms bring with them falling ficus trees, and this one did some serious damage to the Sutter Street sidewalk early Thursday morning.

The rain storms of the year’s first atmospheric river are underway, with the heaviest of it currently expected to arrive Sunday night and Monday morning. That ought to make things "interesting" for the 49ers Sunday Night Football game against the Colts, being played outdoors in Santa Clara. But’s already made things "interesting" in Japantown, where early Thursday morning the winds and rain knocked down a tall ficus tree, damaging a car and leaving the sidewalk an absolute disaster.

The tree is (well, was) on Sutter Street, between Webster and Fillmore Streets. And while Public Works may have it cleared by now (the fire department says it was “resolved within an hour”), you can see from the above tweet that those sidewalks are not going to be usable anytime in the near future.

KPIX has a little more detail from the scene. “The weather onslaught this week has already begun impacting trees weakened by months of drought,” the station notes. “A massive tree toppled over early Thursday on Sutter near Webster in San Francisco. It ripped up the sidewalk, crashed onto a parked car and tore down utility lines.”

And while these rains may be encouraging signs of ending the drought, more trees may fall specifically because of the drought. The trees’ dried roots are simply not as strong as they would be in a normal year. “With the drought, we’ll be watching the winds carefully because we know our trees are drought stressed,” Marin County Water Resources manager Liz Lewis told KPIX.

And yes, this tree was a ficus, which are particularly troublesome on San Francisco sidewalks. And as controversial as their removal can be, this species has a way of removing itself, with potentially dangerous results.  

Related: Strong Winds Cause Trees to Topple in San Francisco, One Person Injured [SFist]

Image: binslag via Reddit

Many Japantown residents want no part of seeing a luxury hotel there converted to supportive housing. Their supervisor Dean Preston takes up their cause, earning him grief from across the housing discourse spectrum.

When the city announced in August its intention to buy four hotels and convert them to homeless housing, there was definite “one of these things is not like the other” vibe to the hotels chosen. Namely, the Kimpton Buchanan Hotel in Japantown, run by the prestigious Kimpton Boutique Hotels + Restaurants group. That facility is, how do we say this diplomatically, a whole lot nicer and fancier than the other three hotels on that list.

It is also now different from the others in that it quickly garnered more neighborhood opposition. An online petition opposing the project has nearly 7,000 signatures as of press time. “This plan shall impact the destiny of Japantown and the area forever,” the petition says. “Our ancestors rebuilt Japantown after returning from their unjust incarceration during WW II. They rebuilt this area at great human sacrifice. All of us who now live, work, have businesses and worship in this Japantown/Western Addition/Lower Pac Heights neighborhood want to have decision-making in any plan that impacts the area and our lives.”

The Chronicle reported Tuesday Mayor Breed wanted to hit the brakes on that Buchanan purchase (while speeding up the purchase of two others), with a spokesperson saying they wanted more time to “listen to the community, hear their concerns, and try to incorporate their feedback.” Breed found an unlikely ally in that request — the district’s supervisor Dean Preston, a vocal advocate for hotel conversions who's been rather critical of Breed for not allegedly doing enough on that front.

The YIMBYs are jumping all over Preston for the supposed hypocrisy, which of course they are, they hate the guy. But Preston is also taking flak from his progressive supporters. This may or may not coincide with a sort of “clarification letter” Preston posted early Thursday evening, sent to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, but also posted publicly to his Twitter.

“What has become clear from this outreach is that while the Buchanan presents an attractive opportunity on paper, and there is a strong desire across the board for permanent supporting housing in District 5, there are unique and significant impacts raised by community members on the sale of the Buchanan Hotel,” Preston says in the letter. “These concerns broadly fit into four categories: first, the impact of losing the tourist hotel; second, the impact on union workers who may lose their jobs; third, the process; and fourth, the alleged impact of having supportive housing at this site.”

Het then offers up two other nearby hotel options, the Majestic Hotel (1500 Sutter Street) and the Gotham Hotel (835 Turk Street), both of whom had expressed interest in selling.

The “more time for community outreach” is a risky proposition for these hotels, because time is of the essence. As Hoodline reports, the city has to purchase these hotels “by the end of the year in order to qualify for state matching funds to convert it into transitional housing for the homeless.”

Related: SF Plans to Buy Four More Hotels to Shelter Homeless Population [SFist]
Image: Kevin Y via Yelp

There was yet another attack on an elderly Asian person in San Francisco on Tuesday, and the alleged perpetrator is now in jail — but it's also another case of a repeat offender who was out on bail at the time of his latest crime.

The incident happened in Japantown on Tuesday around 11 a.m., near the intersection of Laguna and Ellis streets, and both a security officer from Armada Security who was guarding the nearby Chinese consulate and a bystander ended up intervening and flagging down police, leading to an arrest.

The suspect, whom the security guard described as seeming "disturbed," allegedly assaulted a 77-year-old Asian woman, pushing her to the ground from behind, and then stole her purse.

San Francisco Police Commander Raj Vaswani reported the incident on Twitter, and KPIX subsequently reported that the suspect was arrested nearby. He's been identified as 28-year-old Luis Jorrin, a parolee who was apparently also out on bail for a recent crime that was not named. He was arrested on suspicion of robbery, elder abuse, parole violation, and committing a crime while out on bail.

Evan, the Armada Security guard and was assigned to the Chinese Consulate, tells SFist that he observed the suspect banging a purse against the window of a car, and then was informed by the victim what had happened to her. He called police dispatch and he and another bystander followed the suspected, cornering him at the post office nearby.

"When asked to drop the purse he proceeded to empty out the victim’s belongings on the floor and threw the bag," Evan says. "An SFPD patrol car was coming down the street and I flagged them down and let them know the description of the man and the crime that was committed."

Jorrin was immediately arrested, and an ambulance that arrived on the scene tended to the victim.

"I personally feel like everyone should treat each other with respect regardless of their differences," Evan says. "On duty or off duty I always treat others with respect and will do whatever I can to the best of my abilities to help anyone who needs it."

Photo: Japantown CBD