projects > Japantown Was Forever

Japanese American History, Japanese American Pilgrimage, San Jose Nihonmachi, Japantown
Untitled (Sakamoto Barber)
Digital Photograph
August 2020

The Sakamoto Barbershop was a community hub in San Jose's Nihonmachi. It was established in and operated since 1953 by James T. Sakamoto. He passed away peacefully in his home, on March 28, 2020.


I returned to this location several times, to photograph it in a variety of lighting conditions, waiting for parked cars to move. This image was taken on August 25, 2020. The smoke from the SCU and CZU Lightning Complex fires made the light gold even at mid-day.

Click on the upper right corner to enlarge.