5 Best Sights in International District, Seattle

This huge, fascinating Japanese supermarket is a feast for the senses, and a 2020 remodel makes it easier to navigate the colorful mounds of fresh produce and aisles of delicious packaged goods, with unique sweets and savory treats from countries throughout East and Southeast Asia. A busy food court serves sushi, Japanese bento-box meals, Chinese stir-fry combos, Vietnamese spring rolls, and an assortment of teas and tapioca drinks. It's almost a department store, with housewares, cosmetics, toys, and more. There's also a fantastic branch of the famous Kinokuniya bookstore chain. The large parking lot is free for two hours with a minimum $20 purchase—don't forget to have your ticket validated by the cashiers.

One of the only museums in the United States devoted to the Asian Pacific American experience provides a sophisticated and often somber look at how immigrants and their descendants have transformed (and been transformed by) American culture. The evolution of the museum has been driven by community participation—the museum's library has an oral history lab, and many of the rotating exhibits are focused on stories from longtime residents. Museum admission includes a guided tour through the East Kong Yick building, where scores of immigrant workers from China, Japan, and the Philippines first found refuge in Seattle (check the schedule, as this is the only way to see this section). The museum also offers weekly guided tours of the neighborhood along rotating themes.

Follow pathways adorned by Mt. Fuji trees at this lovely hillside pocket park. The trees and a 200-year-old stone lantern were donated by Seattle's sister city of Kobe, Japan. Despite being so close to I–5, the terrace is a peaceful place to stroll and enjoy views of the city, the water, and, if you're lucky, Mt. Rainier; a few benches line the gravel paths. The herb gardens you see are part of the Danny Woo Community Gardens, tended to by neighborhood residents. Across the street from the park is the historic Panama Hotel, featured in the novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Artifacts from the days of Japanese internment are on display, including a window on the floor showing a basement storage space containing a time capsule of unclaimed belongings.

About 20 minutes south of the International District by car, sit 20 serene acres of streams, waterfalls, ponds, and rock outcroppings created by Fujitaro Kubota, a 1907 emigrant from Japan. (Other examples of his work show up in the gardens on the Seattle University campus, and the Japanese Garden at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.) The designated historical landmark of the city of Seattle is free to visitors, and tours are self-guided, though you can go on a docent-led tour on the fourth Saturday of every month, April through October, at 10 am (reservations required).

More arcade than museum, this space puts a collector's life's work in play: more than 50 pinball games line up on the two floors, all included in the price of admission. The games rotate out frequently, and the collection includes machines from as far back as 1934 right up to recent releases. Entrance includes unlimited games, so take a break to chat with the staff, who can point out interesting features like the cigarette holders on the older machines. Children under 7 are not permitted to play.