Unsung gem of a Japanese household goods store tucked in a corner of Japantown. Calling it a high-end Daiso is doing it a disservice, but if one took the kitchen/household section of Daiso and replaced all the items with crafted wares, and things that are not disposable this is the feel of Sanko. Cutting to the chase, I'm here for the Hasami Ceramics. While one could order these online, Sanko carries the entire line. One could touch/feel and purchase these on the spot. read more

What a great place to buy gifts for the cook in your life. Stylish, unique and practical items. We had a great time browsing here. Found several fun gift options. They have a small fry pan wi the a removable handle so it can also be used as your dinner plate. read more

Simply beautiful! Totally enjoy my visits to the store. Interesting finds. Staff is friendly and nice. read more

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I love coming here and looking at the lovely ceramics and glassware. It's a very aesthetically pleasing store. They have items made by local artists and imported from Japan. Today I brought home a locally made soy candle, a Hasami porcelain mug, and matching plate. Definitely a great shop to check out when you're in Japantown! Plus the workers are helpful and friendly. read more

Sanko Kitchen Essentials - Paris brest on my new Hasami Porcelain plate + matching mug - Kitchen & Bath Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing curators of Japanese housewares. I love this store! Warning, it's hard to visit and then leave empty-handed. read more

Very cute little boutique shop full of home decor, jewelry, etc. I'm glad I decided to visit it. Seems quite popular as well since it had a full house :) highly recommend ~ read more

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The only thing keeping me from buying everything I see is the prices. They aren't bad given the quality of most of the stuff here...and for Japanese imported design stuff it's about right in cost. Just be ready to pick up one or two things and go daaannng. That said, there are some great buys here that are not too pricey to. Everything I've picked up here was great: tea set, small towel, 7 spice blend, random kitchen stuff. Ya...they got my number for sure. read more

Newly-named SF 76 (formerly Sanko) is my favorite shop for gifts for others and myself. Their home goods are beautiful and classic. The aesthetic is clean, smooth, but never taken too seriously. I am so so happy that Sanko was saved during the pandemic and became SF 76. San Francisco needs more places like this - where culture is embraced, celebrated, and enjoyed. Please please please support them! read more

The olde sanko, which was closed this summer, was way better than the current one. I got an amazing selection of high quality, beautiful kitchenware from them. Their sake cups and mugs were especially exquisite. Now it's just a bunch of unappealing 'minimalist' products. read more

I love all of the Japanese items in this classy store. Lots of unique pieces that anyone would be proud to own and display. read more

Sanko Kitchen Essentials - Adorable merchandise - Kitchen & Bath Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing selection of Japanese porcelain and drinkware from tea cups to sake, to an incredible selection of kids and traditional Japanese bowls, this place's got you covered. It's staffed by authentic Japanese speaking star with a wealth of knowledge. You will notice that the bowls here are very light yet durable - a sign of excellent craftsmanship read more

One of my favorite places to visit in Japantown! They have the most extensive Hasami Porcelain selection I've seen in SF and a lot of knick knacks for your home and kitchen. We've picked up chopstick rests made by a local artist and a bamboo chashaku for spooning matcha powder. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, even when we bring our French bulldog into their store full of fragile items. read more

I was gifted two custom made mugs and I absolutely love love love them! They used pictures of my cats and made several for my gifter to choose from. I actually want all of them =). The artist was able to capture my kitties facial features and personalities beautifully! The extras go on the shelf so you might just be able to buy one with my kitties on it!! I have not gone to the shop myself but if I'm ever in the area, I will definitely pop in for a lookey-see!! read more

Sanko Kitchen Essentials - Amy and her "mug" mug. - Kitchen & Bath Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Who knew that purchasing a lunch jar called Mr. Bento would have such a profound effect on my life? Now, I race to stores like Sanko to buy tiny cutters to make flower-shaped carrot cut-outs for my favorite Washingtonian's lunch. All because of Mr. Bento. But bento accouterments are not the only treasures you'll find here. Need small cups for sake? Deep bowls for soba? Tiny plates for sushi? You'll find all that and more in this tiny Japantown shop. read more

Mariko the manager (and former owner for 35 years) was super helpful and helped me pick out a gift. The store is full of many different kitchen where the tape crafts. These include little sake bottles and glasses to compact storage systems, pans, pots, etc. Always nice to find a little treasure like this in the city. I imagine a lot of people with individual tastes in Japanese made goods visit here. The stores to nice collection of various things and if you want a Japanese theme to your kitchen or dining room, or you just look for some interesting minimalist Japanese infused creations, this is not a bad place to check out. Being in Japan town it also allows you to enjoy a few other Japanese inspired offerings. So you can get books crafts even a Japanese hardware store. Overall a neat place especially to get a unique gift as the merchandise is made in Japan with many items hand made from manufacturers with a long history. read more

It's a can't miss place in Japantown. I understand people coming to Japantown for traditional Japan souvenirs. But this shop is totally beyond that. It has traditional Japanese kitchen essentials with modern look. It's not just kawaii but very simple look making it modern, too. Definitely love to shop here in the future and recommend it to all my friends! read more

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Dropped by here mostly because I wanted to pick up the King 1000/6000 combo whetstone that they have. Friendly employees, large selection of knives (including Hattoris, MACs, and a plethora of other high-end Japanese brands), small collection of whetstones, and lots of other miscellaneous things like cups and bowls. Like some others have noted, Sanko is a bit on the pricier side (I got the King for ~$50, while I think it might go for $35 elsewhere). A note: Sanko is wheelchair accessible, to a point. I could get past the front door and move around the front (where the knives and cash register is), and to some lesser degree the last aisle where the sharpening stones and some cups are. read more

A cute little store with some uniquely designed kitchenware. The staff is kind and willing to help you find the right cup. Be wary of the big step in the middle of the store since the shop is on a slope. read more

I thought this store renovated and looked more modern while selling some common dining ware that you normally see in Japan. Their products are made of highest quality, and of course priced high. They have also cute things to put in your home or kitchen. A small store that is great to look at and may somehow trying to sell it. I liked the layout, it is more relaxing, more organized and not cluttered. Great job from the owners who wanted a clean aesthetic, modern and minimalist look for shoppers to look around, and shop calmingly. read more

If you're in need of a gift for someone who loves to live in the kitchen or entertain, this place has very nice, affordable kitchen accessories and serving tools. Attentive, yet not overly attentive service. If you browse both rooms, you'll find something you have to have for yourself, too! read more

I went into Japantown for coffee cake and ended up browsing around Sanko... they were having a huge sale! (25th anniversary!!) I spotted some bowls. Cute, white, perfect for rice or ice cream (not for me, silly). But did I *need* them? No. So I put 'em back. Just as I was thinking of walking out the door, a smiley little lady asked me if I needed anything... then *another* sweet and smiley lady offered me a cup of green tea! "It's very cold today. You warm up!" I was instantly charmed! I sipped my tea, walked over to the cute little bowls, chose 4 instead of the 2 I'd contemplated earlier and walked up to the register. When smiley lady #1 rang me up , she told me that I got an extra 10% off of the already marked down price!! Nice tag-team sales technique ladies. That and I guess I'm a sucker for nice people who give me tea and smile a lot! read more

One of the most Japanese places in all of Japantown, Sanko is a go-to place for fancy ($5 to $150) made-in-Japan bowls, tea cups, sake bottles, chopsticks, bento boxes, vases, and the like. It's more of a housewares and gift store than restaurant supply or even kitchen store. You could Japanize your kitchen and dining room in style here for about $500. There's a nice old school feel to it. The presentation is beautiful, the merchandise is all good, it's a little cramped and eclectic, and there is some wonderful hospitality. When I visited they poured tea for me while I shopped, refilled it when I set it down, carried my items up to the register, packed everything carefully in just the right bag when they noticed my motorcycle helmet, gave me several free gifts because I had made a substantial purchase, offered to giftwrap, and exchanged bows and excited formalities like a tipsy sushi chef on my way out the door. All of this is really special, it made me feel good all day, and I will have a nice memory of the purchase every time I put a bud in the vase, or spoon some pasta from my bento box on my desk at work. It's an ideal way to shop, in my opinion. Prices are high-ish but the worth it given the quality. Also, they have frequent store-wide sales and discounts, so what's marked at $20 is often available for $12 or $14. Best of all, they keep the lucky cats to a minimum, and none of them are made of plastic or do that creepy waving arm thing. read more

This store had all the major facets of my Obachan's kitchen back home. The had the same types of bowls I remember drinking miso from in mornings in my youth. It had the same wooden rice bowls and paddles for serving tableside. It had the 5 gallon rice cooker like in her kitchen, the mochi machine, the bamboo mats for rolling sushi, and the porcelain sake decanters with the black and gold flowers like she had in her kitchen. They even had sets of beautiful black lacquer and mother of pearl chopsticks that only my grandfather used. This place is a bit expensive, but it has everything you need to run a proper traditional kitchen. They have a great selection of knives which I would have purchased were I not completely happy with the Santoku I presently own. All the knives are well balanced and a great weight. All the bowls are beautifully designed and there are enough gadgets that Sur La Table just doesn't provide. The prices are a bit on the expensive side, but that's only to be expected. I knock down one star from this establishment because the isles are so narrow that I kept worrying I would break something. read more

This place is -the- absolute BOMB. Incredibly beautiful, unique pottery, ceramics, and all that good stuff. Lots of stuff you can't find online or in other similar shops around SF Japantown that also have ceramics. I sorta just wanna own the entire store. The shopkeepers are very friendly, too. One of them let me know that local imports (i.e. local pottery artists) come every 10 days or so, and Japan imports every 2 months. That's fresh!! read more

0 stars!!! Don't come here! I just called and they said they close at 530pm. I wasted my time driving here, finding parking and they locked me out at 5:22pm. Ridiculous!! Perfect example of how a lazy employee will ruin your business. She told me to get lost. read more

Sanko Kitchen Essentials - Horrible experience! Don't shop here! - Kitchen & Bath Near Me - San Francisco, California

CAme here twice now. Cute little place. Im a big supporter of local and small businesses. I came here twice now to buy japanese dishware. Im nit picky when it comes to things matching. The first time i bought two bowls and I love them. They are heavy and pretty and very well made from japan. So i decided to buy the set of plates and other bowls to go with them. Both time i spent about at least 30 min in the store just sitting on the floor and staring at which ones to get and handling them, switching in and out to see which one i wanted. Im sure i've made the store owner very nervous by walking and looking so furiously for the perfect bowls and plates. but she was very patient with me asking if i was ok and when i had questions. The second time it was a bit easier, They recognized me and served me tea and left me alone because they realized that I come here often enough. They were very helpful and informational about the things they carried in their store. Yes some things are a little more eye popping to see the price tag but it's definitely worth it. (It's tempting when daiso and the other hardware store are so close and so much cheaper). The new set of dishware i have now are all Japanese made and they are sooooo pretty, handy and much more durable than any clay and porcelain dishwater i've ever own. You can tell they are handled differently and made of a different material And depending on which one you get i've realized some of them are hand crafted. People didn't understand what i was looking at when i stared so intently at the patterns and designed. Because every brush stroke pattern on the dish were different. I really love this little shop, Thank you for being here and i will keep coming back. read more

Sanko may be a small shop but it packed with kitchen goodies. All the items you would need to prep, cook, present and serve your food. (Then store the leftovers!) Their inventory ranges from the practical to the beautiful to the "OMG, SO cute!!" to the funny (need an extensive set of plastic food models?) in that particular way that only Japanese shops can accomplish. I was oogling the sake sets and the gorgeous glassware while B was drooling over their high-end Japanese cutlery. When he asked the counter girl about their knives, she went in the back to bring the resident knife expert up front, who then pulled each knife out of the display case, let B inspect them them all and told us the details about each piece. The knifes are pricey but it's in-line with the craftsmanship and quality, and about the same price that internet sites are selling them for. The shop ladies were super friendly and the knife lady complimented on how pretty I was. They even served us hot tea as we shopped. If that isn't customer service, I don't know what is! We'll definitely be back. read more

Art of Wax Food. Wax was styled to look like food. By the 1970's, the attention to detail and realism had raised this to become a sort of pop-art form for Americans. Possibly created in the Meji Era to introduce Japanese to Western influences. Because once I see it created in wax, I want to try it. A picture is worth a thousand words. This place had TONS of fake food for sale. Half price. I wonder if Lady Gaga's next foray into pop art will have a wax food derivative? read more

This packed store had a nice selection of items - from plates and mugs to trinkets and cooking gadgets. My only gripe is that their prices were 15-20% higher than Ichiban Kan and the near by hardware store for the EXACT same items. It also drives me nuts when there are three prices. The "list" price, the price after the "20% discount", and then the lady saying "Additional 10% off lowest price". The free cup of tea was a nice touch, however. read more

So we walked by and noticed a sale and took advantage of it. my BF and i were in the market for a sushi set so we found some matching pieces and chopsticks (good selection) and bought them. 2.50 for soy sauce dishes. 4.50 for sushi plates. 5.25 for chopsticks. But i wish i would have waited till we got to katashi -much cheaper. this store has an amazing selection of beautiful dishware. i mean the whole store is jam packed. but some of it can get kinda expensive. which is why we took advantage of the sale!! the people were really nice and told us our chopsticks were dishwasher safe. read more

What a charming place! It's like setting foot in Japan. Quaint, clean, elegant. They have a good selection of kitchen essentials, from vases to chopsticks to bowls and plates. The prices are hefty but not outrageous. Make sure to check out this little hideaway in the quieter part of Japan town. read more

In terms of price range, they straddle Shiki down the street with everyday dishes, bowls, utensils and chopsticks with the back room packed with higher end pottery from the major pottery centers of Japan including Mino, Karatsu, Bizen, Mashiko, etc. On any visit to Japantown, you can find me in the back room staring and drooling in front of the Oribe serving platters and bowls which sell for a few hundred dollars each. read more

How come I didn't get any tea just for walking in? That probably would have kicked this place up to 5 stars. Oh well. If you take Soko Hardware and replace the hammers & nails with even more exotic ceramic plates, bowls, & tea sets, and raise the prices, you pretty much get Sanko. Worth looking around even if you can't afford anything (especially if you're already making a trip to Soko), plus there's more mundane kitchen gear if you need it. Also, they have some clearance bins out front with some far cheaper, though still appealing, dishes. read more

I absolutely loved this place! Ceramics are a bit of a hobby for me, and I had a wonderful time looking at all the unique things they have at Sanko. I liked that they had things in every price range. The ladies working there are very sweet and helpful, I loved having a cup of tea while I shopped. I ended up going back the next day and buying more I had such a good time, haha. read more

Service = friendly and helpful! They offer you a cup of tea, free! :D Prices = moderate to expensive. It depends on what you're interested in... They're tea containers are reasonable, but their tea sets are a bit on the pricier side. BUT, most of them are made in Japan! I've given up on having tea cups, Japanese, Chinese or English.. it's just not for me (as in too breakable for me. lol) I finally bought a ceramic soy sauce container. I've had plastic ones, and they always leaked out or the cap would get clogged with salt. It was under $5.00. It's their 10 year anniversary sale... so everything is 10% off, even the sale prices! So get to it...and stock up!! They charge slightly less for the sale stuff that is outside, if you pay with cash. Otherwise, they do accept plastic! read more

Japanese knives are the best. You can find them all here, plus some guidance too if you need help choosing. There is everything imaginable in the Japanese kitchen here... from the tiny condiment bottles for your bento... or the fake tempura to display in your window. For me, the draw are the knives. read more

This is a super cute and well-stocked Japanese shop with all sorts of dishes and housewares. Prices range from reasonable to some really well-made pieces in the upper price range. We've picked up a few pieces here for some sets and it's great if you're looking for just a few different pieces instead of full sets. There's also a huge range of chopsticks made of different materials and designs, as well as cookbooks for Japanese food. read more

Great place to find beautiful and simple ceramic planters, mugs, bowls, and serving dishes. Also great selection of Japanese stationary supplies - leather and fabric bound notebooks that look very smart and make lovely gifts. They will gift wrap items for free and they do an excellent job. The items are not super cheap but prices are very reasonable in my opinion for some of the items that are on par in style and quality to Heath ceramics. Highly recommend a visit if you're in the area. It is a beautiful store space and the ladies who run this shop are very friendly. read more

Love it! I wanted a teapot and Sanko was one of the few places to have the style I wanted. They were also the most affordable. I ended up getting a stylish pot for under $30. The employees helped me find what I was after and advised me about its construction. They even passed out free cups of hot green tea as we browsed. The kindness of the employees + the well-stocked store mean that I'll always return to Sanko when I'm in SF. It's not to be missed. read more

Wow this place has a pretty extensive selection of bowls, plates, cups, etc. and the nice Japanese women working here will offer you free ocha (Japenese tea)! The super friendly staff is very helpful and a lot of their wares are inexpensive (found one tea cup that was $10 at two other places for sale here for $3.60!). I didn't spend too much time in here since I found exactly what I was looking for, but I'll definitely be back. Make sure to drop in here if you are near Japantown Center! read more