"The cool breeze cut into the heat of the warm, San Jose afternoon as seven young men walked the blocks known as Japantown. The streets were relatively vacant, the shops mostly closed, but the small community was still alive in many ways. From the murals of dragons on the walls to the small restaurants overflowing with people, the small town was as Japanese as could be expected. A market, with cold mackerel next to brightly colored sandals, laundry detergent along-side Asian liquors, and a friendly Japanese couple running the place. Japantown was not a bustling community of extravagant people, but a quiet community held together by a deeply rooted culture."