Try sushi with a Southwestern kick
Shohko Cafe (shohkocafe.com) peppers its sushi menu with dishes like green-chile tempura and shrimp-stuffed jalapenos; viga ceilings and rice-paper screens extend the Santa-Fe-meets-Far-East theme. Check out the sake list (Demon Slayer and Only One Daughter are among our favorites) and, for a splurge, order the omakase—the chef's inspiration of the moment. Closed Sun; $$$; 321 Johnson St.
Hit the hot springs
Shoji and Ichiban are the latest bath experiences ($49 and $69 for 90 minutes) at Ten Thousand Waves (tenthousandwaves.com), the mountainside onsen, or hot springs, about 20 miles from Santa Fe Plaza. Soak in hand-thrown ceramic tubs (the first of their kind in America), set in an outdoor Japanese garden. On Hyde Park Rd.
Find your Far East style
The word shibui means "highest ideal of beauty" in Japanese, a concept that is taken seriously at Shibui antiques store (shibui.com). Pick up handwoven obis, samurai sword guards, and erotic woodblock prints at this jewel box of a shop, crammed floor to ceiling with Asian antiques such as tansus—traditional wooden chests. 215 E. Palace Ave.
Change your art perspective
There are fewer than 100 expert bamboo artists in Japan today, but TAI Gallery (textilearts.com) represents more than 40 of them. Take a break from the Southwest-themed galleries on Canyon Road and contemplate delicate bamboo weaves and undulating sculptures in TAI's soothing space. Closed Sun; 1601B Paseo de Peralta at Guadalupe St.
