11. Fort Lee also has a large Japanese and Russian population
Though Fort Lee is commonly known as one of New Jersey’s “Koreatowns,” it also has a sizeable Japanese and Russian community. According to a 1976 New York Times article, Fort Lee was compared to a “little town of Tokyo” with many Japanese restaurants and markets. Today, Fort Lee has the largest concentration of Japanese Americans in New Jersey with around 2,500. The headquarters of the Japanese-American Society of America, which was founded in 1974, is on Main Street. The society was created to offer language, culture, and translation programs for the local Japanese community, as well as host Japanese language programs for native English speakers. Classes have included Sado (Japanese tea ceremony) and Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement). Fort Lee is also home to the Japanese Weekend School of New Jersey for younger students.
Fort Lee has its fair share of Japanese restaurants, including Raku Izakaya, which specialized in Japanese barbecue and sushi; Sazanami, which offers a selection of Japanese curries; Soba Noodle Azuma, known for its noodle sets; and Sushi Aoki, a popular sushi bar with an omakase menu. Though not as pronounced, Fort Lee also has a small Russian community, many of whom shop at Syberia, which is known for its selection of Eastern European hot and cold foods.
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