Janet and Smiley Kai own and operate a great little ukelele store Ukelele Source, in San Jose’s Japantown, on the corner of Jackson and North 5th (599 North Fifth Street, 95112; 408.998.2640)
What caught my eye was the proximity of a Ukelele Jam studio — defunct, I soon learned — directly across the street. Who knew?

Janet was too shy to pose for my photo. They have a range of stuff. One of these days, I may have to learn to play the uke. If not this place, and not Hawaii’s Holualoa Ukelele Gallery, then Gryphon in Palo Alto or McCabes in Santa Monica (Janet knew of the last two of those).

They have an extensive web site. They say this is an outgrowth of their many years co-presenting Hawaiian music shows and workshops here (something Janet was a little coy or sly about mentioning when I met here, and namedropped having almost presented George Kahumoku once, and that he played at the library, in Palo Alto).