Kokoro Assisted Living Inc sits in San Francisco's Japantown, right where the old Sokoji Buddhist Temple once stood, and you'll find the place has a strong Japanese and Japanese-American feel to it, with about 90% of the residents coming from that community, but it's open to folks from other backgrounds too. The place has 54 apartments, and they set aside 37 of them for seniors with low to moderate income, offering both studio and one-bedroom styles with private bathrooms, a refrigerator, microwave, and an emergency call system, and some studios work for couples, and while there's a total licensed capacity for 61 people, as of May 2025 there are about 14 staff working there, always someone up and awake to help in case of problems, which gives peace of mind to families.
Residents at Kokoro must be at least 55, and the care runs from light to heavy, with different percentages for each level but always focused on dignity and respecting each person-there's help with managing medications, standby help for moving between bed and wheelchair, staff who monitor diabetes and incontinence care as long as the person can help a bit themselves, and full-time LVN nurses along with certified nursing assistants, and there's even help if someone needs hospice care or transportation to appointments. Meals come three times a day in a dining room where you'll see both Japanese and Western dishes, snacks are always out, and everything gets made by an in-house chef who tries to blend Japanese tradition with American tastes, so if someone craves a familiar dish there's a good chance they'll find it.
The staff provide lots of activities to keep people busy or moving, including exercise classes, strength training, programs for spiritual growth, cultural celebrations, and creative things that bring together Japanese and American customs-there's a sanctuary, an outdoor courtyard, a library, and indoor spaces for gathering, and you can tell they put effort into making community connections and supporting both physical and social needs. Many of the employees speak Japanese, so folks who feel more comfortable in that language do well here, and the entire service is meant to be culturally sensitive, with the mission to help every resident stay as independent as possible while feeling safe and comfortable.
The management comes through Sequoia Living, a non-profit group, and a Board of Directors with NCP Senior Ventures, LLC handling the day-to-day, and Kokoro Assisted Living is licensed in California, listed under residential care codes and a provider for health and social services who've earned recognition for meeting certain standards. Technology-wise, the place keeps a simple online presence with a website and some staff emails using a set pattern, but most important, the feel is homey, with well-worn routines and lots of respect for people's heritage, aiming to make everyone feel they belong and can live in comfort and dignity.
