Since 1958, 4th Street Bowl has been a gathering place for San Jose locals. On Friday nights, longtime bowlers walk through the doors to compete, practice and socialize with people they have known for years.

Eric Fujiwara, a longtime bowler at 4th Street Bowl, said the alley is one of two traditional bowling alleys that remain in the area. 20 years ago, he says, that number was around 12. 

Fujiwara’s team, “Bull Shit,” practices a few times a week before competing together in a league on Fridays. During league nights, bowlers compete while drifting between lanes, visiting the bar and reacting to each other’s shots.

“We’re all rivals,” said Fujiwara. “But we’re family.”

Bowlers take different approaches to the game. Some rely on the ball’s spin, while others throw it at various speeds. Players range in age as well as speed—one weekly regular is 92-years-old.

Other regulars are identified by their outfits or nicknames. One player, with a full beard and long hair, is known by his fellow bowlers as “Young Jesus.”

The Nakatsu family took ownership of 4th Street Bowl in 1994. Many customers have been bowling at the alley for so long that they claim to recall its opening day.

The alley sits in a large parking lot surrounded by hotels, in an area of San Jose where new developments are frequently popping up. Ken Nakatsu said developers have reached out to his family regarding potentially turning the property into apartments.

“Over the years some people knock on our door, give us a cold call, ask about maybe turning this into an apartment complex, or whatever the case may be,” said Nakatsu. “But we’re a bowling alley. We just want to be a bowling alley.”

Fujiwara said many traditional bowling alleys struggled to survive after the pandemic. 

“Those are the lanes and bowling alleys that catered to the locals and leagues,” he said. “Not the fun-time bowlers just goofing off. These are the guys that want to make money bowling. These are the real bowlers.”

The bar is also a regular part of Friday night league games. Julian Garcia, the bartender, has worked at 4th Street Bowl for more than a decade. 

“I see a lot of the same faces over the years and see the second tier of children of people that grew up in the bowling alley,” said Garcia.

After the league games are finished for the night Garcia said many bowlers stay after to have a drink or continue playing.

“A good amount of the bowlers come after and have a drink and some of them go out there and practice until midnight,” said Garcia.

Bowlers contribute weekly dues to play in the league, but the competition offers a way to earn money back over time. At the end of the season, league standings determine prize money—so there’s an incentive to play well. Colored pins can also trigger additional payouts, and players can even place bets before games. 

Fujiwara said the money adds up quickly some nights.

“I woke up the next morning with $650 in my pocket,” said Fujiwara, describing a night of strike-based payouts.

Garcia said the neighborhood around the alley can sometimes bring in disruptive activity, including fights outside the bar. But since the pandemic, he said the atmosphere has become quieter.

“We used to have a DJ and close at 2 a.m. Now we close at midnight,” said Garcia. “We don’t have to deal with the riffraff anymore.”

Fujiwara recalled a fight that broke out after a Friday night league session, saying it started when someone tried to jump a member of his group. 

“He didn’t realize he was a regular here and knew the whole bowling alley,” said Fujiwara. “Now they call me the Tooth Fairy because I knocked out some dude’s teeth.”

Amy Veargason ‘26, San Jose local, said her first visit to 4th Street Bowl felt unexpectedly welcoming.

“I was shocked by how friendly everyone was,” said Veargason, recalling conversations with longtime regulars and people at the bar.

When she struggled with her lack of bowling experience, players nearby stepped in to help.

“I wasn’t very good at bowling, and the regulars in the lane next to me gave me a bunch of tips that really worked,” said Veargason. “They said to follow through to the moon.”

Nakatsu said the relationships formed through league bowling often continue beyond the alley.

“Your bowling league becomes almost like a second family,” he said. “You stay together year after year. Your opponents become good friends. Before long you’re at each other’s kids’ birthday parties and weddings. That’s what bowling is. It’s a way to create connections and build another kind of family.”