My family and I made a short stop at the Little Tokyo Mall in Los Angeles early one Saturday…read moremorning, just prior to leaving for Las Vegas. We were interested in stopping because it was our first time there and wanted to see it, however, we only had approximately one hour to explore. The shopping center wasn't too busy yet since it was so early, but also most all of the stores were closed as well. We did not get the complete experience of everything that this mall offers. A couple of bakeries were open when we visited and I am glad that we stopped! They allowed us to get some sweet treats and pastries, and they actually became one of the highlights of our trip to Little Tokyo! Although some of the stores weren't opened yet, it was great just to explore the area! All of the storefronts at the mall and surrounding Plaza were decorated for the holiday season. This brought an extra layer of charm to the shopping trip and helped create a cozy, festive ambiance! The quietness of the early morning hours created a amazing environment for us to walk through and enjoy our short little excursion to this beautiful shopping center! Although my visit was brief, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I would love to go back again, but next time during afternoon or evening hours when all the shops are open so I can finally see everything the Little Tokyo Mall has to offer!

A must stop every time I'm in Little Tokyo, makes sense since a lot of the shops with things that…read moreI'm interested in are located here. I've been going here for probably 15 years or so. I've seen Anime Jungle evolve and take over the entirety of the underground mall area. RIP to Fairytale Boutique, Fickle Wish, Xenon, and the day and age where Anime Jungle had their own dedicated shop for visual kei and J-rock. Never forget what you've lost. Other businesses have come and gone, like the mochi ice cream place. If you ever get mochi ice cream at the supermarket, it's likely from them and the macaron place that I loved, but alas, tis the world we live in. Other than the Anime Jungle that I go to and Little Akihabara LA for their pop ups and events, I also go to Monkey Pants, sometimes I swing into the Sanrio shop (they usually do the character meet and greets here, if not at JapanLA or somewhere egregiously far), Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle (they got staff POSTED there due to the thefts I'm sure, but I've gotten my bearded dragon keychain here and now I have them in all sizes), Catch (located on the 3rd floor and is MASSIVE for blind boxes and other goods), Neko Stop (I've gotten better deals here than the location in the Santa Anita Mall), and I've stopped in the Nijiya when I've been trapped there to get snacks or some bottled tea. Love the bakery there and the meat buns that they have (despite prices constantly rising due to the capitalist hellscape we live in) and the cafe to get affordable savory dango and takoyaki. The okonomiyaki place is one of the best, if not only places to get okonomiyaki at a place dedicated to the dish. Once in awhile they do a collab with multiple restaurants, not just at the mall too, such as Silent Hill F, Reincarnated into a Slime, during AX, Arknights, etc. Really drives the crowds and businesses here which is nice. Parking at the structure is a bit pricy and can get super fisted with bad drivers though, so keep that in mind.

30 years ago I remember seeing ornate beautiful dishes and lots of cds! now it seems they have a…read morefun, eclectic mix of stuff. there were practical things (like a veggie shredder & lots of tabi), cool postcards, clothing items & also displays by local artisans... which sort of gave it a gallery-like feel. we ended up purchasing an artisanal hoji-cha & an ear picker. LOL, had to get one.

We had some time to kill and so decided to peruse around Little Tokyo and stumbled upon this shop…read more They had a TON of fun Japanese gift items and decor like stationary, postcards, kitchenware, maneki nekos, origami paper, and so much more. They also had a lot of traditional items/supplies for tea ceremonies, calligraphy, and kimonos. I had fun looking through all the items as it brought me back to our summer in Japan. Apparently they have a long standing history in LA, having opened in 1946 after World War II. The shop occupies the site of the first Japanese-owned business in Los Angeles, circa 1890's. Pretty cool! I have a soft spot for everything animal shaped and soo.... I picked up a fun/odd felt tiger Christmas ornament, a cat pen, and a super cute bronze cat shaped spoon that hangs on the side of your cup. Did I need it? No.... but it's fun and makes me happy. Haha! Overall, great shop to browse around and find some unique gift items. They even wrap up your purchases in paper bags like they do in Japan. I LOVE IT!

Thank you, Mr. JORGE and Ms. SUMI, for always supporting our Little Tokyo SPARKLE raffle! They…read morehave t-shirt sales going on right now, so check it out!

July 2025 | Downtown LA | Whenever I'm in Downtown LA in Little Tokyo, it's always fun when I can…read morestep inside of PopKiller! Super cute store & it seems like the theme is "Everything Fun," which I love! I even bought a super cute fuzzy bear hair clip, which is adorable! There are cute socks, fun tees, quite a bit of vintage clothing/items, food, and drink-themed hand bags & so much more! Music is usually upbeat and customer service is super friendly! Cheers to fun!

Was completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of everything here. The people are nice and helpful…read moreand it was a successful trip. There was literally everything you could ever want sewing wise and I wanted to fill my car with so much. I felt that what I did buy was very reasonably priced and of a good quality.

Anything and everything you could ever want in one place. The fashion district is an absolute…read moreexperience. I hate the parking and the traffic as well as the crowds but it's definitely the place to be. Wedding dress? knock off designer bags , a pet turtle they got it all!

We came here to check out the market as we've done it in other cities…read more We liked the different options to the market. It was a lot of different food groups which were great to see. We tried a few different places and liked it. I would come back again!

I was staying in DTLA and decided to hop over here to grab breakfast at Eggslut. I like the idea of…read morethe market. Lot of vendors that have a history with the greater LA area, so it avoids the gradual rise of gentrification which can occur with most food halls and markets in the U.S. I like the open air concept where you can just chill inside or outside and enjoy some good food or brews. You could easily hang out here for several hours, but I had a busy day so that couldn't happen for me. Because I was walking distance, it was a must visit. Not sure if I'd drive into here, but do visit if you can get there via public transport.

I really want to give this place 5 stars but I think with its current iteration it isn't quite…read morethere yet only because there's so much space that needs businesses to come in. That being said, ROW DTLA is a dreamscape when it comes to filming content and just catching city vibes in a safe space. Located near the Arts District this space of buildings used to be utilized for the textile industry. With multi floored buildings creating rows of foot traffic on the ground this space is perfect for events, pop ups, and get togethers. It's one of the reasons why Smorgasburg is held here on Sundays. It's why on any given weekend there may be an event being held, whether it be to celebrate AAPI month or the different creatives in the area. This space is filled with homegrown businesses and unique shops to visit. One of my favorite places is Hightide which is a Japanese stationary and supplies shop. The vibes are immaculate and walking in really feels like being in a store in Japan. Another popular space is Scent Bar for those who love perfume and are aromaphiles. With plenty of small curated artists being featured in this apothecary of aromas, Scent Bar is a nice stop whilst visiting the Row. If you're looking for interesting and discussion worthy furniture A+R is a must, located at one of the ends of the Row. For good coffee with artistic vibes you got to check out GGET (Go Get Em Tiger). Next to that if you're looking for stronger waters is Flask & Field with smaller batch and independent distilleries and crafters. All of this and the parking is free for the first 2 hours. In LA, that's unheard of! And it's a large parking structure with modern infrastructure. Blessed. With all this, hopefully ROW DTLA will continue to grow with more businesses and still retain its charm as time marches forward. Good for a short stay or half a day, if you're looking for things to do in LA proper, ROW DTLA is worth your drive.

Came here to go to the innisfree pop up which was in one of their locations. There's a huge parking…read morestructure here for paid parking, but it's really spacious with lots of spots. It's literally right next to where Smorgasburg is being held, so we spent whatever little time we had there and didn't really explore the rest of ROW DTLA. Though I have to say that I was very surprised that were even still in LA. No graffiti, trash everywhere, smell of human wastes or anything. Very clean, modern, spacious, and calming even with the crowds of people there. Felt like an oasis in LA. Though that comes with the price, seeing the businesses here. Yes they look nice but it's giving hoity toity performative LA folks vibe and I can see why rent to live in LA is so high. Nothing really piqued my interest as a non normie, but I'm sure if you are one or like these kind of non franchise, off label places, for normie looking, better quality clothes, home goods, etc. this is for you.

Walking into The Last Bookstore feels less like entering a shop and more like stepping into a…read moredifferent world. Housed inside a former bank, the space already carries this grand, historic energy that sets the tone before you even start browsing. What makes this place unforgettable is how it's designed to be explored, not rushed. There are cozy spots scattered throughout where you can sit and get lost in a book, but the real magic is upstairs. It opens into a maze of rooms, each with its own personality, filled with carefully arranged books that feel more like art than inventory. At times, it genuinely feels like you've wandered into a dream. One of the highlights is the famous tunnel of books, which adds to that surreal, almost cinematic experience. Everywhere you turn, books are used as decor in the most creative ways, and it creates this quiet moment where everything else fades out. Upstairs also holds one of my favorite parts, a row of art studios featuring work from local artists. Every piece feels intentional, unique, and thoughtfully placed. Right nearby, there's a small coffee shop surrounded by beautiful artwork, making it an easy place to pause and take it all in. This isn't a quick stop kind of place. Plan to spend a few hours here, wandering, discovering, and just enjoying the atmosphere. It's one of the most iconic bookstores I've ever been to, and it absolutely lives up to the reputation.

from my experience, the last bookstore is one of those places that, if you've seen it on instagram,…read moreyou already know the one. it's definitely more of a destination than a practical bookstore you'd go to shop at. my instagram feed has seen a few cameos from friends and strangers who've visited, and after seeing it pop up a few times, a friend and i decided to stop by a little while back. that said, i wouldn't really recommend it if you're going in search of a specific book. it's less "grab a book and go" and more "wander and hope something finds you." everything feels pretty scattered, so if you are looking for something in particular, be ready to spend a good amount of time browsing. it does get unbelievably hot inside, especially when the weekend crowds pick up for photos in the iconic book tunnels, shelves, and art installations upstairs. it's definitely a unique shop, but it really leans more "experience" than "practical bookstore." it feels a bit like a bookstore where the real plot is the decor, and the books are almost supporting characters in their own store. i did find it funny how they call out shoplifters with signs outside the entrance though. i've been once, took my photos (bc duh), checked it off the list, and happily moved on.

they have an excellent selection of gadgets, trinket and all things cute HOWEVER, as i was perusing…read morethru the aisles on a rainy day mind you, the worker kept asking me to move so he could mop the floor just trying to clean while im clearing occupying the space and looking around, in the end i couldn't get a good look because he kept getting in my way. seriously such an annoying thing to experience

BE WARNED! Terrible products and they won't refund you when the garbage they sell falls apart…read more My 8 yo son bought a soft toy for $35 - it was his own money so it meant a huge amount to him. Within a few weeks the stitching came apart and the filling fell out. We tried to return it and they refused - apparently they only take returns on the day of purchase.