Lovely staff and friendly environment, good selection of blind boxes also. Definitely recommend for out of towners

Really cute place, a bit overpriced tho, I've seen items they sell on aliexpress but up charged like 10 dollars

I love coming to kawaii gifts to look at all the little trinkets and nic nacs. Some of the things are a little pricey but they have tons of good stuff. I personally love the minions in disguise mystery boxes. read more

Kawaii Gifts - Minions in disguise - Gift Shops Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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My first trip was July 2024 for my bday, and I fell in love with this place! Super friendly workers, lots of figures, keychains, kpop albums, etc. and not crazy expensive like a lot of kpop/japanese merchandise stores. They also host a lot of pop-ups for kpop album drops, which is super amazing. I've become pretty good friends with one of the workers, and I can say this is such a great store for anyone into kpop, Japanese shows, figures, stationary, etc read more

Kawaii Gifts - Gift Shops Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Why are the Sonny angels so expensive? All authorize sellers in NY sell them 10-14 dollars before tax this place is an authorized seller, but selling them at 25+ after taxes per one blind box with a limit of 3 per person. -.- if you are gonna charge the same amount as the scalpers/resellers then you shouldn't have limit and also sell box set so their less chance of dupe. I do not recommend to travel their especially if your a collector. Better to just buy off stock c with no limit or to go to posman books where you can buy your Sonny angel for normal retail price and they are an authorized seller in both in PA and NY. read more

Cute store with a decent selection of collectibles. The prices are a bit high for what you're buying, but it's a novelty store so keep that in mind. Definitely worth popping in even if just to look around. read more

I love this store, it is one of the only places in Pittsburgh that you can find Kpop merch and albums. The wall of sanrio plush is what dreams are made of! I do agree that it is a little pricey, but I usually find that to be the case when you are buying name brand and not knock offs from Amazon. If you love kpop, kawaii, Disney, anything adorable, I highly recommend this store! Oh, also everyone who works there is super sweet and I love their presence on social media read more

Made a 3.5 hour drive to come and visit this store that I've been wanting to check out for awhile and I'm so glad I did. I was able to find some of my favorite k-pop merch (bts, stray kids) and found so many cute kawaii things like rilakkuma, my melody, and much more. Surprised to get a cute free photo card after purchasing a stray kids album. Definitely would come again! Loved my time here. Also, had anime merch as well! read more

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This is another one of those stores that I have always drove by but never bothered to see what it was about or go in. Last week, that all changed. I never knew such a cute and adorable store existed in Pittsburgh! If you don't know what "kawaii" is, it's the culture of cuteness in Japan. It's a popular culture in aesthetics, entertainment, clothing and more! So everything in this store was "cute" living up to the pop culture standard but also seeming to be authentic. Much of the packaging was not printed in English. No worries though, the packaging allows you to see exactly what was inside. Plushes, pens, paper, notebooks, enamel pins, book bags, mugs, and so much more!! Since the store is really small and tightly packed, you have to book a private shopping trip which lasts 20min and allows 3 members of the same household. I'd say we probably used 10-12 minutes of our time so it was perfect. read more

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Entertaining space selling Japanese candy, soda, stationery, and accessories. The vibe this place goes for is like a more permanent version of a vendor stall at an anime convention, selling licensed tie-in products for various media (think Sanrio) - this place lives up to the "kawaii" name. However, it has two marks against it: one is the exorbitant price of some of the goods, including stationery. I am not sure how many people are willing to plop down close to 10 dollars on a piece of Pikachu-themed stationery. Although keep in mind most of the goods are imported and the store benefits from its location in a neighborhood known for people who live and work there having a greater amount of disposable income than other areas of the city. The other issue is the somewhat limited nature of the media the tie-in products relate to. You probably won't see much that isn't related to the aforementioned big-name media (Pokemon, Hello Kitty, etc.), and only one (at most two or three) currently popular flavor-of-the-month anime/manga series (which, at the time of this writing, would be Demon Slayer and the like). I am glad Pittsburgh *has* a place like this to begin with, but I didn't feel drawn back in as a repeat customer. read more

This review is for Kawaii Gifts POP UP store which is in the rear of actual Kawaii. Walking down Walnut I saw a sign for "pop up" store, it of course piqued my interest so I went in. The entrance itself is so beautiful and serene. Tucked away from the hussle and bustle of walnut. This is a "$3 store" everything is $3! Unless otherwise marked. I tool pictures of the huge selection that this small but mighty pop up store provides: makeup brushes, umbrellas, notebooks, glassware (yes for $3!), makeup masks, and so much more. The staff working at the time was very helpful; and not pushy about buying things. If you are in Shadyside be sure to stop by, the pop up will only be open until Christmas (according to staff). read more

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Very cute store! I spent almost an hour looking at all of the little things because I wanted to buy the whole store. My work desk is definitely more joyful to look at. The staff were also friendly and helpful without checking on you too much. The only downside is the store is somewhat small and I would love to see an expansion! I definitely plan on returning read more

I had looking for the BTS DECO Kit and finally found it at Kawaii Gifts. Everything in it is amazing! They shipped it super fast. Price was amazing. Love everything about it. I will be buying more from this shop. read more

i love this store so much! it has tons of sanrio stuff, anime stuff, pusheen stuff and more! everything is really high quality and i love how the plushies feel! the workers are really nice and helpful and i want to go back- sadly it's 5+ hours away haha! the value is pretty good too, it's not overpriced but it's not cheap, which helps me know i'm getting good quality stuff. read more

Kawaii Gifts - anime figures, keychains, surprise boxes, plushies, my favorite shelf! - Gift Shops Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Kawaii is my happy place. I like to come in just so I can make myself feel good on a sad day or touch the really soft plushies. Of course, there isn't a single item I do not want in this store. I want EVERYTHING they sell. I collect paper and stickers, so it's kind of overstimulating for me to search and choose things within a budget. I've been to Japanese gift stores across the country, and I'm convinced that Kawaii is the best. The prices are fair given important costs, and they always have REALLY hard to find goods. It's faster and safer than using eBay, where items are often fakes and shipping costs and arm and a leg. Kawaii is always a nice atmosphere. It's a wonderful store that fills me with so much happiness, and they are sure to get in the hottest toys and collectibles as soon as they can. This store has lots of great things for gifts, yourself or collectors like myself. I come here as often as I can, and if anyone feels like buying me presents, PLEASE BUY ME STUFF FROM HERE. Or a giftcard. ;) I'm a huge fan of Kawaii, and I wish it the most success possible. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing shop nearby. read more

UPDATE: They are back open! And I bought things! And the women working there were awesome. I did plop down some money there, though because a lot of things weren't available (in bags and disarray due to the floor thing), I probably saved some money, too. In any case, super nice folks, and I'm glad I went back! THE FLOORS ARE DONE, BUT FOR POSTERITY: Based on the window, it's really cute. I knew it'd be up my alley (ha, since it's off an alley), and I can see Pusheen, Hello Kitty, the mustachioed rabbit, and more. Alas! I took a taxi over here to drop a few hundred on too much cute, but they're re-finishing their floors and are closed. :-( Portland could use a branch of this store, which is probably the only chance I'll have to shop kawaii. While I wrote this review, six people have tried to go in--it's quite popular. sigh read more

Kawaii Gifts - They were closed for flooring! Wah! (BUT THEY ARE BACK OPEN NOW) - Gift Shops Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I used to love this store! It was such a fun find when I was a Pitt student. There were so many items spread between two rooms in the store - various articles of clothing to stuffed animals to stationary to silly cute gag toys...and so much more. I had a blast just wandering around exploring everything. Nowadays half of the store selection is gone - most of the clothing was removed, leaving some toys, sticker books, those sorts of things. You can barely even fit in here anymore because after eliminating half of their space (not exactly sure when or why this happened) they crammed as much stuff as they could into what little space was left. I hate walking in here now; it always feels like I'm going to knock every single thing in the store onto the ground. Not to mention, everything in here is pretty generic now. for example, my old favorite, the stuffed toys that represent various germs or microbes, are long gone. Everything I can find here now is just...average cuteness, in the vein of Hello Kitty. Nothing spectacular, nothing that I can't find online. I don't think this store is awful and I know some people will definitely like it, but I personally miss the old Kawaii Gifts and I'll always remember the old stock fondly. Maybe one day the current version can return to its glory days. Until then it's just not for me. read more

This place is da bomb frosting...if you can find it! On the snowiest, darkest, chilliest day ever, I am wandering Walnut Street fruitlessly trying to find it! My phone GPS was no help b/c the walking function didn't work well and out of the 3 different shop owners on the SAME STREET, no one had ever even heard of this store. The snow had also obscured their sign and chalkboard. When I finally found it, it was on accident b/c I was trying to get away from the snow and stepped into a neat alcove. A light shined as I entered. I had finally found the land of the cute things. Can't even describe how cute all the items are and so high quality. I wanted everything and was originally in here just to browse and check it out. I did make 2 impulse buys of notepads with cartoon llamas on them because duh...so cute! The store owner is very nice too but it is hard to navigate and very cramped! There was only one other lady shopping in there and I kept having to say excuse me b/c our coats and bags were in the way of each other. Prices, of course are pretty high. But they DO accept credit cards, so that's great. The bags and receipts are pink as well. How cray cray is that? I've always been a stationery connoisseur and get all the most artistic notebooks, pens, notepads and paper from China every time I go. Since Pittsburgh is a generally white-washed town, this spot of Asian goodness is a win! I need all my friends to go here so I can revel in Kawaii gifts! read more

If you're into this Japanese kawaii culture, this is the only place I know of in Pittsburgh that can help you get your fix. To find your way into this tiny basement shop, look for the sign near a mini-sidewalk-alleyway off Walnut and step down into it. The first thing you'll realize is that you've never, ever seen so many Hello Kitty things in your life. Then you'll realize there's actually more around the corner. I had no idea what the rest of the licensing was, and most of it was in Japanese, but evidently there are other, similar fads to Hello Kitty with their own merchandise lines of odd cuteness that may or may not have a practical use. This is a pretty popular shop, judging from the parade of shoppers filing through the cramped aisle, fawning over this and that cute and odd item. The cashier was very polite and ready to assist anyone who needed help. An interesting place to wander. read more

Kawaii Gifts - Kawaii Gift Shop - Gift Shops Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Such a cute store. I want to buy everything haha! The staff is very nice and I love the products they have in stock.

I had a response back week later after I contacted again. After I sent pics of the damage items , I had to pay for shipping to return the item & get a refund . I ended keeping the damage stationery . Disappointed, I had to pay for the return shipping for the damage. The store has older stationery but they had raised the prices recently to $10 for letter sets & memopads . . Also, the older stationery from my experience all will have an indent of the paper clip that holds the stationery . Majority of the letter set will have the indent . They will not replace the item unless you pay for the return shipping . The damage of stationery is from their part . I don't know why I would have to pay for the return shipping. I ended up buying the same stationery thinking it was just the one letter set . Nope, it all had the paper clip indent on the letter set again. I don't understand how the store continues to sell the damage stationery for full price & still ship it out to the customer. I could see it clearly there is a indent mark on the letter set . It does not make sense to me about their return policy . read more

5 out of 5 stars. Yep. I said it. When this store first opened, I was skeptical. Could it really survive off of Walnut Street...? Then I saw the prices on their stuff and I sighed and knew that if there was a big enough market, they'd probably last a while. And then some. And they did. They even expanded their shop and opened another store in the Ross Park Mall. If you are a fan of anything CUTE and Japanese you need to check this place out. They carry TONS of cute stationery, stickers, pencil cases, plush toys. Don't expect to find any "anime" related paraphernalia here. This is NOT an anime store but rather a store that just sells cute shit and character goods from Japan. Just saying! They used to have an expanded section of their shop but it's now a jewelry store. I asked what happened expecting the guy to say they didn't have enough business to warrant keeping it but he said it was more due to the fact that the store was so big and they only have like 1 person in there at any given time so it was hard to keep tabs on people drifting around in there. And they don't really have cameras so I guess they were worried about shoplifters. The only downside is the prices....I can EASILY drop $50 there on any given trip. If shopping for friends in mind, more like $100 due to sales tax and such. But it is worth it to have such a nice little place with all this great stuff from Japan in one concentrated place! But admittedly it is frustrating to someone who has lived in Japan and only paid 100Y for stationery that is marked up to $7 in the US. =( The price you pay for convenience and a nice location! read more

I've gotta say it as my friend would say it....this store is like Hello Kitty just threw up the most adorable merchandise EVER! I mean that in thee nicest possible way to describe what this store is like. For anyone into Japanese culture, this is the store for you. And I know MANY people that are totes into this. I must say, I passed a handful of things that I would have liked to make a nice little home somewhere in my house. I mean, most things I have no clue what I'd do with it (mini notebooks, adorable strawberry stickers, sushi erasers) but it doesn't mean that I don't want to buy it all! Blink and you'll miss it. You've gotta turn down a narrow hallway, if you will, to get to this store, right off walnut. But once you head down those stairs, you're in a colorful wonderland! I really wanted to walk away a proud owner of a stuffed cupcake with huge eyeballs. Someday I'll find a need for it....right? Or maybe I'll just go back and purchase it, knowing that I'll be giving it a loving home.... read more

We need maybe a whole hour to get through all the cuteness of this tiny shop! Love it!!! read more

Kawaii Gifts - Gift Shops Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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The fact that I used to live in the same zip code as Kawaii Gifts should bring me joy, but instead I just ache for all the Saturday afternoons I did NOT buy things there. I would have gone broke if I'd permitted myself to enter more than once every couple weeks, but I'd be happy. Broke and happy. This is perhaps one of my top three favorite retail spots in the world. The world! The stationery selection is gigantic and hilarious--lots of badly-translated English that will leave you giggling and, most likely, utterly confused. I have trouble using my stationery sometimes since most of my supply is running low and I hate to use the very last sheet of paper that says, "The egg of breakfast is liked" or "Have a good sunshine days!" Cell phone doo-dads, cards, stickers, T-shirts, journals, and more round out the mix. Even if you're not a big shopper, you owe it to yourself to stop by this Japanese kitsch wonderland. read more

Before I moved to Pittsburgh, I would visit this store's website to buy San-X items which are harder to find in the US. Upon moving to Pittsburgh, I was so excited to finally get to visit the storefront. San-X, Hello Kitty, Ugly Dolls....this store is a mecca for anyone who is a fan of the cute. In addition to a huge collection of limited edition figurines, they have a small but cute clothing and accessory selection plus a huge collection of the tokidoki LeSportSac collection. If you are in Shadyside, don't forget to stop in and visit. read more

These stores do not pop up often in the east coast, and especially one with an inventory as thorough as that of Kawaii Gifts is rarer, even for west coast standards. Although the majority of the items are blatantly marked up in price, I give them 5 stars for being conveniently located in Shadyside and carrying so many things that could be potential gift items. Oh, and you're welcome for dusting your super-low ceiling in parts of your store with my head. read more

Though the space is slightly below ground and incredibly cluttered, it is always a must visit every time I'm in Pittsburgh. Which is unfortunate because I have clocked many an hour in this shop. Since there is no rhyme or reason to the organization, I take my time and look in every nook and cranny. Everything is overpriced (you can get to twenty bucks quickly with a few pens) but you can't this level of cuteness anywhere else in Pittsburgh so it's worth the premium. read more

Kawaii Gifts - Folders - Gift Shops Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I don't know who I would buy this stuff for....but I want to...so badly. I definitely plan on going back. The store is well organized and the items are super cute (as the store name would suggest). It's very hard to avoid an impulse buy...but I resisted today. read more

Wow, Kawaii Gifts is such a cool treasure to have here! You will love this store especially if you like Japanese animae including Pusheen, Rilakkuma, Aggretsuko, Hello Kitty, Afro Ken, etc. They have really cool little trinkets that are fun. I think that they should have more t-shirts, being that how it is based on animae characters and as a fan boy you want a t-shirt of your favorite show. Do be aware that although the store is very cute their prices are not kawaii. They have pens that are 7 dollars, 7 dollars for a pen! The plush animals are 30-50 dollars, so expect to get ripped off, or maybe you can haggle with them to get it down to a reasonable price. I didn't try that, but the lady is very nice, so maybe that is possible. You can find most of these things for cheaper online though, so while it is nice to be able to come and check out these nice unique gifts, I will most likely just buy them online so as not to get ripped off. read more

Being that this is the only "kawaii" merchandise store in the entire state of Pennsylvania , it's definitely something new to you all. It was a refresher to finally see this emerge when I had been collecting many things online. I liked the large variety here but it's for sure overpriced lol. eBay is much cheaper and asian markets all over California sell tons of this stuff without costing ten arms and legs. I occasionally bought items from here that I like so I don't wait for shipping. Pens are overpriced. I mean 9 dollars for a pencil geez. I can buy that from japan for like $4. They indeed sell lovely products and it's always my favorite shop but I've experienced much better. To a Pennsylvanian though, this is all you got. It's better than nothing, and it's also great for small gift ideas ~ read more

CUTENESS GALORE. I'm sure my face looked like this @___@ the entire time, mesmerized by the pastels and fluffiness and kawaii-ness of this gift shop. It's conveniently located on bustling Walnut St, but in a side alley, which can be difficult to find. The shop has a narrow entrance area, which gets a tad more roomy near the back of the shop, but it's still pretty cramped. However, it's a worthy tradeoff for the multitude of stationary, plushies, figurines, and random knicknacks that fill every nook and cranny of this shop. There's a lot of Sanrio (Hello Kitty), San-X (Rilakkuma, Mamegoma, Sumikkogurashi, etc). Studio Ghibli merchandise, and many other characters I'm not familiar enough to know the names of...man, my kawaii game is weak. Aaaand so is my heart...and my brain. I was so tempted to buy everything, and very unabashed in my "uwaah"'s and "eee"'s as I browsed through the store. Unfortunately, cuteness also comes with a price, and I didn't end up buying much. The price point is a little higher than say, buying it online, but the instant gratification and not having to worry about shipping from China/HK/Japan can be worth it. I also noticed that most of the Studio Ghibli merch was priced similarly to stuff you'd find in Hot Topic. So if you're really eyeing something, I'd say...go for it. :) I bought a clear file decorated with the San-X character Mixed Cats (I swear anything with cats on it screams "BUY ME" in neon flashing lights in my head), and it was about $5. My friend (who lives in the area) mentioned that they get most of their stock from various conventions, which makes sense. Definitely check this place out; it'll be sure to brighten your day. :D read more

Kawaii Gifts - so cute! - Gift Shops Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Cute cute cute shop! The place has wall to wall of adorable cuteness of varying degree. I stumbled upon this shop when exploring shady side and double taked when I read "kawaii". As in the Japanese word for cute that just makes people think of obsessed anime fans? Out here? And not at an anime convention? I stepped in and was not disappointed. There was no anime goods just walls of cute. Both my roommate and I have very specific and different tastes in cute and yet found ours near effortlessly. We left with armfuls of gifts for each other, ourselves and our friends. The only downside would be that the stuff is pretty pricey since it's authentic goods with a likely high cost to import. But my god is the stuff so very excellent. read more

I happened upon this store while walking down walnut street with a friend. It has a hidden gem feel to it, since it is located in a kind of alleyway and down some stairs. The inside is crowded with goods, the aisles are close together and full of cute products and the walls are packed from floor to ceiling. The vibe is definitely similar to what one of these stores are like in Asia. The prices are fair, probably a bit higher than what you might find online but it more than makes up for it with the charm of a brick and mortar store that shopping online lacks. The store lives up to its name, it has a huge assortment of kawaii things that would make good gifts, although you might be tempted to keep what you get for yourself. There's a ton of things to look through even if you don't have anything specific in mind. Before leaving my friend and I each bought a tokidoki unicorno blind box. I got Margherita which is funny because I just had the Margherita pizza down the street at mercurio's! Even the shopping bag was pink with a hello kitty theme. If you happen to be in Shadyside with some free time, you should make a trip to this store. If nothing else, you're guaranteed some entertainment just looking around, but don't be surprised if you find yourself unable to resist leaving with a thing or two! read more

I've been coming to Kawaii gifts for years and years! One of the Japanese exchange students talked me into going when I was in college and I visit every time I'm in the area now. They were the first licensed SanX retailer in the US and that seems to drive a significant portion of their sales. They are, as the name suggests, mainly a purveyor of cute Japanese products of many types, but they've branched out into the weird and cult type gifts too. You'll find everything from Rilakkuma to Ninjatown and other assorted oddities here. For import goods they're usually a cycle behind. You can't expect to find things that are released in Japan for at least a few months. You also pay premium compared to what you would pay in Japan, but the prices are on par or cheaper than other US retailers. The location is really good, an alley just off from Walnut St. This is the original location and the the only one I've been to. The staff is usually friendly but not overly engaging. I prefer it that way, the shop is tiny and if staff was running around trying to offer people help when they don't need it, it would be chaos. read more

I've been a Sanrio gal literally my entire life. I'm talking over 30 years. It was always a big deal to get a My Melody, HK, Keroppi or Badtz Maru gift. This store brings it all back! They have such an incredible collection in a small space without it being cluttered or a whole lot of nothing. I never leave empty handed and prices are super reasonable. read more

KAWAII!!! This place is exactly what it's named. Tons and tons of kawaii products, especially in the back half of the store. Lots and lots of cute Japanese paper, sketch books, erasers, pens,etc. I love getting the letter sets which usually contain envelopes, sheets of paper and labels. The ones I've purchased have ranged from $2.99 to $4.99. They also have plenty of surprise boxes(mystery vinyls) widely ranging in sizes and prices. Some prices are a little steep which is why I gave it four stars. KAWAII!!! read more

I have been coming here for YEARS. Like, throwing back to the weird high school-er I don't even know how I got here from the South Hills kind of days. To not have to wait to go on vacation and drag everyone to the Sanrio store is a blessing for the whole family. If you love stuff and cute stuff (two of my favorite things), this is your haven. Like Rachel mentioned, you WILL miss this place if you aren't carefully looking. 2nd block down, hang a left through a Jack The Ripper looking little pathway. Ta da! Open the door to a tiny basement of wonder. Very crowded wonder. They use to have two separate sides, but the one was higher end mostly Hello Kitty stuff if I remember correctly. We don't need that anymore. You can buy Hello Kitty at Target. You aren't here for that. The reason to come here is for the San-X items. Oooooh man. This includes Rilakkuma, the bear that everyone has as a phone case and some hidden gems like a little dude that sits in a tea cup. Who knows. I have spent a bit on stationary and pens and little figurines that I have no idea why I have them besides them being adorable. They are the ONLY licensed retailer of San-X (according to the San-X website) in the eastern US, aside from one store in NYC. Kind of impressive, right? Now I have only been to this store, so I can't vouch for the two new mall storefronts, but this little cutesy underground cube is awesome. Even if you aren't super into Japanese stuff, pretty sure you can find something cute enough that you NEED IT (because why wouldn't you need a pencil case with a cartoon of a happy orange on it?!). Kawaii is a staple of Walnut that is a must for Shadyside visitors. read more

this store is so amazing! kpop albums are really overpriced but it's so nice to have a kpop store in pittsburgh that i can go to all the time and they usually have what i need! the workers are so amazing and i usually end up talking with them about anything and everything! would totally recommend read more

I really love this store! The first time my friend took me here ((not too far a walk from where she lives, so we walked there)), it was a surreal experience. It's tucked away down a small flight a stairs, in a tiny alleyway that almost reminded me of something out of Harry Potter. Kawaii gifts is a great name for this place; everything they sell is SUPER KAWAII (puns intended.). I feel like I've gained a dozen cavities from looking at all the merch. Even the bags they give you are pink and have hello kitty all over them. I have a few Ball-Jointed Dolls, and a dozen Monster High dolls, so my favorite things to look at in here are the miniature things. like; erasers, small plushies, cellphone charms, etc. If I looked at their other merch...I'd probably leave with both arms full of stuff I have no space for. This shop has so many lovely things! My only cons of this store....it's a tad tiny, and it'd be nice to see some anime stuff. But, those really aren't that much of an issue...more like, grabbing at straws. If you're ever in the area, and are a fan of Japanese merch (especially the cute stuff), DEFINITELY check this place out! read more