Such a cute little hidden village in the heart of downtown LA. You could drive by and notice signs of the area but not till you walk through. It's a small stretch but once inside it'll amaze you. Just follow along the pathways and you'll enter an area where it's shops and restaurants. It does get busy so be prepare for that. There's two main parking structure next to it but street parking and public lots are available. Inside you have a small grocery store. Limited in things but they do carry a good selection of produce and Asian items. Then there's all the fun and amazing desserts shops. Anything Asian pastries they should have. The smell of fresh baked items as you're walking by. There's a good amount of ramen and sushi spot with the revolving sushi maybe the most popular at the beginning of the strip. Theres always a line so get there early to put your name down. You have all the fun Asian stores with anime, fun apparel and trinkets. Asian anime lover heaven. The day we stopped by for lunch it was packed. The village was crowded as well as all the parking structure was full. We were walking along the outside of the village as it was too crowded looking for someplace to eat. There was a crowd following each other which I asked someone what was going on and it happened to be a Pokémon battle. Let me say, the place was packed that we thought there was some kind of convention or a tour has happening. It literally brought out so many people. Also I love the fashion there. Kids and adults showing their amazing fashion skills with anime related clothing. The fashion show happening as you're just sitting there on the stoop. The amazing fashion scene where it's all individuality insisted of judgment. Little Tokyo is a hidden spot in downtown that you should check out. It's not big so you could get through it pretty quickly. The restaurant, shops, boutiques, stores are all cute and worth a wander through. LA does have its nice area. Heads up, if it's your first time here. A couple blocks from here is the sketchy area of skid row. Tents and homelessness so just heads up so you're not shocked and freaking out. read more

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JAPANESE CULTURE & CUISINE UNLEASHED! I love Little Tokyo, I feel safe every time I'm around the area and the businesses are fairly friendly. I haven't had a bad experience with anyone here. Most of the Japanese restaurants are tourist traps although they tout they're "authentic", I'd skip most of them. Overall, more anime events and cultural festivities are blossoming in Little Tokyo, so there's always something to do! I recently visited Kodansha House and one of the night markets near SomiSomi on a Sunday night. Personally, I recommend the discount shops. Theres a lot of bootleg items in some of them, however, I find neat backpacks and anime-inspired gear once in a while! I've gotten decent deals. If you're a visitor there's several hotels and places to stay nearby. Things close up early, but you'll find a few late night bites here and there. Note: The metro is accessible from Little Tokyo. read more

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I love Little Tokyo. It's so much fun. Whether you're looking for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or treats there is something good. It's also near plenty of other good restaurants and breweries. A variety of shops help make it a nice visit. I still haven't had the opportunity to visit the Japanese American National Museum. Looking forward to it when it reopens. read more

Little Tokyo - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I loved going to Little Tokyo in LA! My family and I stopped by the Little Tokyo mall on our way back to Las Vegas to get a few baked items and desserts. Upon walking throughout the neighborhood, there will be numerous food establishments such as ramen, sushi, bakeries, and cultural attractions that you can visit all within a few blocks! Also, as you walk around you'll see numerous places to purchase Japanese snacks, gifts, and specialty items. Whether you have just enough time to stop by and take a look or plan on spending several hours sampling all the different types of food, you'll enjoy every moment you spend in Little Tokyo! One of the most enjoyable parts of visiting Little Tokyo are the Plaza areas which have a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere depending upon your time of visit, there may be additional decoration or other seasonal touches added to enhance the ambiance. I went over the Holidays and it was so pretty! This location is also a good spot to relax while taking in the surrounding views as well as grab some food or dessert from the many locations available in this area. I ended up stopping into a few different bakeries Saturday morning like Café Dulce. Little Tokyo is an amazing choice for if you want to explore another area of LA! The combination of the food, shopping and cultural aspects will provide a memorable and entertaining visit, especially if you like to try something new! I highly recommend it. A lot of the shops were closed Saturday morning, so I plan on visiting again during the afternoon or evening hours when most places will be open! read more

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It's so great that Little Tokyo is right by the metro station, it makes getting there without a car super easy, which is what my friends and I decided to do. Every time I come, we end up having such a fun time exploring, and I still find new spots to check out! This time, we stopped by one of the crochet vendors and even bought a little flower. So cute!! We also finally got to try Millet Crepe. There are so many matcha options in the area that it's hard to try everything in one visit, but this one definitely did not disappoint! Ice cream + crepe is always a winning combo! Lastly, we stopped by Nijiya Market to grab some drinks after all the sweetness from the crepes had us thirsty lol. It's honestly so convenient having a grocery store right there, it makes it easy to pick up random snacks and drinks while exploring. Overall, had such a fun day in Little Tokyo. Can't wait to come back again! read more

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I love little Tokyo! This is a cute, fun place to come and hang out for a couple of hours or a day trip. Lots of shops to check out little Japanese trinkets, and even a small grocery store with Japanese goodies. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, though most of them have the same types of food (sushi, teriyaki, noodles). There are a few bakeries located here as well. Most of the restaurants will validate your parking, but be warned you must park at the Japanese village lot, because the one next to the mall is a flat rate. It can get crowded but overall feels safe, just don't venture off the main area. read more

Little Tokyo - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Little Tokyo has some nice shops and places to eat. Most of the places are sit down restaurants. We didn't have the time to have a proper meal but I wish we were able to eat at one of the restaurants. They looked really good. They have some authentic Japanese items for sale and a lot of Anime. There is also a Japanese American National Museum across the street. I enjoyed walking around here. It is enlightening and I learned some things about the Japanese culture. I enjoyed seeing the authentic decorations in the area. It is a peaceful and quiet area. It feels safe. read more

Little Tokyo - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Sad to say this is my first time and I'm born and raised in LA. LOL This is such a nice way to spend a day. There's so much stuff to see and food to eat. And an even better way if you aren't able to take a big family to Japan this is much better! There's a little something for everybody to enjoy read more

Been in and out of Little Tokyo now for decades and yup! some parts remain the same and parts have progressed and morphed into greater things, places to visit, places to dine, places to shop, etc. Parking is iffy on the streets. You can find parking structures to enter but check the rates before entering. New places? Centrl Office! A place commuters can go to use office facilities. (Note- They did offer a YEE for the Yelpers) Iconic Places? The Japanese American Museum Iconic Eats? Fugetsudo on 1st Street Iconic Memorials? The Ellison Onizuka Statue with the Space Shuttle Current likes? LA Lakers and Shoei Otani Current Fads on the streets and the retail stores? La Bubu and La Fufu Go there! Enjoy the day ps- Some Trivia! I'm writing this review to follow up on my check in and who do I find on the face picture of this Little Tokyo Site? Our friend from Honolulu, HI ! None other than Peter C read more

Little Tokyo is the largest and most populous of only three official Japantowns in the United States (all of which are in California- San Francisco and San Jose being the other two). We spent most of our time walking around Japanese Village Plaza. There are a variety of restaurants and shops including Nijiya Market. U.S. National Register of Historic Places read more

I've frequented little Tokyo for years now but I recently came to attend their Silent Hill event and it's so cool, they really decked out little Tokyo, and a lot of the wonderful places we love have new silent hill merch and food offerings! Check the map on site or their instagram for a full list (just be prepared for a LONG wait on weekends). Little Tokyo is great for families with so much yummy Japanese food, Japanese super markets, anime merch, claw machines and gachapon! They opened up a new store called Catch on the second floor and it's awesome. Come visit for a little taste of what Japan has to offer! read more

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There are no public restrooms. Place is jammed packed. Do not recommend. Will never return.

I always enjoy a weekend afternoon trip to Little Tokyo. The people, sights and sounds are one of the million reasons I love my city! I was visiting an art exhibit at LA ArtCore Center by Chiho H. If you are visiting Los Angeles you can stop and check out Little Tokyo! read more

Little Tokyo - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Fun Fact Alert! Did you know, hold up if you knew this already then I apologize for taking this quick minute. Ok, this Japantown is the largest and most populous of three official Japantown's with the other two being San Francisco and San Jose. Onward, besides that fun fact this area has cool public art as well as museums. But for us foodies it has a bunch of sweet and delicious mom and pop shops and so much to explore. I can't name everything but there's a lot of legit places to visit if you're a foodie. If you're a minority like me you'll definitely feel right at home and with anyone judging you like certain areas. The only gripe I have is with parking so be prepared when you visit. My personal recommendation is to come hungry and of course super adventurous and definitely pace yourself! And that's my take, Peace out read more

Just like any culturally designated location of a large city -- it will hold a special place in the hearts of many. Different aspects of Japanese culture, food and tradition are loved by so many! Walking through Little Tokyo you'll come across takoyaki stands, sushi restaurants, ramen spots, Japanese art in different forms. You can spend your whole day walking through the bustling Little Tokyo area. My family and I walked in different bookstores, clothing stores, and bought tons of goodies. I ended our long day with two hand rolls to go! Such a fun experience! read more

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Every time I have a day trip in LA, I always have to stop by Little Tokyo. Whether to get some Red Bean Mochi at Fugetsu, Blueberry Crumble at Cafe Dulce, shopping at Pop Killer and Bun-Ka-Do, Matcha Tea & Soft Serve at Tea Master Matcha Cafe, and the numerous local shops you must check out. Everyone is very nice. Parking is a pain, but that's normal for every downtown area. I just love coming here to grab a bite or just to walk around. Thank you Little Tokyo for the delicious bites and sites! read more

Been coming here for years and always take our friends who are visiting from out of town so that they can experience it and do a bit of shopping! So many new stores that have opened and changed over the years. Lots of new ones that are fantastic like Korean hot dogs, Neko Stop for blind boxes, the pop up store they use for things like square enix pop up, and more! They even have a new Bandai gachpon shop which is the new thing nowadays! Always a beautiful time here despite the amount of homelessness. Still a beautiful place to check out and support all the local businesses. The only downside is the lack of public restrooms. If you're not dining in, good luck finding a restroom for public use. Nearly impossible! Otherwise still a great place to visit! IG: @ammysalamii read more

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Been coming here for years. Was always a special trip as a kid. We used to have family gatherings at the Far East Cafe (restaurant closed long ago, but the neon Chop Suey sign remains). Anyway. Lots of little shops and restaurants to peruse. Good for a solid half-day/evening of fun. Of course, there's always the required stop at Fugetsu Do for some mochi treats. Kura the revolving sushi bar is here along with their beverage serving robot...think Roomba with Pepsi. Nearby is the Japanese American Museum. Also, Union Station and Olvera Street are within walking distance, though I would stick to daytime hours for that. Just take Alameda over the freeway about half a mile. Just keep in mind that like anywhere else in a major city downtown area, parking is a challenge. The homeless are out in numbers and as a result, very few bathrooms are available to the public. Skid Row which is the homeless capital of LA is a couple of streets over. Overall, nice little area to hang out, browse and have a bite. Plus, a little history thrown in. read more

It's in the name. Little Tokyo is Little. It's just a few blocks with many Japanese businesses mixed in with some random ones. I'm not sure where the boundaries are but, there is things within a couple blocks in either direction. Some staples have been here for decades like the traditional mochi shop. Shopping wise it's got Japanese grocery stores, restaurants, Japanese trinkets, souvenirs, anime, and beauty stores. A bit of everything but, not over saturated. Parking is hard to find on the street, but paid parking is there. It's worth a visit - most businesses are predominately Japanese but, not all. Lots of Japanese events and festivals are held here. read more

A great spot to enjoy Japanese cuisine and culture. There are so many little shops here, we stopped by for some ramen and ice cream. I love the architecture of the Japanese Village Plaza, and then read about how they received the National Honor Award in 1980 for Urban Design Administration. It is a little packed on the weekend, watch your pets and children if you take them. There's also little booths set up nearby with cute little trinkets and a lady playing nice calming music on the street. read more

Little Tokyo - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Japanese Village Plaza is a delightful spot that transports you straight into the heart of Japanese culture, right in the middle of Los Angeles! The variety of shops is impressive too offering everything from groceries to unique cultural items that capture the essence of Japan. You can easily spend anywhere from few hours here, savoring the flavors or simply wandering along the charming walkways. The only downside is no public toilets. Bathrooms are at the restaurants but only available for their customers . Parking is connected to the plaza and the max was $15 or street parking near by . Very packed on weekends. read more

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Little Tokyo is exactly that- kinda small compared to Japantown in San Francisco, which is where I grew up, but I like this place better. The smallness of the area makes it easier to get around. It's spread out amongst a few streets, but it's very centralized. There are some of my favorite places to eat down here, like Marugame Monzo, Millet Crepe, and a bunch of souvenir shops, restaurants, and even a cute little grocery with fun snacks. The only setback about this place is parking can get hard when it's busy, but it's worth it. read more

I am Japanese American and volunteer/work with the Little Tokyo community here with various organizations, and wanted to give my recommendations here! There is much to do beyond typical "kawaii" things, and a rich culture of JAs here. If you can go to the festivals such as Nisei Week, those are really fun. You can get parking validation at some of the parking lots. Be aware that there isn't much public restroom because of the homeless. I use the Dave's hot chicken one if I get something there. I recommend checking out Little Tokyo Table Tennis for good streetwear (their hats are really popular), Nostalgiana for their high quality hoodies and traditional goods and the store below, and Japangeles for their awesome collaborations. These are lovely local businesses, and they have some great items! Go check out the JACC, they often have events! I also like going to Kyoto Gardens in the double tree hotel. I like to also go to the JANM, very interesting to learn some important history. Check out the Go For Broke monument too and learn some history behind it. Food wise, I like going to places such as Koraku for a mom and pop feel. Same with Fugetsu-Do, they keep the atmosphere alive here. MITSURU Cafe and Cafe Dulce are also quite popular here as well. I also like the ramen restaurant combo next to Daikouya when Daikokuya is crowded. Take your time exploring, make sure not to fall for the drop shipped things, and you'll have a good time! read more

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Everything about this place is great! Tons of shops for souvenirs. Like any tourist spot, it is crowded. I love that there are a bunch of Japanese restaurants all around the block. Parking is a bish so plan ahead. read more

Little Tokyo - The entrance to the village. - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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No public restroom,for the mall . They focus you if you need restroom you must pay for food.

A touch of Japan through the eyes of American anime , cosplay, and Hello Kitty fans, Japanese restaurants, shops, souvenir stores, sushi spots, and various other venues. read more

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This might be my favorite part of Downtown Los Angeles. My girlfriend and her girlfriends from Fullerton love hanging out here on some weekends without me around lol. Some of the best Japanese food, and shopping places to go. I like the Japanese Supermarkets here too. Nice Anime shops to buy books and costumes and what not. I try and spend time here every chance I get. read more

Little Tokyo offers a variety of shops and restaurants. The places I've visited are usually at the Japanese Village Plaza and I could usually find parking at the Little Tokyo Mall parking garage. I love the cute white and red lanterns that adorn the Japanese Village Plaza and the wish-covered tree. I don't come here often but the last time I visited happened to also be in December. On my most recent visit, I came with my cousins visiting from San Diego and they loved it! They enjoyed ramen from Daikokuya while I enjoyed an iced latte from Cafe Dulce. Pros: - The atmosphere - Japanese culture - a variety of shops and restaurants Cons: - Parking is hard to find read more

Little Tokyo - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Little Tokyo has always been a vibe and there some pretty good restaurants as well as shops around the area. There was some entertainment of people playing music and singing and others were blasting some jpop/anime music. Overall a solid vibe with a decent chunk to do. Some restaurants really get busy during peak hours. Inside Little Tokyo it's not too bad but when you get outside there are transients walking around but they didn't really seem to bother anyone. read more

Little Tokyo - Outside - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Cool shops, love the energy and vibe. Unfortunately they don't have any public restrooms, the only way to use one is to order food from the restaurant to use theirs. They're trying to be authentic like Piss Alley/Memory lane in Tokyo or skid row down the street. Streets are super dirty with puke and smells of urine read more

Little Tokyo - Plaza next door - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

A lot of great items to buy, including merchandise like bags, pins, plushies, and shirts. read more

Little Tokyo - Sailor moon - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I wanted to share pics and video to reference with my review. Lots of fun things to see, hear and do. I recommend a visit if in the area. read more

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Sightseeing in Los Angeles, California... Little Tokyo is like the Japantown of Los Angeles. It's what lured me to first visit LA... There was a Hello Kitty exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum ... And I HAD TO go! It was in Little Tokyo and I'm lucky that my friend showed me where to park and how to get around. Since then, I've always enjoyed visiting Little Tokyo. The food, the shops, the vibe, the decorations, the anime costumes that people wear... LOL! Sometimes, there's live music and a special festival happening! It's really fun, educational, and interesting! I especially like the Ellison Onizuka Memorial...it's a replica of the Space Shuttle Challenger! Ellison Onizuka is an Astronaut from Hawaii!!! Note: I parked for free in a loading zone after hours! See you again, Little Tokyo! read more

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This is always a great sight seeing place and to just enjoy the day. There is so much to see, try, and enjoy. I have been here multiple times and I always find something new. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and dessert places throughout the whole stretch. Many places to take pics and to sit and relax while taking in Japantown. There are multiple parking locations in the area but I suggest walking around the whole area because there are some hidden gems. If you are a fan of anime and Hello Kitty, there are a few famous shops to check out while visiting. This area tends to get really busy so just be careful. Lots of traffic and lots of people. read more

Little Tokyo - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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As 2 broke icons, we could only venture out into Little Tokyo to live out our FRUiTS dreams... Shoichi Aoki how we citrusly wish you were there to photograph us Eating yummy cute foods and desserts, reading manga, checking out figurine/cosplay/merch stores, and just walking around the area was pretty much what we did. It wuz indeed a berry fun day x3 read more

Little Tokyo - citrusly berry cute - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Much much much much much more authentic than the San Francisco Japantown... Better restaurants, better stores, better decos, better vibe, better everything, better..... bet....be....b.... What more do I need to say... read more

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Honestly a review for Little Tokyo in the eyes of a veteran weeaboo lol. There was a time when Anime Jungle did not have 5 stores. I do miss those times since there was a variety of stores and things to look at and shop for. There was the Cure J-rock store that was a subset of Anime Jungle that used to host lots of J-rock, VK, alt-music guests and have fashion gatherings, from then on there was the Xenon J-rock/VK store that tried to do the same. Once upon a time there was also a Lolita fashion store that also had gatherings and had indie designer items as well. More recently, there was Fickle Wish, that sold lots of Japanese street fashion brands as well as merch from indie designers, but no more. Now, it's mostly Anime Jungle that has dominated the entire basement of the Tokyo Village shopping plaza building. I do love the Assist cosplay store the most but everything else, has become so bland. Speaking from the view of non-casual anime fan, the most you're going to find here are the shonen top 6 (One Piece, DBZ, Naruto, Demon Slayer, JJK, Tokyo Revengers) with maybe some other popular series/flavor of the season things tossed in with almost ALL the anime stores located in Little Tokyo right now. If you're lucky and can wait in the Anime Jungle line, you MIGHT find something rarer or second hand. Also, BEWARE of bootlegs since there are so many stores that carry them. If I had to go out on a branch, I'd say more than half of them do and ALWAYS know the price point of what you are buying instead of just buying things immediately. As for the markets, there's nothing really there you can't also find at other Japanese chain markets. The restaurants here are almost generally fisted with lines, especially Daikokuya, Marugame Monzo, Kura, and Shinsengumi. That extends to smaller cafes and shops like Somi Somi, etc. My rule of thumb is that if there is a location ANYWHERE ELSE where you DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR PARKING (Daikokuya in SGV, Kura at the Brea Mall, etc.), then it's not worth getting here. As for other restaurants, it's a real mixed bag. I find the ones that do an amalgamation of almost every Japanese dish (sushi, ramen, udon, donburi, bento boxes, etc.) all at once, tend to not be very good and is very pricey for what you get. If I have to recommend places to go, it'd be the matcha focused dessert places, the Japanese fusion pasta place, the okonomiyaki/taiyaki place, the bakery that has all those meat buns outside, and Mitsuru Café for cheap snacks. The daifuku/mochi shop always has long lines and they almost always have their stuff supplied at Japanese markets like Tokyo Central, so if you can save yourself the wait, make sure to do so. The Japanese American museum and the plaza next to it generally hold events and festivals and the little gallery next to the Aratani Theater (which does do some neat anime sneak peak releases like FGO Demonic Front Babylonia and the first 5 episodes of Demon Slayer before it released) also has free events/showings too. Although things have been more "normie-fied" and is aimed for the general population/tourists, it's still a fun place to stop by, especially if you're there with your weeb and anime-minded friends. read more

Little Tokyo - These dudes are pretty cool & friendly ! - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

One of the best places in Los Angeles. The tempura shrimp and veggies were great. I loved the Japanese cultural festival and parade last Summer. read more

I went here around 7:50pm on a Saturday and it was very crowded outside. They have a "wish tree" outside and a lot of people like to gather around that tree to put little notes on it. This place also has a lot of restaurants to dine at and some restaurants where you grab your food and eat it outside on one of the benches here. I also went to the inside of the mall at Little Tokyo and it was very small. There are not public restrooms here, but this mall didn't have much stores either. The only restrooms available here were the ones inside of restaurants if you dine there. I'd recommend this place for the food! There isn't much stores here to shop at in the mall area and it was also very empty when I went inside, while the outside area of Little Tokyo was very crowded with people at night. The restaurants I tried here were very good though, so I would recommend visiting this place for that! read more

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I love coming here. It's such a great community. To be honest, even though I'm from the LA area, every time I come here I giggle like a young child because I shop like a tourist and I indulge in the wonderful food and sights here. Keep it clean and keep coming, people! I love the new Ohtani mural on the side of the hotel. Good work! read more