Maneki Neko is a Japanese specialty store (established in 2009) with three other locations in…read moreBurbank, Arcadia, and Brea. Maneki Neko also operates a sister concept store called CATCH Little Tokyo located on the third floor of Japanese Village Plaza. [Parking]: As long as there are no special events in Little Tokyo, the Aiso Parking Garage (101 Judge John Aiso St) is your best bet. [Selection]: The shop has transitioned from primarily selling traditional decor / ceramics / cosmetics (which the shop still carries but in a smaller section) to focusing mainly on plushies and blind boxes featuring IPs like Sanrio, Pokémon, and other Japanese anime. Even though an officially licensed Sanrio store is located next door, Maneki Neko still has an excellent selection of Sanrio items that you can't find at the next-door licensed Sanrio store. [Conclusion]: This is one of those shops where I can probably find a Sanrio plush that I am willing to buy as a gift. It is a perfect example of a thriving shop that has learned to adapt by keeping up with changing consumer tastes.

Anytime I'm in Little Tokyo, I usually make a quick stop at Maneki Neko because it's always fun to…read morebrowse and see what new things they have in stock. The shop itself is on the smaller side, but they really pack a lot into the space. They carry a little bit of everything from snacks and blind boxes to household items and stationery. There's also a huge selection of Sanrio and anime merchandise, so it's a great place to find cute collectibles or small gifts. Whether you're shopping for yourself or looking for something fun for someone else, chances are you'll walk out with something. The staff has always been friendly during my visits, and while the store can get pretty busy at times, the overall experience is still enjoyable. Prices are fairly decent for the area which is definitely a plus. If you happen to be in Little Tokyo and enjoy browsing cute or quirky shops, I'd definitely recommend stopping by--it's worth the visit!

Great gift shop in a nice environment has lots of nice gifts to select from if you are looking for…read moreanything from blind boxes to NEEDOL go get them here Micheal has great customer service his willing to help you in whatever you may need overall had a great time with the claw machines and Photo Booth as well

A happy and fun place to shop at if you love collectibles. They carry a large variety of anime…read moretoys. So if you are a collector you will love this place. They carry many other fun items such as pens, lunch boxes, stuffed animal etc. prices are reasonable and customer service was friendly. I walked in to check this place out while waiting for a table next door. I bought my niece a hello kitty toy and accessories. Really cute.

New anime shop at Westfield Santa Anita!…read more So glad that this mall is getting more anime options and this place really gives the vibe of an "anime museum" haha. I believe that these may be the same people who did Hot Pot Penjing based on their Instagram. (LOVED that place and wish that I had a chance to go there more and I missed the chance to get that Touko Aozaki figure...). They specialize in anime statues. That's right, STATUES. Not just regular figures. They have those huge, super detailed, scale figures with prices ranging from $300-1k+ If you are a big One Piece, DBZ, or Demon Slayer fan, this this the place for you. Lots of huge statues for these series. In addition to these statues, there are some fancier figures, Nesoberis ($35 which is the standard price), and some playmats of various series. I'm not super big into most shonen series (as a non-casual lmao), but they did have some bigger Fate series items like Formal Craft Rin and a Scathach figure. Would like to see some smaller scale figures here from other series too. Regardless, it's a fun place to check out if you are an anime fan!

What a cool shop!! It looks like a small art museum when you walk in with giant statues and nice…read morelighting. The art here is gorgeous if you're an anime/video game fan. Of course, the fact that it's like a museum, a lot of the things in here are pricey but you can tell the amount of work put into it by how detailed all the statues are. It's a rare sight and fun to visit if you're in this area! He lady worker didn't seem too interested and was kind of just looking down while the room filled with customers. Lots of kids as well so it's a little scary not to keep an eye on them in case they knock something down. You don't normally see stuff like this at regular malls so it's definitely a nice change of pace. Hoping to see more stuff like this at other malls but also not sure how often they sell something since these statues go for $500+! I saw one for $800 but it was beautiful. Love this type of art and I wonder how often they rotate what's on display? Curious and definitely visiting next time we're here! IG: @ammysalamii

I really recommend this gift shop! They had a lot of blind boxes and japanese skincare and shampoo…read more The boss is really friendly and if you use cash, they give you a discount.

The store is very cute! There's a lot of beauty supplies, blind boxes, stickers, and plushies! The…read moreworker is always so nice and helpful!

My grandson loves BTS and all things K-Pop. I go to this store to buy him gifts all the time. I…read morelove it there. The service is just wonderful, mostly a young staff that is super nice and kind. They help me find the latest of what he may want. The prices are so fair and they have the best selection you will find. They also have other things than just music. They have all the cute stuff, they have light sticks and all sorts of merchandize. They also have posters lots of plush things for fun. You will love this place. You don't need to know a thing about K-Pop, they have your back and just seem to know when a grandmother walks in looking lost. They are just so sweet. This is one of my main K-Pop places to go whenever I am near there, so have fun.

HUGE selection of K-pop merchandise and goods. It's definitely one of the bigger shops in Weller…read moreCourt and it's located on the second floor. There's CD's, plushies, posters, photo cards, light sticks, and much more. I'm not that big into K-pop, but if you are, I think this is a good place to stop, in Little Tokyo of all places. You can definitely peruse through their aisles for some time. I liked the amount of Kakao Friends goods that they had here if any. I can't say much for the cost, a bit pricey for me, but I'm used to dirt cheap Japanese Mercari Visual Kei and J-rock prices. Staff welcomed us in when we were there and had smiles on their faces, despite the heat of the summer. It gets SUPER hot in here and they have some fans, but if they even have AC, it's very, very weak.

Again, I always love to highlight small businesses that stem from people's love, dedication,…read moreeffort, and hard work to their hobbies, interests, and passions, and when I heard indietoy was opening in Alhambra, I was so excited! I came during the opening and it was a super fun and welcoming event. Free cake and mocktails, as well as a sticker, fun way to mingle with the community, and I got to speak to the owners for a bit too. It's founded by a creative, artistic husband wife duo who sought to create a space to celebrate indie creators and to curate unique collectibles. It's eye catching, fun, cute, and neat in so many ways. Truly a love letter to what they're passionate about. I also got some of the buildable model kits for my brother, and he really liked it. It was a the ducky with the floaty. For myself, I got a really cute Takoyakinz from a Japanese designer, the message on the back of the label was really heartwarming, and Karl, who is a cute vinyl Kappa. There's something for everyone here and it's really neat to own a piece of art that you can hold, manipulate, and display, just like a nostalgic toy. Definitely a must stop if you're in the area and I can't wait to come back again and to see their future collaborations and endeavors!

Indie toy is a few stores to the left of Nucleus! Super happy to know that something like this is…read morein the area! The place is small, but the selection is very unique from other stores. You can tell that they really love what they do and try to bring new and unique stuff! They also host little pop ups with other vendors and I think it's a great option to promote other artists in the area! Prices are also reasonable! Some of their stuff is high but it MAKES sense why they are. The uniqueness and quality alone makes it worth it! I look forward to seeing this place more often!

Like to shop here for gift ideas. I can always find something special for my family and friends.read more

Lovely gift shop! Always found best presents to someone you love! Alice's fans favorite store!read more

SUPER CUTE STORE…read more If you're looking for kawaii goods and gifts, this is the place to go. Honestly, probably the most inventory for the Anirollz character and plush series outside of when that company vends at anime conventions, so if you love those little guys and it's not con season and you want to see them in person, this is the place to go. They also have a very diverse and cute variety of other franchise goods like Poke'mon (the giant Ditto and bouquet Ditto plushies are super cute and I've only seen them on Korean merch posting accounts), Molang, Sanrio, Koupen-chan, Bellzi plushies, Miffy (probably the most Miffy I've seen outside of the LAX shop and ZillyMonkey to be honest), Chiikawa, Monchichi, and much, much more. There's a good amount of stationery there too and in the back corner they have a discount section. There are also a good number of blind boxes too if you're into that. I think my only qualm, though it does make sense with rising cost of living/economy/end stage capitalism, and increased tariffs were that the prices of certain things were a bit crazy. $23 for a small Halloween Sumikko Gurashi blind box. Not sure if it was out of print but god damn. Not sure if I'd get anything for myself here but if I need a quick kawaii gift stat, this is the place to go.

This store is amazing. I went a couple times and the old lady there was so kind to me. This store…read morehas a lot of very cute things that my daughter loves. I will definitely come back! Amazing!!