Shop Yuji is one of several handmade finds and gift shops in the SGV (San Gabriel Valley) area with…read morecurated shelves featuring items from various local artists and indie designers. [Parking]: Free parking behind the building. If the lot is full, then there should be plenty of alternative free public parking options in Downtown Alhambra. [Space]: In many ways, Shop Yuji is quite similar to Happibara Station in Little Tokyo but slightly less anime-focused. The shop carries sticker designs, pins, stationery items, washi tapes, keychains, plushies, greeting cards, tote bags, trinkets, mugs, posters, hats, art books, mouse pads, Bluetooth speakers, original blind boxes, scented candles, etc. Visitors will also find selected IPs based on Snoopy, Hello Kitty, Pokémon, and etc. There is a mini print vending machine at the front entrance. [Conclusion]: S-tier Asian-inspired chibi and creative small gift shop in Downtown Alhambra. If you are a fan of artist alleys at local conventions or pop-up events, then this shop is right up your alley - no pun intended.

How cute~! The prices are definitely a little high in this shop, but it is "gift" pricing rather…read morethan "outrageous" pricing. I hope this means that the artists are getting a fair share of the proceeds. There are definitely very unique items here. It is kitschy a and there is a wide range of items from stickers to jewelry to clothing and accessories.

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!

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

Out of the ashes rises a phoenix…read more I was surprised to see Harmmy Anime while crossing the street near the 99 Ranch Market. Crazy to see that they went from hot pot (IYKYK), to a spot at the mall, to a stand alone store. They're located right next to the Takashima. Funny enough, even with less space than the mall, I feel like they have more stuff and stock than before. The walls are LINED with so many kuji (raffle prizes) that you can purchase and win from. This ranges from anime series like Freiren, Haikyuu, etc. , cute Sanrio characters, to even series like Spongebob, and of course, Hatsune Miku. There's lots and lots of them, and you can take a look at the wall to see what prizes have already been won. There's a good amount of acrylic stands of characters, keychains, some cute plushies and plushie key chains (Chiikawa, Sanrio, etc.), some prize and other smaller figures, and lots and lots of blind buttons! There's a discount shelf at the bottom, but it's a pretty fair price for around $4-7 depending on the series. Lots of LADS (Love and Deep Space), Chinese series and danmei (I can't tell if it's all BL or not), and other various series like Frieren, Haikyuu, Tomie, Cardcaptor Sakura, Naruto, Kirby, Detective Conan, Identity V, Kaiju No. 8, etc. There's also Hoyoverse (slop) wall of goods too. There's also a LOT of LADS stuff here, so if you're a LADS girly you can easily build a shrine or an ita bag just with the stuff that you get here. The worker there was polite and stood at attention at his post the entire time that I was there. I got the Natsume Yuujinchou gacha buttons (they were discounted) and the Tomie buttons. Happy with what I got and I really liked that the Natsume buttons came with protectors and extra cheki cards. Cute! Now that they have a wider selection of kuji and goods that aren't just massive figures (though they still have that too), I can see myself stopping by more frequently.

Really cool store with lots of anime figures at good prices! If you are looking for new stuff from…read moreJapan go here!

To start off with this store is a great place everything is organized and neat. The owners are very…read morenice and friendly they helped me out with questions I had. If u want English manga there is very limited but they can order it for you which is a W for me. Also not bad in pricing it's not overly overpriced, so I would come back and buy. Overall for me it's a 10/10 and I would come back here

Great place to go to rent/buy manga, manhua, and Chinese light novels…read more I am not Chinese nor do I read/speak Chinese, so 95% of what they had here wasn't really applicable to me, but I do appreciate that they have a LOT of books. It's really neat that they have layers and layers of sliding bookshelves. There's also some cute character merchandise for sale, a sofa area to sit and read at (looks like they also have karaoke?), and a very small English manga section that's currently 15% off. It was mostly shonen series like Vinland Saga, HxH, Chainsawman, Attack on Titan, etc. It seems like they have a membership service too. If you can read Chinese and enjoy light novels and manga, this is the place for you!

A wonderful place with a very good selection, comfy chairs, drinks, good air conditioning, and some…read moreof the friendliest staff I've ever met at a small business. If it were closer to me I would live there.

Manga Lounge is an all-you-can-read manga cafe in Monterey Park (close to East LA College) that…read morerecently opened in March 2026. It is the first manga lounge in California and also the biggest anime manga lounge in the U.S. with over 7,500+ manga volumes (mostly in English with some Japanese titles like Weekly Shonen Jump magazines). [Parking]: Manga Lounge is located within the same strip mall plaza as BOOKOFF Monterey Park and our party had no issue finding an available parking spot on Sunday afternoon. [Checking-in & process]: No reservation is required. Visitors will need to download the app to access the lounge, but they can install it on the spot. After the installation is complete, visitors show the QR code at the front counter to start the timer. Need a blanket or phone charger? Just ask a staff member at the front desk. Once visitors are done reading, return the books to a black book cart and DO NOT re-shelf them. [Complimentary drink guide]: Select a drink from the fridges and visitors can only pick one at a time. Then head to the front desk and scan the QR code. Visitors cannot get a new drink without returning the previous can. The lounge has a good selection of soft drinks such as Ito En green tea, pineapple / apple sparkling water, Mitsuya Cider, UCC black coffee, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, etc. There is also a complimentary water station. [Special notes]: Children under 13 must be accompanied by a guardian. Some manga may be restricted for visitors under 18. Visitors are welcome to (1) bring their own laptops and work here and (2) bring their own snacks or light meals along with non-alcoholic beverages. [Price]: A special $4 per hour rate (not just for the first hour - it is for the entire first visit) for first-time visitors and $8 per hour thereafter. There is a 5-minute grace period (1 hour 5 minute stay = 1-hour rate and 1 hour 6 minute stay = 2-hour rate). Recently the lounge introduced the Manga Lounge Monthly Subscription with unlimited access to Manga Lounge, two free guest passes every month, and early access to event tickets for $94.99 per month (membership capped at 30). [Manga selection]: The lounge has all the genres you can think of - manhwa, yaoi, romcom, romance, fantasy, action & adventure, classic, sports, food, slice of life & comedy, dark action, horror, psychological, drama, light novels, Shonen Jump magazines, etc. [Atmosphere]: Very quiet and relaxing atmosphere. The entrance has a wall mural of manga panels drawn by an independent artist and each bookshelf also has small laminated cards with descriptions highlighting some interesting titles and genres. [Conclusion]: I was only able to finish one chapter in 45 minutes so it is not economical to stay here for 8 hours ($8 per hour x 8 hours = $64) for only 10 chapters. A better way to use your time here is to be strategic and pick a series you are interested in and flip through a couple of chapters to gauge your interest level as the lounge has a comprehensive list of manga. I am a huge fan of this lounge and can easily see myself stopping by here from time to time. P.S. - The manga lounge also hosts various events (e.g. Jazz Night and Psychological Manga Club) so check their IG or website for more details.

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.

I stumbled into Mini Imizzu while waiting to eat at a nearby restaurant, and it is my new favorite…read moreshop! They have so many squishies and other cute things! Michael was extremely helpful and so friendly. I found a ton of gifts, and will definitely be back!

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.

One of the bigger Maneki Neko that I've been to and once in awhile they have super bargain sales…read morehere. I don't think anything can ever beat the old Arcadia location when I got super cheap and nice cosmetics for around $1 (think Missha and Majolica Marjorca, but this only happened when things reopened after the lock down), but you can still find some good deals here. Similar to the Arcadia location, there's a mix of legitimate items here and a couple questionable, potentially bootleg items, so make sure you check and read the labels and compare prices online and the such. I like how this location plays into the culture and touristy-ness of the Little Tokyo with the daruma statue photo op in front and the pressed penny machine. I'm a sucker for pressed pennies, so this was nice. I've gotten super cheap sword props for cosplay, cute super cheap random character plushies and merchandise (think generic cats), and in an ocean of blind box slop shops in LT, I prefer Maneki Neko in comparison.