Little Tokyo Marketplace

Little Tokyo Market Place carries a mix of Asian groceries and American products you'd find at Ralph's and, although it won't meet ALL of your shopping needs, you can bet it'll meet a lot of them...and a few fun things you didn't even know you needed. PLUS, there are almost always samples of things like gyoza, ramen, drinks and kimchi--especially on Sundays.Little Tokyo Market Place also has a second floor, which has everything from Japanese bowls to an entire Hello Kitty store.

Koyasan Buddhist Temple

An active religious gathering place in Little Tokyo, the Buddhist temple serves as both community center and cultural ambassador. The Temple is a relic of the first days of Little Tokyo, and was left virtually untouched by the 1960s redevelopment of the area.

Koyasan Buddhist Temple

An active religious gathering place in Little Tokyo, the Buddhist temple serves as both community center and cultural ambassador. The Temple is a relic of the first days of Little Tokyo, and was left virtually untouched by the 1960s redevelopment of the area.

The Frying Fish

This restaurant serves sushi on a conveyor belt! It's a unique, one of a kind sushi restaurant. The sushi is delicious and cheap. 

Museum of Contemporary Art

Founded in 1979, MOCA is the only museum in Los Angeles devoted exclusively to contemporary art. It is committed to the collection, presentation, and interpretation of work produced since 1940 in all media, and to preserving that work for future generations. In a remarkably short time, MOCA has developed one of the nation's most renowned permanent collections. Now numbering over 5,000 works and steadily growing, this invaluable cultural resource provides extensive opportunities for education and enjoyment to thousands of national and international visitors. Today the museum is housed in three unique facilities: MOCA Grand Avenue, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, and MOCA Pacific Design Center. 

Japanese American National Museum

The Japanese American National Museum is dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry. It's a free experience.

Any Izakaya

An izakaya is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. They are popular, casual places for after-work drinking.

Weller Court

The Weller Court shopping mall has several restaurants, karaoke clubs, and a Bubble Tea cafe. For tourists visiting from Japan, there are a number of shops specializing in expensive name brand products such as Coachhandbags. There is also a large bookstore, Kinokuniya, that is part of a well-known Japanese chain. They have a large selection of Japanese-language books, magazines, music CDs, manga, and anime, as well as a selection of English-language books on Japanese subjects and translated manga and anime.

Rafu Bussan

Rafu Bussan Inc. stands out as a landmark in the neighborhood. It has a wide collection of Japanese import products—from books, to dolls, ceramics, chopsticks, earthenware, and vases—a selection which exemplifies the diversity of this 7,000 square foot store at the heart of Little Tokyo.

SK Uyeda Department Store

One of the many wonderful stores in Little Tokyo, S. K. Uyeda has a colorful collection of kimonos and robes in children's and adult sizes, as well as T-shirts and slippers. The store is full of wonderful fabrics and linens imported from Japan, and this is the place to buy oversize pillows and futons.

Anzen Hardware

Little Tokyo's Anzen Hardware--a dusty, jam-packed store with everything from saws and scythes to split-toed Tabi boots--isn't the first place you'd think of finding kitchenware. But it's a chef's haven for tools of the trade.

Bunka-Do

Bunka-do is a gift shop offering many Japanese cultural items. They sell household decor, kitchenware, and various other gift items.

Tokyo Japanese Outlet

This store in Little Tokyo has many convenient Japanese products and is a great tourist attraction. 

They have such things as Music CDs, DVDs, Hello Kitty, Domo-kun (NHK mascot), Sanrio, Mario characters like Yoshi, Totoro, Doraemon, anime, stationery, car fresheners, gashapon

 and Japanese kitchenware like rice bowls, chopsticks,  bamboo sushi rollers, bento boxes, onigiri molds, soy sauce bottles, makiyakinabe pans for making tamagoyaki.

Marukai Market

Japanese Specialty. Open to the public (members/non-members). Marukai promotional prices are available to Marukai members only.

Jungle

Little Tokyo’s anime mega-store, Jungle Special Collectors Shop, is split into two downtown locations. Jungle 1st is located on 2nd Street, inside the neighborhood’s main shopping plaza. Here you’ll find collectibles ranging from action figures to large sculpture-like renditions of popular anime characters.

Five Foods on Display

 

Kinokuniya Bookstore

Books Kinokuniya is a Japanese Bookstore chain operated by Kinokuniya Company Ltd. It was found in 1927 with its first store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It was originally a lumber and charcoal dealer.

Kinokuniya Bookstore

Books Kinokuniya is a Japanese Bookstore chain operated by Kinokuniya Company Ltd. It was found in 1927 with its first store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It was originally a lumber and charcoal dealer.

Five Items From Mikawaya

Since 1910 Mikawaya has taken pride in the manufacture and sales of traditional Japanese pastries known as "WAGASHI".

In April of 1994, Mikawaya, the creators of Mochi Ice Cream, began to sell this ice cream novelty. This new product is quite possibly the most unique ice cream dessert to come along in 50 years.

Kuri Pan Large Size

Mochi Ice Cream

Strawberry Roll

Butter Mochi

Chi-Chi Dango Strawberry

Five Items From Fugetsudo

Fugetsu-Do has been a family owned and operated confectionery store in Little Tokyo since 1903. Japanese rice cakes, more commonly known as mochi (rice cake) and manju (sweet bean-filled rice cake), are the staple. The shop, which is currently operated by Brian Kito, is located on East First Street, in the heart of the Historic District of Little Tokyo.

Mochi bits for Frozen Yogurt.

Wagashi Dorayaki is sweet beans between mini cake patties.

Kiku in Japanese means "chrysanthemum". This is a special mochi to Fugetsu-do, which includes fresh pink and white mochi surrounding a white bean center - all molded to the shape of a flower.

Fresh pink mochi filled with white bean paste. Formerly referred to as "Gyuhi" or "pink".

Mochi filled with sweet azuki (red) bean paste. This is a seasonal item, which is only available in the month of July!

Statue of Kinjiro Ninomiya

Ninomiya Sontoku was a prominent 19th century Japanese agricultural leader, philosopher, moralist and economist. He is known as the “Peasant Sage of the Edo Period”. This statue is in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles, California.  His philosophy and methodology became a standard format in feudal land, developmental and economic management. 

Tako Yaki

Tako Yaki is an octopus ball. It is a delicious flour ball with octopus inside and can be found at Mitsuru Cafe. The sauces and crunchiness of this snack make a delicious delicacy.

Tako Yaki

Tako Yaki is an octopus ball. It is a delicious flour ball with octopus inside and can be found at Mitsuru Cafe. The sauces and crunchiness of this snack make a delicious delicacy.

Imagawayaki

This delicious Japanese dessert can be found in Mitsuru Cafe of the Japanese VIllage Plaza. It is made in a special waffle iron pan and filled with sweet bean paste. Its name is derived from the Edo period which was when it began to be sold to consumers.

Kyoto Grand Hotel

Towering 21 stories above downtown Los Angeles, Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens offers deluxe and suite accommodations, meetings and events space, delicious restaurants, and a serene rooftop garden that overlooks the stunning Los Angeles skyline. 

Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple

The Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple teaches Shin Buddhism. It was built in the United States over 100 years ago. It encourages a spiritual environment which cultivates the individual exploration based on Buddhadharma.

The Japanese Community Cultural Center

The Japanese Community Cultural Center was built in 1980 and is 5 stories high. It was the first phase of establishing the JACC followed by the construction of the James Irvine Japanese Garden (above). The James Irvine Japanese Garden is an intimate and secluded garden area where many people come to admire and is perfect for small weddings.