During a recent visit to Los Angeles to see BTS in concert, we made pit stops in Koreatown and Little Tokyo. While we didn’t have as much time as we would have liked, we had a blast. We were extremely impressed with both areas — I’m so sad we live so far away! If you’re planning a trip, here’s my review of LA’s Japanese Village Plaza, which I consider a must-see destination!
What’s in this post:
- Where is Japanese Village Plaza?
- Japanese Village Plaza Directory
- Nijiya Market
- Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle
- Sanrio
- Yamazaki Bakery
- Honorable Mention: Coco Ichibanya
Where is Japanese Village Plaza?
Japanese Village Plaza which is located at 335 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. If you’re arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), you’ll need to head northeast to get there.
Traffic can be brutal, so we recommend using GPS to find the best route. We were also impacted by construction which made our commute so much slower. On that day, it took about 20 minutes to get to the Japanese Village Plaza from Madang Courtyard in Koreatown.
Japanese Village Plaza Directory
There are a wide variety of shops and eateries at the Japanese Village Plaza. We wish we’d had time to visit all of them, but we couldn’t. Next time! Here’s what you’ll find at the Japanese Village Plaza (offices have not been included on this list):
- Blooming Art
- Cafe Dulce
- Chase ATM
- Chinchikurin Hiroshima Okonomiyaki
- F.E. Design & Consulting
- Footland Sports
- Gazen
- Hama Sushi
- Hob Nob
- Honeymee
- Indochine International
- Japangeles
- Jason Markk
- Kagura Downtown
- Kools
- Korean BBQ
- Kula Sushi
- Las Galas
- Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP)
- Lette
- Little Tokyo Cosmetics
- Little Tokyo Ice Cream & Yogurt
- Make Asobi
- Maneki Neko
- Mikawaya Mochi Ice Cream
- Mitsuru Café
- Restaurants
- Momi-No-Ki
- Monkey Pants
- Nijiya Market
- Oomasa Restaurant
- Pop Little Tokyo
- Popkiller
- Ramen Maruya
- Restaurant Komasa
- Sanrio
- Shabu Shabu House
- Shinyodo Kimono & Japanese Gift
- Sovereign Grace Church
- Sushi & Teri
- Teishokuya of Tokyo
- Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle
- Yamazaki Bakery
It’s worth noting that the Koyasan Buddhist Temple is right next to the Japanese Village Plaza. We love Japanese temples and shrines, so we always encourage those who are interested to visit. Just be mindful, quiet, and respectful!
Nijiya Market
One of the main reasons why we made the trek to Little Tokyo was to check out Nijiya Market. We are able to get some things through Asian grocery websites, but it’s not the same. We found many things we hadn’t been able to find online and more.
If you’re in the area and are interested in Japanese cooking ingredients, snacks, drinks, and kitchen items, we highly recommend Nijiya Market. It felt like we were back in Japan for a few minutes!
Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle
We love, love, love Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle! We were able to find so many things, and because it was right before Christmas, we brought home bags of gifts (for ourselves and the kids)!
In the end, we brought home several bowls for our daily miso soups. One of the things we love about Japanese homewares shops is that most things are super affordable. We can find these online but then we have to pay shipping, which negates the bargain prices. We also found SO many licensed Nintendo plush toys for the kids. They were so excited when we came home!
Sanrio
Even though I know it’s Sanrio, I’m always going to call this the Hello Kitty store. Sorry! This location was very adorable, and I loved that you weren’t allowed to enter unless you had sanitized your hands!
Yamazaki Bakery
We love Japanese baked goods and desserts. In fact, we love Asian baked goods and desserts. Why? Because they are delicious without being overly sweet! What are some things we’d recommend at Yamazaki Bakery?
- Cheesecake
- Curry Man (chicken curry bun)
- Koshi An Pan (red bean bun)
- Melon Pan
- Steamed Cheesecake
- Anything that looks delicious!
Dietary restrictions aside, you really can’t go wrong with Japanese sweets and baked goods, so be adventurous and try everything. You’ll thank me later!
Honorable Mention: CoCo Ichibanya
You’ll have to head closer to Koreatown for this, but I had to mention CoCo Ichibanya because it’s one of our favorite Japanese chain restaurants! There’s a good-sized one located at 3500 W 6th St Unit# 110, Los Angeles, CA 90020, and it’s absolutely worth the effort.
We always order the same few items — curry chicken cutlet (a.k.a. katsu) or the curry combination stewed and fried chicken. We also love the gyoza (dumplings on the US menu). There are vegetarian options too, so don’t let that stop you. Definitely check it out and bring an appetite. When we’re in Japan, we always indulge in some CoCo as one of the best cheap eats around!
We hope this quick guide to Little Tokyo inspires and helps you plan your next visit. Safe travels!
