(Credit: Mark L / yelp)
Located in the heart of downtown LA, Little Tokyo is home to the largest Japanese-American population in North America. Also known as J-Town, Little Tokyo is home to some of the city’s best Japanese restaurants and authentic shops, offering guests a balance between old and new shops. Below is a wide variety of attractions, restaurants, museums, bars, and other attractions. Below are some of the best attractions and hidden gems.
Best brunch
(Image credit: Eric Shin)
JiST Café
116 Judge John Aiso St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 792-2116
www.jistcafe.com
Originally a mom and pop shop that first put its name on the menu in the 1940s with its Chashu Shumai dumplings, the Ishii family has kept this little Tokyo jewel alive for generations for over 70 years. Since opening, they have transformed from a traditional Japanese diner into a playful brunch spot with a melting pot of Asian and American flavors. One of their most popular dishes is the Chashu Hash Skillet. The pork belly chashu is deeply marinated in the family history and its base is added and cooked every day, deepening its flavors with each passing year. It is served with two 6-minute eggs and breakfast potatoes.
Best clothing store
(Photo credit: Roy Kuroyanagi)
Japangeles
335 E 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(310) 920-2383
www.japangeles.com
Japangeles is a streetwear brand that combines Japanese culture with the Los Angeles lifestyle through unique and clever designs. Founded in 2009, the shop is a kiosk in the heart of Japan’s Village Plaza, nicknamed “The Pod”. With products from T-shirts to snapbacks to Coache jackets designed and screen-printed in Los Angeles, Japangeles is a must-see when in Little Tokyo.
Best free activity
(Photo credit: Dustin Hamano)
Tuesday night cafe
120 Judge John Aiso St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
www.tuesdaynightproject.org
Tuesday Night Cafe (TNC) is a free public art and performance series that showcases new and original work from Asian Americans and the Los Angeles community. TNC was launched in 1999 and has been one of the longest running free arts series in the DTLA ever since. It is the oldest running Asian-American series of microphones in the country. The outdoor area takes place every evening from April to October on the first and third Tuesday of the month. The open mic lottery takes place at 7 p.m. The show runs from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and features multidisciplinary arts such as music, poetry, visual and performance arts, dance and comedy, in addition to highlighting local community organizations and offering three open microphone spots per show.
Best Japanese sweets
(Photo credit: Mikawaya USA)
Mikawaya Mochi Ice Cream
118 Japanese Village Plaza Mall
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 624-1681
www.mochiicecream.com
Mikawaya has operated a Little Tokyo store for over 100 years. Although the current location isn’t the original location, they are still sticking to their original recipes serving their two brands of mochi ice cream as well as their regular premium cream and ice cream. Popular flavors include green tea, coffee, strawberry, and mango, while traditional Japanese snacks and sweets are also popular.
Best sneaker cleaner
(Image credit: Jason Markk)
Jason Markk
329 E 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 687-7060
www.jasonmarkk.com
Jason Mark Angsuvarn was born and raised in Southern California. His upbringing in the 80s was heavily influenced by hip hop culture, sports and sneakers. After a period as a successful DJ from 1996 to 2007, Jason founded Jason Markk in 2007 and it quickly became a paradise for sneakerheads. Jason brought the Jason Markk Premium Shoe Shine to the market first and gained a lot of popularity with a basic marketing approach. The success led to the opening of the flagship store in Little Tokyo in May 2014 and became the world’s first drop-off shoe care service and retail boutique.
Best fun activities
(Image credit: Jay Chun)
XLanes entertainment & bowling
333 Alameda St # 300
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 229-8910
www.xlanesla.com
XLanes is a family entertainment center with 30 LED LIT bowling lanes, 9 pool tables, 7 state-of-the-art virtual dart machines, 4 modern private karaoke rooms and nearly 80 arcade games. It also offers Italian-American cuisine and a fully stocked bar. It is perfect for a casual stopover, but can also accommodate private events. It is the perfect location for corporate holidays, birthday parties, stag / hen parties, team building events and much more.
Best group activity
(Photo credit: Real Escape Game Los Angeles)
Real escape game Los Angeles
123 Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
www.realescapegame.com
Real Escape Game puts players in a unique experience. In 60 minutes, players must find the clues, solve the puzzles, and ultimately secure a way out by relying on the wits and cleverness of their team. While the first game took place in Kyoto, Japan in 2007, SCRAP Entertainment brought the escape game genre to Little Tokyo in 2012. The unique and interactive live puzzle event immerses guests in history and challenges them to escape a location full of challenging puzzles and obstacles.
Best coffee and pastries
(Image credit: Michelle Park)
Sweet coffee
Japanese village plaza
134 Japanese Village Plaza Mall
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 346-9910
www.cafedulce.co
Cafe Dulce is a unique bakery and specialty coffee shop in Little Tokyo that serves creative, homemade donuts and baked goodies, and an extensive drinks and menu, and is very popular. Known for its typical Vietnamese coffee, blueberry matcha lattes, donuts with green tea and peanut cabbage salad, it has quickly become a destination café for tourists and locals alike. Recently, Dulce expanded with its second location, Dulce Dos, on ROW DTLA on the 7th and Alameda, just a few miles from Little Tokyo.
Best vegan place
(Photo credit: Val Blakely)
Shojin
Small shopping mall in Tokyo
333 Alameda St # 310
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 617-0305
www.theshojin.com
Shojin opened in Little Tokyo in 2008 and has since opened a second location in Culver City. Don’t tell the owners of Shojin that sushi can’t be vegan as this elegant, vegan and macrobiotic Japanese restaurant offers creative vegan sushi rolls that are also macrobiotic, organic, and natural. All dishes are made using only the highest quality ingredients that are organic where possible. They are originally made from scratch. The Green Forest Roll (picture) is an asparagus and carrot roll wrapped in avocado with tempura broccoli, yuzu mayo and chia seed ponzu sauce.
Best museum
(Photo credit: Japanese American National Museum)
Japanese-American National Museum
100 N Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-0414
www.janm.org
Founded in 1985, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese-American experience. Located in Little Tokyo on the DTLA, JANM strives to provide Japanese Americans with a voice and forum for all people to explore their own heritage and identity. In addition to ongoing and temporary exhibitions ranging from historical themes to contemporary culture, the museum has a variety of public programs and free family festivals throughout the year. Also on site are the Chado Tea Room and the award-winning JANM Store, which offers distinctive Asian-American goods for all occasions and generations.
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