Try Japanese street snacks and purchase Hello Kitty souvenirs for your family in this spot known as the Gateway to Little Tokyo.
Visit Japanese Village Plaza, a vast and intriguing shopping mall with an eclectic range of stores, restaurants and entertainment options. Traditional lanterns and elegant little gardens adorn the open-air plaza, creating a Japanese ambiance in the heart of Los Angeles. As you arrive, pass through the majestic yagura, a typical Japanese fire lookout tower.
Choose from the many restaurants serving some of the most reputable Japanese cuisine in the city. You can also purchase exotic delicacies and ingredients from the grocery stores and stalls. Try the traditional Japanese shabu-shabu dish, which involves boiling very thin slices of meat in water. Other specialties include the takoyaki meat dumplings and the mitarashi dango rice flour dumplings.
Relax in one of the cafés and watch people go by. Browse the many boutiques selling fascinating Japanese items, including many souvenirs from the iconic Hello Kitty brand. Pick up stuffed animals and incense sticks from the Tokyo Japanese Outlet store.
Purchase T-shirts, jewelry and other items with a Japanese theme. Attend some of the festivals and join in the celebrations in the Little Tokyo area. In spring, cherry blossom trees paint the streets light pink. Stay into the evening, when the red and white lanterns bathe the plaza in warm light.
The open-air shopping center first opened in 1978, as part of an effort to renovate the district. Enter for free. Open hours run daily from morning until evening.
Find the Japanese Village Plaza in the center of the Little Tokyo district, in the heart of Los Angeles. Travel by tram to the Little Tokyo/Arts District station and walk southwest for a few minutes to get here. The neighborhood is also reachable via Union Station and several bus stops.
Explore the surroundings for attractions such as the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, the Japanese American National Museum and the Los Angeles City Hall.
