Little Tokyo
About
Experience a slice of Japan at Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, a Japanese-American cultural district brimming with shops and restaurants. Established in 1855, Little Tokyo is one of only three Japantowns in the United States. Spread over five blocks, the district is crammed with food gems, streetwear vendors, and manga and anime shops. Don’t miss the Japanese American Cultural Community Center, which hosts regular cultural performances and cooking classes. Time your visit around festivals such as Nisei Week (every August), when street dancing and parades fill the area. You can explore Little Tokyo on a walking tour, along with Chinatown. – Tripadvisor
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The area
Neighbourhood: Downtown
Downtown Los Angeles is a busy metropolis of towering buildings, bustling streets, and industrial warehouses. There is a distinct multiplicity of cultures here with a growing influx of business professionals and hipsters. Many call the evolution of Downtown over recent years gentrification. New lofts, bars, hotels and restaurants are popping up regularly. Downtown is home to some of the very best restaurants in the city leading the LA foodie scene, plus it is the location of cultural and sports venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Staples Center, and the Coliseum at the University of Southern California.
How to get there
  • Little Tokyo/Arts District • 2 min walk
  • Union Station • 8 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles866 reviews
Excellent
316
Very good
316
Average
185
Poor
33
Terrible
16

Dave H
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
I would say this is the worst travel place to visit. It is filthy, nasty. I met several "mean" local folks here, trash every where and homeless hanging round- felt very unsafe. We spent the money at a coffee shop there so we could use their restroom, but they told ua the rest room was out of service. We had to use the library rest room. There were two homeless sleeping inside the library restroom. DON'T GO HERE GUYS!
Written 31 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AMohsen
Port Said, Egypt500 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Friends
Little Tokyo is a neighborhood with an Asian style and atmosphere to get a quick tour there. Chinatown is nearby as well.
Written 29 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Big D n
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
The little Tokyo is a nice place for tourists, but to go there you need to bring or take a diaper with you, they have NO PUBLiC RESTROOM any where in that plaza. Every business with a sign “restroom for customer only” so means you will have to pay for very high price to use restroom there. Never see any where in U. S excepted this location, little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. ( a tourist from Dallas).
Written 25 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

O2046HElindaw
Tempe, AZ193 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Solo
Nice place to take a stroll and take some photos. Lots of food choices. Difficult to make a decision. Good place to purchase Japanese products. Worth checking out
Written 20 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Krishna T
44 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
I honestly wasn’t expecting very much but I was pleasantly surprised! Originally, my family and I were coming for food, but it did turn out to be a nice little excursion to check out the shops, delicious treats, Japanese lifestyle and grocery stores. I would love a taste and-tour-of-all-the-restaurants - so much to try in so little time! Loved the cobbled stone courtyard and traditional-style architecture - took a quick peek at the Buddhist temple but I don’t believe they were taking visitors? Either way, what a lovely experience for my kids.
Written 19 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Todd O
4 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Had a fun time in Little Tokyo this morning. Found great pastries and coffee drinks for breakfast and delicious udon for lunch. Enjoyed exploring the Japanese shops.
Written 12 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dinfamily2009
smdds7983484 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Family
It’s a really cool place to sight see and hang out. Lots of neat shops, and the restaurants seem good. We stopped at a cafe and the pastries and treats were delightful. The kids had fun observing and exploring. We will come again for a lunch and afternoon out.
Written 4 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

star s
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
Let's start with I have crohns and this place has no public bathrooms. It's crazy to me to think this is a whole mall with tons of shops and restaurants but have no available bathrooms. I was told to sit down in a restaurant and order food to use an available restaurant.
Written 27 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jada I
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Friends
I always love going to little Tokyo whenever I go to la. They have my favorite little shops that sell things like manga, anime, and figures. They also have good food or places to get snack like boba.
Written 29 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amer J
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Family
If you need a restroom, only the restaurants will have one, but you need to sit down and order a meal.
Best bet, get out and cross the street to Starbucks, but 1 bathroom for 1 person at a time,.
Written 6 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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LITTLE TOKYO: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Little Tokyo



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