JapanLA

Japan LA is a whimsical wonder land. They have fun plush creatures, Hello Kitty merch, candies, toy figurines and even adult onesies. The staff is very helpful and are great with suggestions and seem to really know the merchandise that they enjoy themselves too. We went for a “stuffy” to is a a backpack and found a cool one at a great price! The prices aren’t bad just understand most of their one of a kind merchandise may be expensive but very cool! If you’re looking for Japanese fun then this is your place.

They have cute plushies!!! I want to buy the whole store lol 😂 . They are so friendly and we have fun going there it’s worth the trip 💕🫡

Amazing experience of having a meet & greet for Chococat. The shop was cute and the employees were nice.

This is one of the better and more complete stores in Southern California offering some favorite Japanese "Kawaii" and stationery products. The brand selection here is impressive, and often times carry an inventory that may be hard to find at other places including clothing items. Take advantage of some of their live shows, and product launches as they come and go quick. Certainly a must visit store for any fan or enthusiast.

Had a great experience here with the staff after I had been searching LA for authentic Sonny Angels in stock while home. My purse actually got stolen with my babies attached, Cauliflower and Sheep in their little Pochacco pouch so I’ll be back in December for sure. 😂

Great experience for a Saturday. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Something for everything from stuff characters and animals to quirky items. Didn't see a lot of Hello Kitty items. Lots of plushies/squishies. Street parking only, La Brea can be challenging. Recommend.

AMAZING store! Such cute stuff and the pricing is not too exorbitant. I bought a shirt, stuffed animal, and canvas print. The staff are lovely and very friendly, and the store layout has a great open plan. Very cute and they have a wall to pose with! Definitely a cute stop in Little Tokyo.

Went to JapanLA looking for Sonny Angels and was informed of an upcoming event on the 27th for shopping and trading Sonny Angels so I am looking forward to that. The in store person behind the cash register was very nice and welcoming so I hope to make it back to the store even if it isn't for the Sonny Angels.

I FINALLY made it out to JapanLA and I was in heaven. I am a lifelong Sanrio fan and I've visited many kawaii shops. This is probably the best shop I've shopped at and I hate that I live so far away! While that may be a good thing (I would be beyond broke), I could spend hours looking at all of the cuteness. I will say that they have an amazing Black Friday sale so put an alert in your calendars to shop online or visit. Staff was super friendly and cute (which I would expect nonetheless) and it was so cute to see the Sonny Angels trading tables out front. While I'm not a fan of Sonny Angeles, there are other varieties of hippers if that's what you're looking for. While most of the store is Sanrio related, there are other popular characters that are worth browsing. Prices are what you would expect for a pop culture store so plan accordingly. They also don't have a parking lot, but you can easily find street parking (the meters take card and coins). All in all, loved visiting and I cant wait to visit again!!!

This is one of the better and more complete stores in Southern California offering some favorite Japanese "Kawaii" and stationery products. The brand selection here is impressive, and often times carry an inventory that may be hard to find at other places including clothing items. Take advantage of some of their live shows, and product launches as they come and go quick. Certainly a must visit store for any fan or enthusiast.

There is no better place for cuteness products of high quality and value. Apparently it's called "kawaii" (cow-WHY-ee) and is adorable character plushies and fashion with cute animals on them. Every woman and girl that I know loves these items, so for me it's a no brainer to roll in and get a Hello Kitty plush toy that melts away any bad feelings and puts my gals into the happiest mood. The staff is knowledgeable about all the characters and the store is upbeat and filled to the brim with new items as well as the classics. I got Labubu's here, the giant Hello Kitty, a rare Hangyodon toy, a Rilakumma backpack for my lady, a keychain for my mom and the brand new brand Baby 3 (huge eyes!) for my little baby. Perfect for a date, or a weekend with the family, this store pumps your heart up three sizes. Thanks JapanLA! I even got a pic with social media influencer Raven Grimm. JapanLA is the best.

Very friendly quick service. Staff was friendly Answered all of my questions. Toki doki merch.

1. Located in the mid Wilshire district 2. Weekend visits affords you free street parking 3. Not your usual Sanrio store If you're looking for Hello Kitty and all of her friends If you're looking for La Bubu (not La Fufu) and all of the faces If you're looking for cute gifts for those who are into Hello Kitty and friends. , Sanrio and gang or LaFufu THEN GO HERE! Japan LA is the place for you to visit. Bring your credit card!

This place has all the cutest mystery boxes if that's what you're looking for. Plenty of stuffed animals esp Kuromi. Parking was challenging on a busy street so we parked next door at TJ's (we also shopped there). The store is bright, clean and with friendly staff.

My holy grail kawaii shop! Honestly Japan LA has become my favorite stop with the best selection of Sanrio goodies and the place is just ADORABLE! It's super spacious inside compared to other places I've been and the staff is so kind and helpful. I stopped in cause I was on a mission for some Kuromi and Gudetama goodies and I ended up leaving with just that plus some free stuff! The prices are about average, just what you would expect so there was nothing overpriced which was great. I just love this place and will be coming back!

"If you're a Sanrio fan, JapanLA is an absolute must-visit! We came here for my daughter's birthday in search of some limited-edition Gudetama swag, and we were thrilled to find exactly what she wanted. The store is small but packed with everything a true Sanrio lover could dream of--tons of adorable items and exclusive merch you won't find anywhere else. The prices are mostly reasonable, though some items are a bit on the pricier side. That said, the selection and unique finds make it worth it. We had such a fun time browsing the cute displays and soaking up all the kawaii vibes. Highly recommend for anyone looking to add some Sanrio magic to their day!"

Amazing products, nicely packaged for fast shipping. I love this store! I bought several cute boxes for baby wipes from them and cute plushies reasonably priced.

Super cute store, really good prices, and super friendly employees! They also offer trades :) Good sonny angel selection too

Purchased an $80 spirit jersey a few weeks back, brand new still with tags and they refused to let me exchange it for a smaller size. My wife with health issues lost weight and the one we have is too big and they won't help. Crazy how the thousands of dollars we've spent in the past doesn't matter more than a "policy." Never shopping here again.

Adorable store with adorable employees who are super helpful and know their products! I'm from the east coast and had been a fan of this shop for a long time and I was happy to finally pay a visit while visiting LA! The whole shop is well stocked with so many cute things that it can take you a while to decidw what to get haha. I brought a homie with me who didn't know what Rilakkuma was (I know, right?) and he walked out with 3 Rilakkuma plushes after! The whole front of the shop is pink and hard to miss!

"JapanLA: My Wallet Cried, But My Inner Child Ascended." I walked into JapanLA and immediately said, "Okay, so this is what joy smells like." This place is dangerously adorable. It's like stepping into a pastel dreamscape where Hello Kitty is queen, Rilakkuma is your therapist, and Pusheen is in charge of HR (and snacks). Every inch of the store screams KAWAII -- in the best, most aggressively cute way possible. They've got over 2,000 items, but somehow I convinced myself I needed all of them. Exclusive clothing? Yes. Plushies that feel like clouds and whisper sweet nothings to your soul? Also yes. Blind boxes that both delight and destroy your self-control? You bet. Everything is curated with love, sparkles, and a deep understanding of what it means to be a person who never really outgrew Sanrio (and proudly so). Also, shoutout to the staff -- super friendly and helpful even when I was having a full-on meltdown trying to choose between three nearly identical but emotionally distinct Cinnamoroll keychains. Online store? Dangerous. In-store shopping? Euphoric. I went in to "just look around" and walked out with a shopping bag, a new identity, and at least six plush friends I now refer to as roommates. Final verdict: JapanLA is not a store. It's a lifestyle. A cute, pastel, sticker-covered lifestyle. Proceed with caution. (And a budget. You'll need both.)

Very cute store with a large selection of curated merch. I had more choice and more fun here than at several stores with similar merch.

I found out about this place through TikTok and OH MY GOG, it is amazing (although the last time I went was a year ago) and they have extremely cute merch from franchises like Sumikko Gurashi and Rilakkuma, and it took me a while to get there, but it was SOSOSOSO worth it.

My sister and I went to JapanLA since we were so close to the area. We had gotten brunch from a place close-by. Usually, I have a wonderful experience at JapanLA. The staff are helpful and you can hear them doing their Live shows on Tiktok in a curtain near the register. It's also where they usually go grab packaged version of the display items in the back. What I didn't like about yesterday's experience is the older lady working there. She was rather rude, didn't really acknowledge us, and then sold us the display bear that was most likely handled by multiple people. Since it was my sister's birthday, she got a Visa gift card and wanted to use it. The older lady seemed bothered by this, maybe she thought we didn't have money? Anyways, we pay and ask her for our receipt once the transaction is done as she's like, "Okay?" And we stood there awkwardly just waiting for our receipt. Weirded out and confused because she was staring back at us, we just let it go and left. Overall, how can you work at a Kawaii shop and not have the customer-service/ attitude to support it, ma'am? Anyways, I'll stick to shopping online through their tiktok lives since they're more nicer and livelier.

0/10 -- WOULD NOT SHOP HERE. This store racially profiles Black customers. During my recent visit, I was followed so obviously and persistently that I felt completely uncomfortable and unwelcome. There's absolutely no excuse for this kind of treatment. I didn't buy anything--I walked out within 4 minutes of entering. They will never get my hard-earned money or another second of my time. If you go and they don't greet you, put that stuff back and walk out. Once they stop making sales, maybe they'll learn how to treat people with basic humanity.

Great customer service and such a fun place to shop! I come all the way from Las Vegas and each time it is a different experience

I love coming to JapanLA! If you love shopping for Sanrio stuff, this is the place. They also have Sailor Moon and some Studio Ghibli items. Sometimes, I shop on their website, but I also enjoy going into the store. We never go for anything specific. We just enjoy finding cute things to buy. This store reminds me of what Sanrio stores were like when I was a kid. Lots of Sanrio stationary! The store is always clean, the staff is always friendly. Be prepared to spend some cash because there's so much cute stuff. Pricing is what you would expect, but they do have some bargain bins.

So kawaii and awesome! I'm a big fan of anything cute, whether it's toys, plushies, shirts, etc. I came across this store on Yelp while I was searching for fun things to do in LA. I was immediately drawn to the merch and goodies inside. The only downfall is that this store is open during the weekends, and parking can be difficult to find. However, they have a cool website where you can conveniently shop and place orders from the comfort of your own home. So, come check out JapanLA!

In my first order, JapanLA forgot to ship one of my items but they were able to fulfill my order and ship the remaining item to me. Great customer service! Everything was packaged well and neatly. Shipping was easy to navigate and they have great deals on their social media platforms.

Super kind and helpful sales staff. The store was such a fun experience for kids and adults as well! :)

Drove over an hour to visit this store because my daughter loves Sanrio. Very big store with so many options, cute decor and easy to find. The store was so crowded it was hard to even walk. Prices vary but the most part overpriced. $40 for an about 6" plush. Yikes. Most employees seemed helpful and happy but our cashier was the worse. She was so Rude and just didn't smile, she told us no cash unless you have the exact change. We were not aware of this after standing in line for 15min and there were no signs. Definitely would not return.

Sooooo cute. Went here before Trader Joe's. Just park in the place right next to it and hop over. Kinda weird hours since it's only open Saturday but if you have kids or collect pokémon plushies there isn't really a cuter place in LA. The gear is from Japan and some items that I haven't seen in Little Tokyo.

You'd think a store that sells such happy things would have good energy *sigh* I went in on a Saturday, there were about 3-4 employees there, all of them had a sour look on their face (except for the greeter at the door..she was nice enough). Unfortunately, the employees made my experience unenjoyable. I felt awkward being there.. almost like I was Intruding their space. So much so, that I didn't want to ask for help finding something I had seen online. They were just that unapproachable. I won't be supporting JapanLA moving forward. There are many other retailers that sell the same things that are actually helpful and welcoming. Also, JapanLA inflates prices!! Everything is much more expensive there than other retailers. Ridiculous.

It's super cute and an amazing store that has a lot of hello kitty and friends accessories. When we entered we were first greeted and they made sure to ask us how we were! The prices were about what you'd expect them to be so you aren't overcharged but definitely not undercharged

I've been going here for 10 years now and it never disappoints. Whenever I come here I stock up because they have great selection. If you want to buy go on their pop shop live app. It's convenient if you live in LA or even Oc because you can pick up for free. They are open every Saturday of July. I hope they do more pop up shops and open the their store more for in shopping. Parking is difficult because it's street parking but that's the norm here in LA so no surprise

Drove to LA thinking it could be a good place to go. The store is not open to the public weekdays. Google map. Yelp. Instagram DOES NOT say they wont let you in. Get it together guys

the manager at this store found me the smallest size (no kids sizes here) for a gift and encourage me to buy it and "just bring it back if it doesn't fit." what she failed to mention was rhat they only do store credit. there is not a single clothing item that fits and im stuck with $80 credit for a bunch of landfill garbage.

So cuteeeeeeeeeee I loved it some stuff a cheap there in a good way There was mini backpacks and pins and pens shirts and school stuff too

I like this store but heres the issue: its la so everything is soo expensive!! half of the stuff isnt even priced. there was a couple workers watching customers every move. uncomfortable! i know la has theft everywhere but come on! i wanted a key chain but didnt wanba pay $50 for it. good luck

Staff is so friendly and they have a lot of cute stuff. My daughter found everything that she loves!

Super adorable store! Everything was so cute. Just a reminder to make sure to check their store hours! It was just a little smaller than I expected!

I really liked everything displayed. I liked how they had SALE boxes which I lovedd!! Wish I got to buy more.

A great place to visit if you are fans of Sanrio and other similar characters. The staff is great and the atmosphere is awesome as well.

Terrible customer service! I have spent a lot of money at Japan LA! I go way back with this store. I used to shop in person at the Melrose store and cried when I saw it destroyed in June of 2020. They have since moved to La Brea and sorry, you can't blame the pandy anymore for horrible customer service. If you order for shipping it takes WEEKS for the order to even go out. On the other hand, if you opt for pickup you will receive an email saying your order is ready for pickup only for it not to be. This has happened more than once. The employee just said, "you should call first," even though I received the ready for pickup email at least five days ago. Mind you, they are putting items in a bag and nothing more. They are not making these items from scratch. Oddly, you can't enter the store still even though it's almost 2023. It's very unpleasant to be left waiting outside in a somewhat sketchy (these days) neighborhood while I'm watching around four or five employees seemingly just chat and giggle with each other and maybe film something for Instagram. I have no more loyalty to this store. There are so many stores that have the exact same merchandise where you will get treated wonderfully! Sawtelle and K town have great options, better selection and prices. Goodbye Japan LA

Hello Kitty in Los Angeles... Just looking at Hello Kitty brings happiness to my heart! I don't know why... If there's a Sanrio store nearby, I just want to look... in case there's something I've never seen before. We did a search on Yelp, found metered street parking nearby, and walked in... JapanLA on Melrose is a cute shop with not only Hello Kitty, but also Tokidoki, Pusheen, Pokemon, Rilakkuma, etc. Everything is so cute! I was overwhelmed and went around in circles to make sure I didn't miss anything. The shopkeeper was so sweet and helpful! She made suggestions and pointed out the new arrivals. I was quite sure that I wanted a Hello Kitty item, so I zeroed in on that section of the store... I don't think I have ever seen an LED mini-lantern! It will be perfect for the Blacklight Run on Saturday! Haha! It's so kawaii and useful!

Technically I haven't been in the actual store. As of now they are only doing curbside pick and delivery orders. I did go and pick up my order and it was easy and quick. I called the number provided when I pulled up to the store and they promptly confirmed my info. A friendly staff member brought out my item and mentioned the promo item was already in the bag. Overall, I found the whole process to he pretty seamless from ordering online to picking it up at the store.

It was so devastating to see Japan LA get looted earlier this year when the riots happened in LA. Being a Hello Kitty fan; it had always been on my list of small businesses to visit and support. Though this location is still closed; Japan LA has survived and they currently have their online shopping website as well as shows on Popshop Live. I've ordered twice from them already and the shopping experience has been very pleasant. Jamie and her crew are great and they offer some of the cutest items. From Hello Kitty to Animal Crossing to San-X to Pusheen; you can find it all here! I even got the cutest boba bag one time. I was quite impressed when I bought from their Pusheen pop-up online because they even included the Pusheen gift bag. I also liked how I was able to get the freebie pin, sticker and headband that time. The one comment I do have though is I wish they would put more of their items on the website (I have a gift card to use but it's online only and cannot be used on the Popshop Live app and sometimes the items sell out fast on Popshop Live before it can even get on the Japan LA site. As much as I love the Popshop Live experience; I want to be able to use my Japan LA gift card too.) One day when they open back up I hope to visit their actual store but for now the online shopping experience has been overall pretty good.

This is a review of JapanLA's online store. Great online selection of kawaii products. They ship fast, too! I placed an order online for this adorable Cinnamoroll plush, and it was in my arms three days later. The only downside is they sell out of products quickly, so you should always have a cart filled and ready to go, in order to maximize the cost you'll pay for shipping.

Cute store that sells different brands and characters. All the items are neatly displayed. There are toys, apparel, plushies, trinkets, and accessories. The items are pricey. :: Experience:: The characters I saw and knew were Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma, Pusheen, Pokemon, Totoro, and Tokidoki but there were more. They even sell Star Wars theme shoes. My daughter wanted a Tokidoki shirt but they didn't have her size. We we're told, they sold out. She ended up getting a Totoro Jacket that costed $108.40 (tax included). It was on sale. The regular price was $130.00. :: Customer Service:: Lulu and Jorge was very helpful, polite, and welcoming. They both helped my daughter with getting the correct size of the Totoro Jacket. ::M's Notes:: -Street Parking -Lot Parking

A totally adorable store with so many cute things! You can probably find something you like here whether it's a cute pen, Pokémon onesie, or sailor moon socks. The only downside is to me the prices were expensive and I could've gotten them for better price back In WAS. The cashier was very kind and patient.

Online store experience only. Sanrio items are on par with Sanrio website, surprise balls like Mini Brands are cheap, and gachapon is expensive. They have a wide array of items, and your inner child will want to absolutely be FED. On their website, they say it can be anywhere between 5-10 business days just to PROCESS. Why they need that much time, I don't know. Small business thing? That I fault myself with not looking into, and it's not the reason for the lower rating but just know they move slow. I ordered on 2/6, they said it was packed 2/10, but the mail carrier didn't pick up until 2/13. Staff responded friendly to my inquiries regarding my package. The shipping time itself was quick because it's in Southern California. Got my order, only for 2 of my items to be incorrect. Like c'mon, you need all that time to process/pack and you manage to mess up on the order? I get it, human error. I make mistakes too. I kindly emailed them letting them know what happened and that some of the items they messed up on were supposed to be given as gifts, so I don't have time to return, but that they should really be diligently checking these orders before they send them out. It's been a few business days, and no response. Perhaps they need 5-10 days to hold themselves accountable too. Return policy sucks anyway. They expect you to pay for the return shipping and it's only for store credit. I love supporting smaller businesses, but that all kind of turned me off. If buying useless Sanrio/cute things didn't have me in a chokehold, I don't think I'd shop here again.

I went to the 16th anniversary of their store opening today (06/25/2022) ! I waited in line for an hour and a half but it was so worth it because I was on a mission to get CinnaGojo and meet any of the staff that I've seen on the PopShop Live shows. The store was very lively today and it was cool to see all the cute merch in person. The staff still wear masks which is very responsible of them. The actual Cinnamoroll passed me (!!!) but I didn't get to do the photo-op with him today, hopefully he comes back soon. They carry items from Sanrio, San-X, Pokémon, Studio Ghibli, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Sailor Moon, and many more. My mission was a successful one because I secured my baby CinnaGojo, a Gojo cable gashapon capsule, and got a Hello KittyxJapanLA pin for free. They were giving away free JapanLAxHK&F enamel pins for orders over $30 and a cute JapanLA tote bag with any purchase. I got to take a picture with Mandie and Panduhjess, they were really sweet. I'm glad that I got to experience in store shopping here. Congrats on 16 kawaii filled years JapanLA! THEY WILL BE OPEN EVERY SATURDAY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY. I got this information from their Instagram! I accidentally came across JapanLA on Instagram through the HyplandXHelloKitty collab and what a happy accident it has been since discovering them late last year. They have a streaming shopping experience through an app called PopShop Live. The code is KAWAII if you want to join and the shows are every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. This JapanLA online shopping experience awakened all my childhood Sanrio dreams and getting to buy things that I could never get before but now could get since I am now an adult with adult money. I'm a huge fan of Sanrio so to be able to have a store do this through an app is so convenient and so much fun due to the great staff. The staff at JapanLA are so amazing and exude the most positive vibes that make the shopping experience so fun to buy anything. Thanks to Jamie the founder of JapanLA for opening the cutest store! But also for finding such awesome people with great vibes running every single live show. Nuoyee, Mandie, Ambrose and Panduhjess make me want to buy every single thing that they are selling, but if your wallet is empty then just stay for the vibes because every show is fun whether you buy anything or not. I just wanted to write this review because the most recent ones are rude in my opinion. They have a storefront because they need it, they have so many products to store or display and doing it out of a home isn't practical for the amount/variety of products they have. &If they want to keep it closed whether it's Covid related or not, then that's their decision and their business but to put a low review because you're mad that they aren't opening the store to the public when it's in their rights to do whatever they want is rude. In the front of their store, it says that it's online shopping only and that it's a digital store. The bad reviews don't reflect how the shop is and I wanted to write that.

This place was ultimately a disappointment. I'm from Las Vegas and I had been wanting a spirit jersey for months especially the cinnamoroll one. After taking three Ubers because the first Ubers took us to the old Japan LA location, we finally made it to the correct one, and turns out we can't even go inside. I called them and explained I was from out of town and the reason why I didn't buy the jersey online was because I wanted to try it on because I wanna wear it as a dress At least they sent out a girl with different sizes that was a plus but I begged and begged and begged For them to let me inside so I can shop. my entire house is Sanrio and I was pretty much willing to spend hundreds of dollars there because I love everything on the site But once again I was denied. The headquarters location is so stupid you can literally run this out of somebody's house. I don't know it just put a whole damper on my vacation and I'm probably never going to shop from them again. There are lots of sanrio lovers Who would spend their hard earned money on the items in store but it's pointless if we can't even go inside Covid restrictions regardless, make all of your guests even make reservations to go inside, and once they're inside they need to use hand sanitizer and double mask -whatever they need to do, but the storefront is so pointless just run it out of somebody's house

This seller sold us a "Complete Set" Re-Ment box that contained a double. When we wrote to the seller about it they blamed manufacturer error and would only issue a partial refund of cost of the individual double (eventually, after some back and forth). I initially bought the "Manufacture Error" story and let it go, but on closer inspection today as I was cleaning out the boxes I noticed that the back of the box was actually only sticky taped closed and not sealed, so the set had been opened before I even received it. Perhaps this was a returned item and they didn't notice as I didn't that it was re-sealed by tape, or maybe it was malicious, I can't say. Either way their initial response the the problem was basically "Keep buying more until you find the missing one then" which is woeful.

I ordered a hello kitty Gundam kit and other items from here. Order came a week later. The only disappointing item was the blind item Gundam. I got one with just accessories, no robot. I emailed them and they responded right away. They said I can buy another one and ask for a robot but there are no guarantees. I do like their merchandise. Going to stay away from blind boxes.

I have been meaning to visit Japan LA for a good year now. I lived out of state for the longest time and could only gaze longingly at their cute instagram photos of items I wanted to buy. I finally got the opportunity to go on my most recent trip to Los Angeles. After hitting up the Museum of Death, my friends and I were ready to do some shopping. It was a Saturday afternoon so there was little to no parking, but we managed! Oh. My. God. This place is SO. CUTE. I saw the storefront windows and nearly died. There were huge Relax Bear plushes, Little Twin Stars, Alpaccasso...all of my favorite things. They carry any kind of San-X, TokiDoki, and Sanrio swag you could ever want! Umbrellas, stationary, clothing, kigurumis, keychains, phone cases, stuffed animals, hats, shoes- you name it, they have it. I was honestly overwhelmed by all of the cute clothing. I came there for a specific shirt but found three others that I wanted LOL! I tried them all on and probably got on everyone's nerves, but they were all so nice and I ended up leaving with two TokiDoki shirts and a squishy usagi dango. I spent around $57, which I thought was pretty reasonable for two t-shirts and a toy. I will definitely be back. I am way too excited that this place exists and there is a super cute Rilakkuma sweatshirt that I have my eye on! Thanks, Japan LA!

Poor customer service. Inflated prices. Limited opening hours. Employees are not interested in doing your business. There are so many other places that sell similar products. Take your business somewhere else. No stars for this company.