Kinokuniya Bookstore - Los Angeles

Not a lot of anime merch but a whole ton of manga, books, art supplies, and cute trinkets. Loved the sassy warning signs too! Definitely will be back.

Cute little store. They had a good selection of manga and trinkets. The gentleman that checked us out was friendly.

Friendly and helpful staff. Even if they're busy with a task, they're always willing to help or refer to someone who can. The first few times I went I thought I was being followed until I realized they were worried if I needed any help or they were just completing some of their basic tasks such as inventory, moving items, restocking, etc. I saw a review on here claiming they were racist due to someone receiving a "monkey/ape" stamp and perceiving being followed around for being black. I am fully Mexican and my friend (half White/half Mexican) who has also shopped there have received this stamp numerous times. We noticed it is just standard procedure to indicate that the item has been paid for. It is not used to deliberately target someone. I noticed the stamps are pretty random since I've been shopping here since 2020. If the logic was "only certain people receive this stamp because they belong to a certain ethnicity" then it doesn't make sense because how come my friend and I received the same stamp but we are either fully Mexican or half White and half Mexican? I'm a little confused about the review saying "they clearly don't want people who aren't Asian or white there" because if that was the case, they wouldn't accept me (fully Mexican) shopping there in the first place. They have been nothing but kind in my experience and have helped me find manga in Japanese when I explained to them I was learning the language and was looking for a specific series that I liked but the English translation hadn't come out yet so I wanted to read ahead while sharpening my language skills. They never looked down on me or questioned if I could really understand Japanese. It never felt like I was excluded, rather the opposite. They helped me as much as they could and answered any of my questions with kindness and patience. It's just sad for the employees to be labeled like that by one experience when that's just not it. I hope the employees are able to read this and cheer up because you guys are some of the kindest busy bees I have ever met. お仕事を頑張ってください！

Great bookstore and one of the only places in Socal (at least to my knowledge) where you can find not only a huge selection of Japanese language novels, learning material, and of course, manga and other merchandise, but also classic Japanese stationery like Campus notebooks and the likes.

Your head will start spinning and your eyes will tell you to start grabbing EVERYTHING in sight. It's overwhelming but not too much. There are so many things to see and touch. Set aside 45 minutes to go through the store, but that didn't include the book and magazine sections. From now on, everyone I know is getting a gift from here!

They’re at a temporary location at the Bloc right now but there’s still a lot of things to view and buy! Love this store.

The prevented.me.from buying a fountain pen and from them getting a sale. This is because they didn't let me test the pen. The kinokunias I have been to in Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose. Are all super friendly and dip the pens so you can test. This one was a hard no. I got the feeling it was because they thought you had to fill it with ink, they didn't really speak much English. The other clerks that did. were MIA from the fountain pen area. Seemed less intested in helping. Interesting to see just the English collection store is fairly packed with stuff orherwise

I am a huge Kinokuniya fan, ever since I moved from Costa Mesa to Pasadena and started frequenting their Santa Anita Mall location (back in Costa Mesa, BookOff on Baker was the place to go, for sure). I have been to this Little Tokyo location about two or three times already, and although it is a bit more of an inconvenience to get to if you live in the SGV like me, I think it is worth the trip, since it is about twice as large with maybe 3 times as many things as their Santa Anita mall. Their comic book and manga selection is huge, both in English and in 日本語, they have stationery items, art books, video game guidebooks, toys, plush toys, etc. They even have a dedicated children's books section in Japanese and even a fantastic (but neglected and not as well-stocked as I'd like) Japanese language section in the back of the store (I am going to take the N4 this upcoming December, so I got a few prepbooks here). Everyone is courteous and friendly, the patrons themselves are great too. And I happened to have gone on Nissei week, which made it so that there was people in cosplay and whatnot. Interesting experience and interesting location. Will for sure be back if I am in the area again (had to park like 3 blocks away, on Omar and 3rd Street and walk over) and I am willing to put up with how much of a nightmare parking in the area is. 10/10 for the service, product selection and overall layout of the store!

My sons both love going to Japanese stores and bookstores. My youngest thought it was at the old location in little Tokyo but we later found out it's at the Bloc. Good thing about this location is parking. The store is nice and laid out well so it's easy to find items. My son was able to find a book he was looking for. We came late before they close so there wasn't a lot of people. We were here on last month on a Saturday night.

Take a look, it's in a Kinokuniya Bookstore and this is one you definitely want to explore. Located at The Bloc in Downtown LA, Kinokuniya Bookstore - DTLA has an extensive collection of books, manga, magazines, posters, art, art supplies, novelty items, stationary, gifts, collectibles and more. Since its birth in Tokyo, Japan, during the age of the roaring 1920s to its overseas reach in the late 1960s - Kinokuniya has been gracing the world with emporiums of knowledge w/ some flare. I hadn't been to the Bloc in a minute, but making more of an effort to explore the city I was born in and our Downtown area, especially at social hubs like The Bloc. And I love some novelty items, art and tools for/of reading, even more so when it's very affordable. The Studio Ghibli is pretty nice as are various sections for music, history, spiritual and comic related things. Literally was whelmed with great finds, but decided to make my first trip (of many) in a leisure one to get familiar with the store. Great stationary. Great service and just great overall. Some of the isles can feel a little congested when there's an influx of foot traffic, put are still easy to navigate through as well as around. Kinokuniya has events, contests and updates on their website for their various locations. They also offer magazine subscriptions you can pick up in person. More incentive to stop inside for all the in-person bliss this book space has to offer. Open from 11AM to 8PM, seven days a week.

One of my favorite stops whenever we go to Little Tokyo. This is one of the best bookstores. I have so much fun walking in and exploring as they seem to have everything here - a wide selection of books and gifts, both mainstream and unique. They also have a great selection of pens here, and this is where I like to go whenever I need new ones. Overall? Super cute and super fun. You'll always find something worth buying here. And then you can roam around Little Tokyo. Definitely recommend.

I have been coming to this bookstore for DECADES! I used to come here with my best friend in junior high and high school to buy cute stationary, pens and Japanese fashion magazines. Then in college, I would get stickers, tote bags, graphic novels and art /design books. Now, I am bringing my niece here and we are buying children's books, language books and toys. This place is nothing short than amazing. I can easily get lost in time here, just looking at different books, gifts and stationary. Staff has always been friendly and helpful. I believe this location opened in 1977 and hope that it continues on! I don't buy books as I tend to get books at the library but when I do buy for my personal library, this is one of the many bookstores in LA that I will purchase from .

I ADORE Kinokuniya. Just don't make the same mistake I did and go to Little Tokyo, the little Tokyo location is closed and they moved temporarily to the Bloc in LA. It's an easy walk from the parking structure. The new location is smaller but still has all the manga, book, anime merch, jellycat, stationary and art supplies that you need! There's so many wonderful things to buy here, and everything is organized so well. I believe they are getting their permanent location back soon but for now, head to The Bloc for this little slice of heaven!

Kinokuniya is my favorite bookstore in the world, and I always make a stop whenever I'm traveling. Visiting this location while in LA from NYC, I noticed it's a bit smaller and more conservative in layout, with a more limited selection compared to the NYC store. Still, they manage to pack in quite a bit--especially when it comes to fountain pen inks and stationery. The prices are consistent with other locations, and I appreciated being able to use my membership discount. The store sees a good amount of foot traffic. The staff here weren't quite as attentive as at other branches--maybe just busy--but I was still able to grab my favorite Sailor ink and a few nice supplies. All in all, a solid stop for stationery lovers. I'll definitely come back if I'm looking for something new.

Place is moving. Excited about the new place supposedly opening mid August. Hopefully Parking situation will be better because this place is difficult.

This store is inside a plaza on the ground floor. The workers there are so kind and helpful. I was here buying a birthday gift for my niece. She loved her gifts and my experience was perfect.

The best casual/diverse Japanese bookstore & gift shop in town. Good selection of popular books, manga, and now I see them having different themed sections such as Totoro, Star Wars. There are also many fun and unique items for personal use or gifts.

The selection is very awesome! The plaza is clean and the staff were very nice and welcoming. If you are looking for tamagotchis- you found the right place. The stationary is also very neat- and right now they are giving out free magazine, come get it when you can.

I am a huge Kinokuniya fan, ever since I moved from Costa Mesa to Pasadena and started frequenting their Santa Anita Mall location (back in Costa Mesa, BookOff on Baker was the place to go, for sure). I have been to this Little Tokyo location about two or three times already, and although it is a bit more of an inconvenience to get to if you live in the SGV like me, I think it is worth the trip, since it is about twice as large with maybe 3 times as many things as their Santa Anita mall. Their comic book and manga selection is huge, both in English and in 日本語, they have stationery items, art books, video game guidebooks, toys, plush toys, etc. They even have a dedicated children's books section in Japanese and even a fantastic (but neglected and not as well-stocked as I'd like) Japanese language section in the back of the store (I am going to take the N4 this upcoming December, so I got a few prepbooks here). Everyone is courteous and friendly, the patrons themselves are great too. And I happened to have gone on Nissei week, which made it so that there was people in cosplay and whatnot. Interesting experience and interesting location. Will for sure be back if I am in the area again (had to park like 3 blocks away, on Omar and 3rd Street and walk over) and I am willing to put up with how much of a nightmare parking in the area is. 10/10 for the service, product selection and overall layout of the store!

It's fun to walk through, but like other reviewers have stated, the inflated prices make it pretty unwise to actually buy anything. Doubly so if you're looking for Japanese language texts, since you can just buy it more cheaply from any number of places online--while the selection here is painfully small. I get it, this Kinokuniya is in a tourist location, but like 90% of the space is taken up by manga and anime merch.

Whenever I'm in Little Tokyo, Kinokuniya is one of my regular stops. It's so much fun to peruse their stationery, the random Japanese toys they have in aisles of the stores, and the Japanese books. If you're a fan of anime or manga, then this is the ultimate store. I enjoy Haikyu, a volleyball anime/manga, and I was able to find books featuring animation from the series and 10th anniversary books that were sold in Japan last year. If you like stationery, they have tons of pens, notebooks, and things that can keep you occupied for many, many minutes. Overall, it's a fun store to peruse at Weller Court in Little Tokyo.

Kinokuniya is stacked to the brim with anything Japanese book or anime/manga related you could think of. Tons of books, manga, magazines, and merch. Their selection of exclusive merch is really cool too. I'm glad I can rely on Kinokuniya for official smiskis and other collectibles without worrying about fakes. I'm not sure if it was just cuz I visited on a weekend, but it's extremely crowded inside with customers. It's to the point where it's difficult to even maneuver inside the store, and I'm discouraged to buy anything since the line to check out is so long.

This is a little bookstore tucked away on the top of a shopping center. They have all the types of books you need, plus more! The aisles are a little crowded but well organized.

This little bookstore on the second floor of the Weller Court Plaza, located just above the Tokyo Central market is a must browse for many many reasons whenever you're visiting this particular courtyard. Their selection of books ranging from everything anime, manga, cookbooks, culture, and literature, fiction and non-fiction of every Japanese author is unparalleled in the city. On top of that, they have a remarkable stationary pen and pencil inventory along with all the supplemental products required to support these writing tools. Staff members here are also very knowledgeable about everything they sell. We'll find samples of the best writing instruments available to test and supplies ranging from every form of pencil lead to inks for every imaginable writing style. And gift boxes and surprise bags shirt to delight any gift recipient. Prices are very reasonable and the exceptional service here more than makes up for any discounts you might find online. They have a generous rewards program and can validate the parking in the structure below.

Rude cashiers talking bad about me in Japanese. Said my makeup was scary, I understood it all. One had blue hair and another was old. It definitely ruined my expirience, very rude. Good selection of books it's a shame the workers there feel like they can belittle people for no reason. Sad.

Great for anyone interested in Japanese culture especially manga and anime. I like art, photography, design, ceramics. Store to relocate in the future. Looking forward!

Around 43 years ago, when I visited this store for the first time while studying Kendo for several weeks in LA, I began building my collection of manga series and Kendo journals. When it came time for me to go back home to Seattle, Kinokuniya gave me a stack of yellow postcards on which I could request any books I wanted. For years they not only quickly sent me anything I requested -- they simply enclosed the invoice and TRUSTED ME to send the money. That's how beautifully Kinokuniya treated me! Who couldn't love this store?! These days I can just go downtown to the excellent Kinokuniya branch in Seattle, but I could never forget the splendid LA mother church where I began. I truly adore this store.

Great selection and very helpful staff. They knew where to find all the books my daughter was looking for and they let my son take a quick nap in the corner. Very hospitable and clean. 9/10 would recommend. 5 stars.

wow! what a store even for someone who has no particular interest in manga, etc.! you could never be at a loss shopping for a gift here, as the product ranges from manga (of course) books & related merch (of which there is an infinite variety.) as well as anime-related dolls (sorry: action figures) &plushies, in addition to a respectable art supply dept, for budding manga creators, as well as, gift miscellany like these awesome vintage botanical print-based puzzles from a san francisco publisher. these puzzles would be a go-to present for the person who has everything... they also stock kikkerland knick-knacks which are always suitably quirky. plus high-end fountain pens (also for thet manga creator, i assume)

Great variety of products, friendly staff and ok prices. but WHY cashless? Why are you fomenting that. No thanks​, will find another company.

This is the spot for manga and fun stuff in little Tokyo. Was able to find issues my daughter was looking for that no other place had. And honestly the air conditioning was so nice on a hot day.

Doesn't just have English manga, has Japanese and Chinese books. Absolute gem, I love this place so much

If you are looking for a huge selection of magazines as well as little gifts for family or friends this bookstore has it all. Not to mention they have a lot of movie books and guides. There's also a huge section of cute anime toys and plushes. It doesn't look big on the outside but when you walk in, the store is pretty deep. Conveniently located in a small outdoor mall, there are two big grocery stores filled with Japanese snacks and goods so if you're hungry it's right here! Will definitely come back again !

Good bookstore. Good prices and huge selection. Comics manga and collectible sold here.

Amazing if you love stationary and scrapbooking and stationary. Everything is imported so it might cost a little extra but it is worth it.

This bookstore has been around for a long long time and I am glad to still see it alive and so full of people today!!! We came in to browse some books and grabbed some Japanese magazines. The aisles are very small so there won't be space for any strollers. We left our baby stroller outside while we shopped inside. It's generally a safe area so we shopped without worrying about the diaper bag, etc. (of course bring in your valuables). The staff here rather friendly once you talk to them. Overall a nice clean store with lots of manga, books, magazines, and stationaries that you won't find in a typical American bookstore. The value here is rather fair as well. A lot of their books are plastic wrapped. There are some that has samples but most of the time, they're all sealed. They also have stickers everywhere with instructions if you need anything or wants to see the inside of certain books, you're more than welcome to notify the staff.

this bookstore is filled with an assortment of japanese goods, such as books, stationery, plushies, trinkets, sonny angels and more. it's slightly expensive but has good quality items! the employees are also nice and were patient despite me taking 5 minutes to organize my money. T_T

Such a nice bookstore. I find myself always looking around at all the mini figures and all the pens they have to offer. Yes I know it's a bookstore... but it's everything else that catches my eye. I love that the staff is always friendly and welcoming. The prices are reasonable and not to mention.. parking. It's great. Would highly recommend. Of course they won't have the popular books like the major retail stores, but it doesn't hurt to call and as, or stop by anyway.

i absolutely LOVE Kinokuniya. This location is much smaller than the Seattle location and does not have the same amount of variety, but it's such a great store nonetheless. The fountain pens and ink alone are worth a trip. They've got a pretty nice selection - Pilot, Lamy, etc. And not just the cheap ones too - they carry the Pilot Custom line (one of my favorites). Not as good of a price as I can get at other shops, but it's great that they carry them. They've got good inks too - plenty of Iroshizuku for decent prices. If you like journaling, there are a couple of sections for that too. Lots of different sizes and brands, and they carry paper in addition to embellishments. Lots of Traveler's brand when I visited. In addition to the wide variety of pens and pencils, they have stationary as well. Very cute stuff. Much of the rest of the store is dedicated to books of different genres as well. Parking for us was metered on the street. This location is in a plaza with a bunch of other great stores as well. But definitely worth a visit if you're interested in what they have and are in the area!

Kinokuniya in town Little Tokyo, I wanted to buy all but I can't afford it I am poor. Darn it, especially it was enjoying the time spent with short time. Come often and little times

The woman who helped me went out of her way to check the stock to see if the item I was looking for was available. Bless her. Ig the store is a bit pricey but good quality

Love the selection, from books to trinkets, they have niche interests in mind. I like how helpful the staff was in helping me find a yearly agenda, along with the clear cover that went with it. Great stationary collection, dishes, cards, Sonny Angels, SMISKI, manga, art books, etc. Hidden gems everywhere, will always come back.

Really neat Japanese bookstore with many, many books, novelty items, and more. I'm not fluent in Japanese but I wanted to make a stop here out of curiosity. The store holds many books in the original Japanese language, which just shows how authentic the items are. Although I didn't make a purchase on the day of my visit, it's really refreshing and nice to see that this business is staying true to its cultural and traditional roots.

I've geeked out about books since the second grade- from weekly pickups and drops at the Bookmobile, perusing favorites at the school and city libraries, to shopping at the plethora of shops, including the original Borders Books. Used bookstores also appeal but as all these wonderful shops get 'Amazoned' and disappear, it's refreshing to find stores like this in Little Tokyo where the printed word still has an honored place. Fun fact, there's an amazing market below the bookstore... but this is about the love of books and stationary and pens and fun toys and things. If it wasn't Covid-19 precautions I'd have camped out for hours. What's guaranteed, however, is that I will make a point of returning again and again. To compensate for loss for words I'll let my photos be a silent essay. Needless to say, their selection of anime is a highlight, and all sections are nicely curated and displayed. I was especially happy to see young kids enjoying their time in the store and they definitely keep a brisk pace with customers despite current limitations.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! So many books and manga! If you're an avid reader or love anime or love manga, this place is definitely worth checking out! Exterior Patio is aesthetic and inside the store is very spacious! There's so many stationary, puzzles, themed collectibles for example they have a Studio Ghibli and Demon Slayer collection and have books on arts and crafts or learning new languages! The employees are also very friendly and they accept cash and card! I got a couple Demon Slayer folders for $8.95 per and they are such high quality and have multiple flaps! I love the designs as well!! I also got Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner because it was on my reading list!! There's parking below that's $2 per 15 mins and max charged per day is $10!

Kinokuniya is the single most MUST-VISIT shop in Little Tokyo! I love Kinokuniya and always stop by whenever I am in Little Tokyo. Such a fun store! I have to watch myself...otherwise I'll end up buying all of the knick knacks!! It's also right next to Marukai, so be sure to grab some snacks at Marukai afterwards!

Kinokuniya Bookstore - in Los Angeles is a Foreign Language JAPANESE Bookstore that is large and comprehensive. It has sections on GO, Bushido, Book of The Five Rings, ZEN, Shinto, KABUKI, and The Samurai. There are also sections on Travel, Language Learning, Cooking, Culture, Theater, Music and Art. But more than anything this store Novels, Mango, Fiction, Non-Fiction books, Magazines, and Newspapers, with 50% IN JAPANESE - which is a very tall and expensive order in the USA

Love the selection, it's always insanely crowded, as is expected, but the selection is worth dealing with the massive crowds. The employees are always really nice, I had a cute interaction with one of the girls when she asked about my ita bag. Overall, love this place and I come here and buy something every time I'm in downtown LA.

Long time favorite for many who frequent Little Tokyo and for Manga fans. Kinokuniya have a excellent collection of Manga publications, and a small collection of Asian American literature titles and authors. They also have some nice stationery items and some hard to find fine writing instruments. From Lamy Fountain Pens, to Pilot and Namiki products, this store is a treat for Stationery Store lovers.

I absolutely LOVED this shop- I spent an hour inside and could have easily spent more time there! The employees were very nice and welcoming, they took the time to walk my friend and I through how to use a fountain pen, the different types, and various inks. The variety of materials in the shop are awesome, one could truly get lost in there if you're not careful about keeping time

The Kinokuniya book store at Weller Court is really amazing they have many books from Japan that you can imagine and other items. My wife enjoy the bookstore because she a school teacher they amazing books.

Neat bookstore. I always stop by here whenever I visit Little Tokyo. Pretty much half of the bookstore comprises of books in Japanese. The rest of the space is filled with books in English and stationary goods. (Also there's a nice section of Studio Ghibli stuff; very dangerous for my wallet.) Prices overall are a bit on the higher end; I mean I know that most of the stuff here is imported, but even the things that I've seen also at other stores have a higher price point here.

Weeb/Otaku Heaven. Man, honestly if I weren't going to japan in a couple weeks, I'd easily have spent 500 bucks in here. No doubt. That, and the fact that my mum was legit breathing down my neck lol. There's an enormous selection of manga, lightnovels, DVD's and other weeb content. They've got a great selection of English and Japanese content so you can get whichever you prefer. I will say that the Japanese novels tend to be limited, so for example. I need Re:Zero 11, but they only had 17 and 19, the Japanese version is currently on 20. Another thing to keep in mind is the books and manga are more expensive here than they would be on AmazonJP, Bookdepository and of course, in Japan. So if it's a book you really wanna pick up ASAP, a figure, blu Ray, pencil, other accessory, go for it, otherwise I'd encourage you to check those other sources! This + Orochon Ramen upstairs is an amazing way to spend an afternoon. There's also a shop on the first floor that sells body pillows and figures if you're into that.

as always, a good and organized selection of books here. its honestly such a long drive away but the time spent in the store browsing for books and finding exactly i wanted is worth; every trip here makes me drop like ~$90-100 loool. the only real issue with this place would be how popular it is and the customers dont really social distance (?) wear a mask and stay vaccinated lol

KINOKUNIYA LA sells books, comics, mags, stationery English and Japanese. This shop is sooo conveniently located on the 2nd level of Weller Court, and on the 1st level is Snowya and Midori Matcha...

It's really disappointing that most of the Kino's in SoCal are either closed or are standalone Maido's now. Other than this location, the only other ones I've been to, are the San Jose one in Mitsuwa Marketplace and the San Francisco location (probably the best one in my opinion). I remember back in the day, they used to update their stock of anime goods, J-fashion magazines, and even had doujinshi. It's still a place to purchase manga, art books, and light novels in person, as well as some other magazines and stationery, but it is pretty lacking in comparison to its heyday. For example, in the past 3-4 years, they had a wall of Touken Ranbu blind boxes and merchandise. It has always been there and now they're trying to sell it off in the form of a gift bag. The small corner in the front used to update stock of anime blind boxes, clear files, and other goods, but this too has barely changed.

Found this place to kill some time and browse around the Japanese culture and literature they got. Was surprised by a section with an array of different highlighters, pens, and pencils. Didn't realize that writing utensils could be so diverse. Overall, if you're into Manga and need Japanese books, come here. This is one of those place you come to just kill time or want to bring your visiting relatives to show how cool Little Tokyo is in LA.