(Patrick Hruby / Los Angeles Times)
15 places in L.A. that make you feel like you’ve transported to Tokyo
This summer, a friend brought me to Hitachiya, a Japanese kitchen-supply store tucked in a strip mall in Torrance. While browsing the shelves of beautifully designed cookware, I heard a familiar sound — a bright, rhythmic whir. I turned around to see a man in the corner of the shop sharpening a chef’s knife by gliding it back and forth on a whetstone.
The sound took me back to my travels in Japan — I imagined myself walking through the damp pathways of famed fish market Tsukiji, where fishmongers would sharpen knives and call out orders over the early morning flurry. I thought about the outer-market shops, where rows of vendors sold everything from spices to preserved foods to hand-woven fabrics.
Back at Hitachiya, just a half-hour away from my home in L.A., I stood in awe as I watched the craft of professional sharpener Masa Hirota, who spent his childhood in Tokyo helping his father make small knives called takewari houcho using samurai swords. I decided to buy a chef’s knife of my own, one with a blue handle and textured finish. Today it holds a special place in my kitchen, reminding me of one of my favorite countries to visit.
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Los Angeles is home to a vibrant Japanese American community and a large population of Japanese expats. As someone who writes about the influence of Japanese culture in L.A., I’ve visited many shops around the city that make me feel like I’ve briefly been transported back to Japan: a tea shop in downtown L.A., a home goods store in Mar Vista, a sandwich spot in Echo Park. If you are dreaming of your first or next trip to Tokyo, browse these spaces. And pick up some delicious and beautifully designed items while you’re there.
Showing Places
(Julie Wolfson)
Paper Plant
Chinatown Paper goods
Friedia Niimura, who worked in Tokyo as a model and actress, often browsed Japanese stationery shops and dreamed about having her own line of cards one day. That dream came true — she’s the creator of New Moon Paper Goods and the owner of Paper Plant, a stationery store in Chinatown.
At Paper Plant, you can find washi tape adorned with illustrations of popular Asian snacks (tiny Yakult and Pocky — adorable!), Japanese rubber stamps featuring cats in mushroom hats and the ever-popular Le Pen pens in every color. I especially love the stationery sets that come with paper, envelopes and stickers. Those would always be my go-to gift to bring home from Japan.
While you’re there, be sure to order a coffee or tea drink from Thank You Coffee in the same space and check out Pearl River Deli for Cantonese food next door.
At Paper Plant, you can find washi tape adorned with illustrations of popular Asian snacks (tiny Yakult and Pocky — adorable!), Japanese rubber stamps featuring cats in mushroom hats and the ever-popular Le Pen pens in every color. I especially love the stationery sets that come with paper, envelopes and stickers. Those would always be my go-to gift to bring home from Japan.
While you’re there, be sure to order a coffee or tea drink from Thank You Coffee in the same space and check out Pearl River Deli for Cantonese food next door.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Hightide Store DTLA
Downtown L.A. Home goods
Opened in Row DTLA in 2018, the Los Angeles shop is Hightide’s second location — the first being in Japan on the island of Kyushu in Fukuoka. It’s the place to go for beautifully designed office, home and school supplies, as well as clothing and accessories. Look for rubber-soled Moonstar Shoes, supremely comfortable Obscure Socks and totes with Noritake illustrations. If you’re a notebook lover, check out Penco’s gridded notebooks with soft covers. They come in just about every color.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Chikara Mochi
Gardena Confectionery
This small wagashi shop in Torrance makes the most exquisitely decorated mochi in Los Angeles. The red-bean-filled matcha mochi is topped with a tiny white bunny and pastel hearts. A chrysanthemum mochi is adorned with a yellow stem and translucent green leaf. The ringo (apple) mochi looks like a miniature crunchy apple but is filled with soft white bean.
Only the uguisu option comes unadorned, covered only in kinako, roasted soy bean powder. With one bite, you learn why, for this delicate and delicious mochi, no extra decor is necessary.
Browsing the shop, you will find yourself asking, “What’s this? And this and this?” Arrive early and bring cash — you’ll want to buy boxes of mochi for your loved ones or bring them home for yourself.
Only the uguisu option comes unadorned, covered only in kinako, roasted soy bean powder. With one bite, you learn why, for this delicate and delicious mochi, no extra decor is necessary.
Browsing the shop, you will find yourself asking, “What’s this? And this and this?” Arrive early and bring cash — you’ll want to buy boxes of mochi for your loved ones or bring them home for yourself.
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(Julie Wolfson)
The Good Liver
Downtown L.A. Home goods
This small, light-filled boutique — a “modern-day version of a general store,” as it is described on its website — feels minimalist yet full of surprises. Most of the carefully curated inventory of home goods, apothecary products and office supplies is from Japan, with a few items from Europe, Korea and Thailand. There’s a focus on high-quality materials — you’ll find items such as a handmade ceramic cup from Iruma city in Saitama, a glass coffee dripper from a manufacturer founded in 1912 in downtown Tokyo and a pair of traditional Japanese scissors sharpened by hand by a father-son duo in Ono. Every piece has a story.
In the back of the shop, the in-house kitchen is set up for tea tastings featuring tea from Kettl, a Brooklyn-based company that sources tea directly from farms in Japan.
In the back of the shop, the in-house kitchen is set up for tea tastings featuring tea from Kettl, a Brooklyn-based company that sources tea directly from farms in Japan.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Visvim Exposition
Downtown L.A. Clothing store
Walking into Visvim Exposition in downtown L.A.’s historic Bradbury Building feels like you’re stepping into a modern boutique in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Enter off 3rd Street to find a minimalist retail space for this Japanese apparel brand founded by Hiroki Nakamura in 2001. Work-style boots are displayed on a central platform surrounded by racks of clothes, a vintage camper and an oversized lantern. I spotted an indigo-dyed Sashiko Market bag made from vintage linen with intricate stitching. It looked beautiful enough to frame.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Tortoise General Store
Mar Vista Home goods
When Tortoise General Store moved from its original Abbot Kinney bungalow to Venice Boulevard in 2018, regular customers might have worried it would lose some of its magic. But the reveal of its new airy space did not disappoint. The large brick building, divided into three spaces, features everyday home goods, ceramics and apparel made using traditional methods. Look for beautiful textiles and a vast array of tenugui cloths.
Tortoise continues to stock iron animals produced in the Kamasada casting studio in Morioka city, which has been working with iron for three generations. More than 10 years ago, I bought a small iron bunny rabbit that has been our kitchen protector and mascot ever since.
Tortoise continues to stock iron animals produced in the Kamasada casting studio in Morioka city, which has been working with iron for three generations. More than 10 years ago, I bought a small iron bunny rabbit that has been our kitchen protector and mascot ever since.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Ototo
Echo Park Japanese Restaurant $$
Los Angeles is fortunate to have not only a plethora of Japanese restaurants but also a few really fantastic sake bars. Our favorite is Ototo in Echo Park, the “little brother” of chef Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan’s izakaya Tsubaki.
At both spaces, each sake is served with a story about where it was brewed and the history of the brewery. Ask the staff for suggestions, whether you’re looking to try something brewed in traditional methods or something new and surprising. Kaplan, Ototo’s resident sake translator, might ask what types of drinks you like. A few of her comparisons: If you like West Coast IPAs, try the Chiyonosono “Kumamoto Shinriki” Junmai Ginjo. If you like gin martinis, try the Eiko Fuji “Honkara” Honjozo Karakuchi. If you like savory red wines, try the Shichida “75” Junmai. If you find something you love, you can buy a bottle to take home.
At both spaces, each sake is served with a story about where it was brewed and the history of the brewery. Ask the staff for suggestions, whether you’re looking to try something brewed in traditional methods or something new and surprising. Kaplan, Ototo’s resident sake translator, might ask what types of drinks you like. A few of her comparisons: If you like West Coast IPAs, try the Chiyonosono “Kumamoto Shinriki” Junmai Ginjo. If you like gin martinis, try the Eiko Fuji “Honkara” Honjozo Karakuchi. If you like savory red wines, try the Shichida “75” Junmai. If you find something you love, you can buy a bottle to take home.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Gallery Nucleus
Alhambra Art Gallery
A haven for pop-culture art, Gallery Nucleus feels like a place you might walk into in Tokyo’s Shinjuku or Shibuya neighborhoods. The gallery includes several Japanese and Japanese American artists on its roster. (This month, anime artist Junko Mizuno returns with her fourth and final food-themed show.) You can find prints and books by Studio Ghibli background painter Yoichi Nishikawa, Mizuno and vintage-style illustrator Nanaco Yashiro. The Pisces in me is pining for Jen Kuroki’s adorable stoneware sculpture, “Ocean.”
While you’re in Alhambra, be sure to head to Yang‘s Kitchen a few blocks away to try the Japanese-style breakfast.
While you’re in Alhambra, be sure to head to Yang‘s Kitchen a few blocks away to try the Japanese-style breakfast.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Meiji Tofu
Gardena Tofu shop
If you’ve ever eaten at Tsubaki or Yang’s Kitchen and ordered a tofu dish, you might have wondered, “Why is this the best tofu I’ve ever had?” And the answer will be because it’s from Meiji. The maker of silken tofu that’s custardy, delicate and divine, Meiji has a tiny shop in Torrance where you can stock up on regular, supreme and seasonal offerings. It also sells soy milk that you can use to make your own tofu at home. (All you’d need to do is add nigari, a natural tofu coagulant.)
Bonus: Meiji Tofu is down the street from Otafuku, a restaurant known for its signature Seiro white soba.
Bonus: Meiji Tofu is down the street from Otafuku, a restaurant known for its signature Seiro white soba.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Q Pop
Downtown L.A. Art
There’s a section of the Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo that feels like the underground area of Shibuya. It’s on the San Pedro Street side, where anime shops and other pop culture offerings lead you to Q Pop, a bright and energetic shop and mini gallery co-owned by Chris Mitchell and Miki Panteepo.
Mitchell, an artist for “Ren and Stimpy,” “The Powerpuff Girls” and other animated TV shows, curates the gallery with Japanese designer vinyl toys and art by many Japanese and Japanese American artists. Look for vibrant Naoshi sand paintings, extra-large prints by Konatsu and — my favorite — appearances by the Japanese toy line Monchichi. After seeing the entire Sekiguchi section at Hakuhinkan Toy Park in Kiddy Land in Tokyo, it’s always a welcome sight to spot the adorable fuzzy monkey toys here in Los Angeles.
Mitchell, an artist for “Ren and Stimpy,” “The Powerpuff Girls” and other animated TV shows, curates the gallery with Japanese designer vinyl toys and art by many Japanese and Japanese American artists. Look for vibrant Naoshi sand paintings, extra-large prints by Konatsu and — my favorite — appearances by the Japanese toy line Monchichi. After seeing the entire Sekiguchi section at Hakuhinkan Toy Park in Kiddy Land in Tokyo, it’s always a welcome sight to spot the adorable fuzzy monkey toys here in Los Angeles.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Toiro
West Hollywood Kitchen supply shop
You may be surprised when I say my favorite thing I have bought at Toiro, known for its wide selection of donabes, is a white porcelain butter dish with a cherry-wood top. It sits on the counter next to our stove, right there whenever I need a knob of butter for soft scrambled eggs or to spread on toast. On one of my favorite episodes of “Midnight Diner,” a fancy restaurant critic finds himself drawn to a humble diner at all hours of the night to order his childhood favorite, butter rice, a small bowl of rice with a dollop of butter and a splash of soy sauce. Sometimes the simplest foods are the most satisfying.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Hitachiya
Kitchen supply shop
When I asked my friend Tomoko Imade Dyen, the founder of Create Japan, where she shops in Los Angeles for items she is missing from her home in Tokyo, she exclaimed, “We must go to Hitachiya in Torrance!” This small kitchen store is filled with items imported from Japan, including a set of pans and colanders designed by renowned industrial designer Sori Yanagi. His ingenious design innovations include a stainless steel pot with a lid that you can turn to either seal or vent and a spout on the side that allows you to pour hot liquids easily. One wall of the store is lined with knife display cases, including one with its own namesake knives.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Tea Master
Downtown L.A. Tea shop
When I ask where to buy Japanese tea, the same shop is recommended to me over and over: Tea Master in Little Tokyo. You might miss seeing this small shop in the Honda Plaza across from the always popular Sushi Gen, but it’s worth a visit. Shelves are stocked with beautiful teaware and high-quality matcha and green teas from Japan. Find premium first-harvest senchas, houjicha and some black tea options. Tea Master also serves green tea drinks, smoothies and lattes. Be sure to order a matcha soft-serve — it might just be the best in L.A.
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(Julie Wolfson)
K. Minamoto
Century City Confectionery
An unspoken rule of etiquette when visiting a friend, colleague or family member in Japan: Never arrive empty-handed. Gifts are a sign of appreciation and respect. Just about any item from K. Minamoto at the Westfield Century City Mall would be happily received.
The Japanese confectionery offers both sweet and savory items that are available all year, along with special treats that celebrate the seasons and holidays. For the mid-autumn festival, the store offers bunny-shaped usagi cakes filled with white bean paste and yuzu, and mooncakes filled with red bean and black sesame paste. My family loves the kasutera sponge cakes and extra crispy rice crackers that come in three flavors. Pick up an assortment box to try a bit of everything.
The Japanese confectionery offers both sweet and savory items that are available all year, along with special treats that celebrate the seasons and holidays. For the mid-autumn festival, the store offers bunny-shaped usagi cakes filled with white bean paste and yuzu, and mooncakes filled with red bean and black sesame paste. My family loves the kasutera sponge cakes and extra crispy rice crackers that come in three flavors. Pick up an assortment box to try a bit of everything.
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(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Kinokuniya Books
Downtown L.A. Bookstore
Founded in 1927 in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood, Kinokuniya Books now has locations throughout Asia, Australia, the U.A.E. and the U.S. Perusing the shelves of the store on the second floor of Weller Court in Little Tokyo, you’ll find a variety of books in Japanese and English, including a large selection of manga, anime and bunko. The racks in the extensive magazine section are layered with food and design magazines. Also on offer: stationery, gifts and toys.
Kinokuniya is my go-to place to find issues of Japanese design magazine Casa and Brutus (I especially love the coffee-themed issues). Look for fashion magazines that are wrapped with items like tote bags and makeup pouches. The company also offers a Japanese magazine subscription service with more than 100 titles that can be picked up in store or sent to your home.
Kinokuniya is my go-to place to find issues of Japanese design magazine Casa and Brutus (I especially love the coffee-themed issues). Look for fashion magazines that are wrapped with items like tote bags and makeup pouches. The company also offers a Japanese magazine subscription service with more than 100 titles that can be picked up in store or sent to your home.
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