Best Ramen on the LiL Tokyo Strip. Not overly flavored like the others. Simple Dashi, lean pork, smooth flavor. Very similar to Hawaiian style. Me and my transplanted island Brahda’s always eat at Mr Ramen. Kind of like sitting on the beach in Hawaii. Nice Island and reggae tunes. Bypass the overcrowded tourist traps. Others come and go, but Mr. Ramen been here for decades.

Little Tokyo was one of the places I was most excited to share with my family during our Los Angeles vacation, and it did not disappoint. As one of only three official Japantowns in the United States, it offers a wonderful mix of Japanese culture, history, shopping, and amazing food all within a few walkable blocks.We spent the evening strolling through the neighborhood, especially around the Japanese Village Plaza, browsing stores filled with everything from Japanese snacks and drinks to anime merchandise, cookware, gifts, and clothing. My sons were thrilled to find items they normally can't get back home in North Carolina.The food was fresh and authentic, and there are so many restaurants to choose from that it's hard to go wrong. Whether you're craving ramen, sushi, or traditional Japanese desserts, you'll find plenty of excellent options.The neighborhood had a great energy, and it was nice seeing so many people out enjoying the area. I also think the success of the Dodgers' Japanese players has helped introduce even more visitors to this historic neighborhood, which is great to see.Parking was easy in one of the nearby garages, and from there everything was within walking distance.If you're visiting downtown Los Angeles, I'd absolutely recommend spending an evening in Little Tokyo. Between the food, shopping, and cultural experience, it's one of the highlights of the city.

This was hands down my favorite stop during my whole trip to LA. I like how tourist friendly this area was. Very walkable with such fun shops and great food.

Absolutely Perfect!NO GARBAGEEmaculate Floors!Unbelievably Beautiful Art insideVery Neat!

Lovely sunny and warm early February day in Little Tokyo to celebrate a significant birthday of a family member who has kept close ties to their Japanese heritage. Unfortunately the Japanese American National Museum and its delightful Chado Tea Shop (Japanese setting but with mostly a British high tea menu) are closed for extensive renovations but the lovely gardens at the nearby Japanese American Culture and Community Center are open. We started with tea at an outdoor cafe, proceeded to a lunch of shabu shabu (hot pot) and beef curry (Japanese style), browsed the shops (mostly catering to fans of manga, anime, and all things cute), had freshly baked custard and red bean paste filled taiyaki, bought fresh Sakura mochi at Fugetsu-Do (founded in 1903!), and ended the afternoon by dancing to the busker in the Mall's courtyard.Travel tips: Public restrooms are not plentiful in Little Tokyo. There's a standalone public toilet adjacent to the Metro entrance but opening the door requires using the 'Throne' app or texting Throne - free but takes a little time so don't wait until the last minute.If you drive to Little Tokyo, there are several covered parking garages ($20 per day) in the neighborhood; snap a photo of the location of your garage! Plan on arriving after the LA morning commute hours and departing by mid-afternoon. The Metro is a much better way to visit Little Tokyo now that there's a stop just across from the Tokyo Mall and catty-corner to JANM. Download the TAP app on to your phone and then you can ride the rails for a max of $5 a day (less for senior). With the opening of the spiffy LAX/Metro Transit Center in June of 2025, you can now easily take the Metro from LAX to Little Tokyo (and many other destinations in the LA Basin). (Until the LAWA People Mover opens later in 2026, you need to take a short, free shuttle bus from the Transit Center to the LAX terminals.)Part of our party day tripped from SFO to Little Tokyo. Following Google Maps, they walked (with their rollator) .4 miles from LAX Terminal 1 to the FlyAway Bus depot at Terminal 7, paid $12.50 per bus ticket (via an app), had the rollator loaded into the bus's cargo hold, and rode the bus 30 minutes or so through moderate late morning freeway traffic to Union Station. Then rather than transferring to another bus for a 5 stop ride to Little Tokyo as instructed by Google Maps, we instead rolled onto the Metro for one stop; much easier (once we figured out the TAP app and found the elevator up to the platform)!The return trip was much easier: literally and figuratively rolled onto the Metro A line south toward Long Beach and sat on the comfortable rollator for the ride above and below the traffic), changed to the C line west at the Willowbrook/Rosa Park station and rode it to the LAX/Metro Transit Center at end of the line, and then rode the free shuttle to Terminal 1. As previously noted, once the LAWA People Mover opens later this year, the whole trip can be made without getting into traffic.