Kinokuniya Los Angeles

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 kids love this book store , we are from Texas.so we go to the one in Katy . We were visiting family in L.A . and could not pass up the opportunity to visit the L.A. store in little Tokyo. Loved the plaza , atmosphere, and the many place to eat , shop. Definitely going again.

For a place that sells very wonderful high end products, and books, you'd think they wouldn't put the sticker on the product, and instead on their excessive plastic wraps they use all over their items.

I love this store! They have such an incredible selection of Japanese books and gifts. I really appreciated that when my membership expired, I was able to quickly renew while I was buying some products. Everyone who works there is very sweet and helpful. I also love that there is always some type of sale or special going on, especially for those who have a membership!

Very good selection of books and Manga. The magazine section is a little disappointing, but they do have a good amount. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Overall, it is a very pleasant experience to go there.

One of my favorite bookstores! Lots of rare and imported books from Japanese (and other nationalities) authors that are hard to find at other stores. Many are translated into English as well. Loads of great stationary and pens, fun gifts and workbooks for school. I love sincere personal comics, and I found a book about ADHD and mental health from a Japanese perspective that I love love love! Come find your new favorite novel or manga! One note though: many books here are shrink wrapped, so you cannot check out the interior before purchasing. This can make it fun to discover your new favorite book, I think, but just a heads up!

This book store is my goto spot for japanese culture. As a big anime and game fan, this shop sells it all and the staff is very friendly and always willing to show you where any items are at even if you are not sure. I was able to find Shikishi here for getting autographs from VAs and get artbooks from niche series.

It's really good. There are a lot of quality Japanese stationery products, so it's the best to buy after looking around and experiencing it!

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 kids love this book store , we are from Texas.so we go to the one in Katy . We were visiting family in L.A . and could not pass up the opportunity to visit the L.A. store in little Tokyo. Loved the plaza , atmosphere, and the many place to eat , shop. Definitely going again.

For a place that sells very wonderful high end products, and books, you'd think they wouldn't put the sticker on the product, and instead on their excessive plastic wraps they use all over their items.

I love this store! They have such an incredible selection of Japanese books and gifts. I really appreciated that when my membership expired, I was able to quickly renew while I was buying some products. Everyone who works there is very sweet and helpful. I also love that there is always some type of sale or special going on, especially for those who have a membership!

Very good selection of books and Manga. The magazine section is a little disappointing, but they do have a good amount. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Overall, it is a very pleasant experience to go there.

One of my favorite bookstores! Lots of rare and imported books from Japanese (and other nationalities) authors that are hard to find at other stores. Many are translated into English as well. Loads of great stationary and pens, fun gifts and workbooks for school. I love sincere personal comics, and I found a book about ADHD and mental health from a Japanese perspective that I love love love! Come find your new favorite novel or manga! One note though: many books here are shrink wrapped, so you cannot check out the interior before purchasing. This can make it fun to discover your new favorite book, I think, but just a heads up!

This book store is my goto spot for japanese culture. As a big anime and game fan, this shop sells it all and the staff is very friendly and always willing to show you where any items are at even if you are not sure. I was able to find Shikishi here for getting autographs from VAs and get artbooks from niche series.

It's really good. There are a lot of quality Japanese stationery products, so it's the best to buy after looking around and experiencing it!

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.

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!

Kinokuniya is a fantastic bookstore in Little Tokyo. It's a bit smaller than the one in SF, but there's plenty to see and check out. Some of the books are wrapped up tight and cost a bundle, but this is the perfect place to get lost in.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

My friend took me here for the first time yesterday and we had a lot of fun browsing their selection of stationary and books. I would definitely recommend this store to any Little Tokyo first-timers :)

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.

there's so many books to choose from & has cute little trinkets and art supplies too! i love their art books selection!!! it's so amazing!

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

This is an amazing Japanese bookstore located in the heart of Little Tokyo. Here you will find a large assortment of books in Japanese as well as in English. Manga, Sailor Moon, Hello Kitty, as well as a large assortment of children's books. My favorite is the writing pen section. If you're really into pens like me you will truly enjoy checking out the different types of writing pens and mechanical pencils. Toys, cards, gifts, so many things to see. This was my second trip here and it's always fun.

The store is nicely stocked and seemingly well organized. My interests are in the fountain pens and the signature fountain pen inks, which they have quite a variety. The fountain pens they carry are from sub $100 range to several hundred dollars. Unfortunately every time I go there to look at or purchase a pen I am unable to. Here's the problem, for some reason when they receive merchandise they stack it all around the area where the pen cases and ink display cases are located. This makes it nearly impossible to really see anything. And when I asked for assistance the person had no idea what I wanted. She merely opened a couple of drawers, shuffled through them and then told me they were out of stock. I really don't think she really looked. I am in Little Tokyo alot to shop for groceries and usually will stop into Kinokuniya to see if they have anything new. Its always the same, can't get to the display cases. I wondering if they actually sell any fountain pens, as they are high dollar items. Btw, I found the Kaweco pen and Kaweco case online with free shipping

Have gone to Kinokuniya for years and it's saddening they've dropped their OC locations, but glad this one in LA still stands. Wide selection of Japanese stationary, trinkets, books, magazines, and toys. There's no other Japanese bookstore quite like this in the area. It's an excellent store to just browse the aisles as you'll eventually find something that catches your interest.

It's been a hot minute since I've last visited Kinokuniya, and it was pretty fun to explore! Loads of cute stationary, up to date with endless anime series, and I ended up buying some Studio Ghibli blind boxes along with some cute stickers! Some stuff are VERY pricey which helps me not snatch everything from the shelves, but definitely a fun way to pass time browsing.

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.

As much as I love Kinokuniya, this particular location is such a letdown. I visited this past August, and now in March, hoping to see new inventory for the stationery and stickers, but it was almost like nothing had changed. :(

Amazing service, a lot of anime stuff in both English and japanese. Nice price considering other stores are really expensive. 10/10 would recommend.

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.

Hands-down the best Kinokuniya I have been to. A huuuuge selection if book, in English and Japanese, and also various knick-knacks and unique anime merchandise. The store was clean and well organized.

Manga, books, pens, paper, cards, calendars, all the cool things artfully curated. You'll want everything.

There is one restroom in this shopping center, but it is locked and all the businesses have signs posted that they do not have the key. To bad. I probably would have spent money here. Bookstore is well stocked and busy otherwise.

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...

If there was more than 5 stars I'd definitely add more, this place is amazing even though it can be a bit pricey it's my favorite place to visit whenever i head too dtla. If you're a stationary lover or you're genuinely into anime I suggest going there!! There's many artbooks and types of manga there, definitely alot pens and markers/booklets too for crafty people. It was like heaven for me when I first entered :)

I was able to find all the stuff I was looking for. I also found new series to try. I really enjoyed searching through and picking out manga I wanted. I also saw things I normally do not see at the store in San Francisco which is where I usually shop. I cannot wait to go back again.

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.

Kinokuniya is a Japanese bookstore chain and has been in Little Tokyo since 1977. I drop by every now and then when I'm in Little Tokyo, especially looking for specific gifts. They have a lot of Japanese publications and manga. They have other books, such as local interests, and they have cool stationery and fancy pens.

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.

I love the San Francisco branch, and this was disappointingly smaller. Even more disappointing was the very tiny crafts section, they seem to cater principally to teenage manga amateurs. But you know, I'm sure that's fine if that's what you're looking for

It's been awhile since I came here and it's pretty much what I desire: to be surrounded with rows of manga, art books, hip Japanese magazines, idol magazines, etc. enough to make an Otaku gurgle with ecstasy. The place is stocked up with all kinds of goodies and granted alot of this stuff you can buy online for less, but there is something about a bookstore that the web can't replace: your peripheral vision covered with real books on display, pens and sketchbooks you can touch and hold, and just knowing you can walk away with your favorite purchase on the spot. Also as a bonus is seeing people from all walks of life geeking out about their favorite manga. And after all the years of coming to this place it's nice to see the male and female geek ratio to be even these days. Anyway I spotted a table full of Junji Ito horror manga books on display and bought one. Gotta keep the bookstore alive!

If you are a lover of manga, this place will be your new oasis. They have nothing but manga books from wall to wall. It's an awesome place to visit.

Amazing stationery and bookstore in DTLA Little Tokyo Weller Court. Prepare to spend an hour browsing...lots of Japanese stationery products and specialty items in addition to books, manga and other items that in Japanese and also in English. Worth the visit.

I love to read!! Books are very relaxing and comforting to me. They help me unwind after a long day of work.. They have Manga's, books about cats and everything in-between! They also have DVD's but they are really over priced... Yes.... I still collect DVD's lmfaooo They have misc. stuff too, I love coming here. It has a really good vibe to it and I always get something when I come. They also sell these Sonny Angel Doll toys. They are funny and unique and it's one of the only places you can buy them! I love to get 1 so I can collect the mall and then give some to my friends haha : ) Come here for a unique bookstore experience that isn't like the traditional stores. It's nice here and the prices are cheap.

My each visit to Kinokuniya brings me back home. I lived in Japan for 14 years prior to moving to Sunny California, and one of my concern to leave Japan was being disconnected with Manga culture in Japan. In Japan people buy Weekly Manga Magazines (Shonen Jump, Weekly Sunday, Weekly Magazine) which is like a compilation of short chapters of most recent release of manga by different authors. Many nice Japanese adults, after reading these magazines, will leave them on the train racks inside trains for others who wish to read for free. As a student who couldn't always afford to spend $2 each on all the manga magazine, I have fond memories of finding these manga magazine inside the train. Anyway, that's how much people in Japan loves manga. And I was afraid I won't be able to read manga any more once I moved to U.S. My fear became reality as I did not have driver's license for first 6 month in California, and only place nearby that I could walk to was Ralphs's Super Market 2 miles away. So you have no idea how overwhelmed I was to discover Kinokuniya Bookstore in Little Tokyo filled with Japanese Manga, books, and magazine after learning to drive. They also sell Japanese stationeries, Manga in English, Anime related toys and many Studio Ghibli stuffs. $25 annual membership will give you 10% discount on all purchases and $10 gift card for every $300 purchase. Also their online order is super convenient as well if you want to avoid driving and finding parking spot in Little Tokyo. This place truly is a "One Piece", a treasure hidden by Gol D. Rogers, filled with Japanese Street Knowledge for you to yet discover. #sundogram

Honestly the bookstore is really nice and has a wide selection of Japanese media. That being said, you'll bump into a lot of anime fans and my god do they smell. It's unfortunate that it's filled with stinky individuals because honestly it's difficult to stay in without having to smell them. Other than that , it's a decent place to visit.

They have a very wide selection of mangas and cute stationary I've been coming here for years great quality and the books are in great condition strait forum Japan

love the selection can always find what I need here got cute little stickers as a gift with my purchase as well