A Little Treasure in the Neighborhood: Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, CA

Downtown Los Angeles can be frustrating, it is smoggy, crowed with vehicles and noisy. However, downtown does not have to be all that bad, it does have some promising little spaces to relax and take in a little culture. Little Tokyo is one of those areas in Los Angeles that can offer a bit of an escape from the everyday life. It is nestled in the heart of the downtown area of Los Angeles, California and located conveniently close to Union Station; the central hub for Metrolink and Amtrak track trains as well as the red and gold lines of the Los Angeles subway system.

Little Tokyo offers a number of interesting things to see, do, and taste during your visit. Perhaps you would like to do a little shopping in this cultural neighborhood? Small boutiques spread through out Little Tokyo have authentic items from the orient such as dishes and pictures for home decor, as well as cute trinkets, lucky cats, and good luck charms of all shapes and sizes! There are also two or three anime stores for the Japanese culture lovers to indulge in an abundance of Manga, Anime DVD's, wall scrolls, and figurines. Located in the central area of Little Tokyo is an Asian Market selling exotic treats, rice cakes, sakes, plum wine, spices, sauces, fresh sushi fish and meats of all kinds; but beware, most of the items in the store are in the traditional Japanese packaging, so it makes for an interesting time to figure out what some of the items are. However, that just adds to the intrigue of the whole place.