(Los Angeles Times illustration)
More than just cute, kawaii is a lifestyle. Embrace it at these 12 adorable spots in L.A.
You can trace the word “kawaii” all the way back to the start of the 11th century, when an early form of it, “kawayushi,” which at the time translated more to “having pitiable qualities,” appeared in the Japanese novel “The Tale of Genji” by Lady Murasaki.
Cuteness as a Japanese concept predates the modern use of the word “kawaii” — for example, in Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868), “netsuke,” or miniature charms made of ivory or boxwood, were all the rage. Citizens would style their outfits with them, much the way phone charms are used today. As the word contracted into “kawaii” in the early 20th century, the meaning changed to literally translate to “face aglow” or “blushing” and began to take on its adorable connotation.
Ultra-cute as a lifestyle exploded throughout Japan in the 1950s and ‘60s with artist Rune Naito, whose illustrations (and later, netsuke-style ceramics) of adorable girls and big-eyed animals are considered the origin of contemporary kawaii culture. (Naito was also considered an early queer icon in Japan for providing illustrations to gay magazines.) The queen of kawaii, Miss Hello Kitty — canonically a girl in a catsuit — was created by Sanrio’s Yuko Shimizu in 1974.
Fast forward to the ‘90s, when anime like “Dragon Ball Z” and “Pokemon” began to filter over to the West and a new era of Japanophilia was born. (By the time Westerners adopted the cute life, Japan had a wealth of kawaii animal characters to offer.) “UwU” — the emoticon pronounced “oo-woo,” representing a smitten face that would light up a million AOL Messenger chats — soon followed.
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While the word translates from Japanese to “cute,” that doesn’t quite express how saccharine-sweet kawaii can be. Think pastel pinks and purples, Victorian frilly outfits, giant anime eyes — it’s a state of pure cuteness, toeing the line of aesthetic taste.
And yet kawaii has persisted, morphed and evolved. Nowadays, cute things are everywhere, perhaps an artifact of the times we live in and the alleged infantilization of millennials. Los Angeles is no stranger to the variants of kawaii, from bounce castle parks and maid cafes to bunny museums and claw machines that spit out stuffed animals to lucky kids — and adult kids. Here are a few places to get your fix.
Showing Places
(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Gudetama Cafe
Buena Park Café
Laziness can be a boon if you’re an anthropomorphic egg yolk. Proof that lethargy can get you places: Gudetama, the sunny-side-up (and sometimes hard-boiled) slacker egg from the Sanrio extended universe — he’s friends with Hello Kitty — has a cafe dedicated to him in Buena Park. Eggs are, of course, on the menu. And each yolk has Gudetama’s ennui-laden face imprinted on it, so you are, in effect, eating the little guy with each bite.
Egg-icide aside, the cafe is a kawaii destination, attracting Sanrio fans from all over the world — as well as fans who identify with the egg’s “meh” catchphrase. The cafe features large statues of Gudetama in various states of listlessness. The tables are yellow and feature his egg face, too.
FYI: The dishes are eggs-cellent — I had the A(meh)zing Double Egg and Cheese, which comes on a crispy brioche bun. But even better is the Sparkling Mango, with its little boba balls of yellow mango at the bottom meant to look like egg.
UwU factor: 3/5
Egg-icide aside, the cafe is a kawaii destination, attracting Sanrio fans from all over the world — as well as fans who identify with the egg’s “meh” catchphrase. The cafe features large statues of Gudetama in various states of listlessness. The tables are yellow and feature his egg face, too.
FYI: The dishes are eggs-cellent — I had the A(meh)zing Double Egg and Cheese, which comes on a crispy brioche bun. But even better is the Sparkling Mango, with its little boba balls of yellow mango at the bottom meant to look like egg.
UwU factor: 3/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Asayoru Maid Cafe
Monterey Park Maid cafe
If you like your kawaii served with dinner, a live show and a hearty dose of immersive world-building, Asayoru Maid Cafe is the ideal destination. Tucked next to the AMC Theater in Monterey Park, this unassuming spot — its windows cloaked in kawaii murals to preserve the surprise — is more than a cafe; it’s a portal to a whimsical realm of helpful maids and magical moments.
The concept of a maid cafe is quintessentially Japanese, born from cosplay culture and thriving as a niche of companionship and entertainment.
Before entering the cafe, you’re instructed on the magic words, “Moe moe kyun.” The phrase doesn’t translate (“moe” is slang for “cute,” and “kyun” is onomatopoeia for a feeling of getting choked up), but it acts as a blessing — you have to say it before you walk in the “magic door” into the cafe, and you will be prompted to say it over all the food or drinks you consume over the evening.
You are greeted upon entering by a chorus of “Okaerinasai, sensei” (Welcome home, master/mistress) from the maids lined up in a procession to greet you. From there, you are waited on by the maids in their exaggerated French maid outfits. You can order dinner — the specialty is omurice, a rice omelet that is a staple of Japanese home cooking — and non-alcoholic drinks like a magic color-changing lemonade.
“Chekis” are really the main event — for $10, a maid of your choice will pose in a mini-Polaroid photo. Then the maid will decorate the photo with cute lettering and drawings and return it to you before the end of the evening.
Asayoru co-founder and Head Maid Sae says that attending an evening at a maid cafe is akin to a night at Medieval Times, but with a distinctly kawaii twist. The world-building “sets the experience apart, and it’s why so many people come back,” she explains, showing me several books of cheki collections that her regular customers had brought in that evening. One collection from a truly devoted follower contained dozens, if not hundreds, of photos taken with Asayoru maids.
FYI: What really sets Asayoru apart, however, is the option to request a choreographed J-pop dance performance. For a fee, your chosen maid will perform a specialty routine, often featuring hits from groups like the popular AKB48, for the whole cafe.
UwU meter: 5/5
The concept of a maid cafe is quintessentially Japanese, born from cosplay culture and thriving as a niche of companionship and entertainment.
Before entering the cafe, you’re instructed on the magic words, “Moe moe kyun.” The phrase doesn’t translate (“moe” is slang for “cute,” and “kyun” is onomatopoeia for a feeling of getting choked up), but it acts as a blessing — you have to say it before you walk in the “magic door” into the cafe, and you will be prompted to say it over all the food or drinks you consume over the evening.
You are greeted upon entering by a chorus of “Okaerinasai, sensei” (Welcome home, master/mistress) from the maids lined up in a procession to greet you. From there, you are waited on by the maids in their exaggerated French maid outfits. You can order dinner — the specialty is omurice, a rice omelet that is a staple of Japanese home cooking — and non-alcoholic drinks like a magic color-changing lemonade.
“Chekis” are really the main event — for $10, a maid of your choice will pose in a mini-Polaroid photo. Then the maid will decorate the photo with cute lettering and drawings and return it to you before the end of the evening.
Asayoru co-founder and Head Maid Sae says that attending an evening at a maid cafe is akin to a night at Medieval Times, but with a distinctly kawaii twist. The world-building “sets the experience apart, and it’s why so many people come back,” she explains, showing me several books of cheki collections that her regular customers had brought in that evening. One collection from a truly devoted follower contained dozens, if not hundreds, of photos taken with Asayoru maids.
FYI: What really sets Asayoru apart, however, is the option to request a choreographed J-pop dance performance. For a fee, your chosen maid will perform a specialty routine, often featuring hits from groups like the popular AKB48, for the whole cafe.
UwU meter: 5/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Pinku D.I.Y. Design Studio
Downtown L.A. D.I.Y. Art
If you want to really show off your maximalist kawaii vibe, one way to do it is with a “decoden” D.I.Y. phone case. Set in the Honda Plaza strip mall in Little Tokyo, Pinku D.I.Y. Design Studio can hook you up. Run by Ashley Murayama and attached to her family’s dog grooming service, Pinku was started in 2023 as a way for Murayama to exercise her love of “pink stuff and cute characters.”
You tell Murayama your phone model, and she provides you with a clear, blank phone case. Then, you pick two colors of glue — I chose pastel pink and lavender — and 10 selections from a table full of cute charms. Your options run from cherubic angels and flowers to Disney and Sanrio characters. Murayama sets you up at a workstation and gives you a quick tutorial on how to squeeze the glue out from the provided frosting piping bag. The goal is to make your phone case look like cake. Then you press the charms into the glue, let the case dry for five days at home, and voila, you have an official “decoden” case. (The whole experience, including the phone case, 10 charms and two glue colors, costs $45.)
The term “decoden,” which originated in Japan around the time of flip-phone proliferation in the early-2000s, is a portmonteau of “decorated” and “denwa,” the Japanese word for phone. The latter-day version mostly takes place on the cases that house your iPhone or Android, and has gained popularity on TikTok due to its aesthetic appeal.
Murayama says people even come into Pinku in gothic Lolita dress — a maximalist Japanese street fashion symbolized by bell-shaped Victorian skirts and bold makeup. “That just makes my day,” she says.
FYI: Pinku isn’t limited to phone cases — those are just the most popular item. You can also decorate jewelry boxes, hairclips, handbags and mirrors. Bring your own item and get $2 off.
UwU factor: 4/5
You tell Murayama your phone model, and she provides you with a clear, blank phone case. Then, you pick two colors of glue — I chose pastel pink and lavender — and 10 selections from a table full of cute charms. Your options run from cherubic angels and flowers to Disney and Sanrio characters. Murayama sets you up at a workstation and gives you a quick tutorial on how to squeeze the glue out from the provided frosting piping bag. The goal is to make your phone case look like cake. Then you press the charms into the glue, let the case dry for five days at home, and voila, you have an official “decoden” case. (The whole experience, including the phone case, 10 charms and two glue colors, costs $45.)
The term “decoden,” which originated in Japan around the time of flip-phone proliferation in the early-2000s, is a portmonteau of “decorated” and “denwa,” the Japanese word for phone. The latter-day version mostly takes place on the cases that house your iPhone or Android, and has gained popularity on TikTok due to its aesthetic appeal.
Murayama says people even come into Pinku in gothic Lolita dress — a maximalist Japanese street fashion symbolized by bell-shaped Victorian skirts and bold makeup. “That just makes my day,” she says.
FYI: Pinku isn’t limited to phone cases — those are just the most popular item. You can also decorate jewelry boxes, hairclips, handbags and mirrors. Bring your own item and get $2 off.
UwU factor: 4/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Pink Moon Atelier
Bellflower Shop
Jane Estantito’s journey to kawaii began not with happiness, but with adversity. Self-described as a “little bit goth,” Estantito primarily preferred black attire. But a bout with cancer made her realize she needed a brighter outlook, and she dived headfirst into the world of the soft pastel pinks and lavenders that signify kawaii.
In March of 2022, Estantito opened Pink Moon Atelier, a boutique with kawaii accessories and collectibles — not for sale is Estantito’s collection of kawaii-themed kicks (“I’m a sneakerhead,” she says) displayed inside glass cases.
Many of Pink Moon Atelier’s items that are for sale come from small businesses, all woman-owned. There are stickers and keychains by Sherman Oaks gamer shop GeekyGlamorous, pins and stickers by illustrator Alisa Draws and sweatshirts and bags by designer LoveAprilMoon. The clothing on the racks is size-inclusive, “because kawaii is for everyone,” says Estantito.
The shop plays host to group art shows, pop-ups and workshops, making Pink Moon Atelier a kawaii community center.
UwU factor: 4/5
In March of 2022, Estantito opened Pink Moon Atelier, a boutique with kawaii accessories and collectibles — not for sale is Estantito’s collection of kawaii-themed kicks (“I’m a sneakerhead,” she says) displayed inside glass cases.
Many of Pink Moon Atelier’s items that are for sale come from small businesses, all woman-owned. There are stickers and keychains by Sherman Oaks gamer shop GeekyGlamorous, pins and stickers by illustrator Alisa Draws and sweatshirts and bags by designer LoveAprilMoon. The clothing on the racks is size-inclusive, “because kawaii is for everyone,” says Estantito.
The shop plays host to group art shows, pop-ups and workshops, making Pink Moon Atelier a kawaii community center.
UwU factor: 4/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Funbox
Arcadia Inflatable playground
Funbox is already cute, even if you discount the smiles on visitors’ faces as they bounce around the 25,000-square-foot indoor inflatable bounce park tucked next to the food court in the Shops at Santa Anita in Arcadia. (Pro tip: Don’t eat at the food court before you go bounce.)
Populated by an inflatable surface decked in bright, cheerful colors and a cast of adorable characters with names like Drippy, Stix, the Gumdrops and Cosmo (the leader) who wear the sort of adorably warm grin that would make a Sanrio character blush, Funbox has several zones of fun, from a Marshmallow Mountain to a harrowing obstacle course.
When you arrive, you’re instructed to put on cute grippy socks (even the grippy socks have faces), and place your valuables in a locker (lest they fly out of your pockets during a particularly uncontrolled bounce). Once you’re untethered to your objects, you can bounce on anything — the whole place is covered in inflatable bouncy canvas, so it’s not only cute, but also safe for everyone to go as berserk as the Tasmanian Devil.
The true cuteness of Funbox is in the energy. Kids and adults alike bounce, slide down slides and giggle as they tumble around in joyful chaos. The colorful, wobbly structure comes alive. Tickets are $22 for ages 6 and over, $12 for ages 3 to 5 and $59 for a family four-pack, which includes any age. Toddlers up to 2 are free.
UwU factor: 3/5
Populated by an inflatable surface decked in bright, cheerful colors and a cast of adorable characters with names like Drippy, Stix, the Gumdrops and Cosmo (the leader) who wear the sort of adorably warm grin that would make a Sanrio character blush, Funbox has several zones of fun, from a Marshmallow Mountain to a harrowing obstacle course.
When you arrive, you’re instructed to put on cute grippy socks (even the grippy socks have faces), and place your valuables in a locker (lest they fly out of your pockets during a particularly uncontrolled bounce). Once you’re untethered to your objects, you can bounce on anything — the whole place is covered in inflatable bouncy canvas, so it’s not only cute, but also safe for everyone to go as berserk as the Tasmanian Devil.
The true cuteness of Funbox is in the energy. Kids and adults alike bounce, slide down slides and giggle as they tumble around in joyful chaos. The colorful, wobbly structure comes alive. Tickets are $22 for ages 6 and over, $12 for ages 3 to 5 and $59 for a family four-pack, which includes any age. Toddlers up to 2 are free.
UwU factor: 3/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Monkey Pants
Downtown L.A. Gift Store
One of the elders of kawaii in Little Tokyo, Monkey Pants has been slinging cute collectibles, plushies and children’s clothing since 2012. Every year, owner Mychaela Hardy heads to Japan, rents a car and sets out to uncover the country’s latest obsession. Ever ahead of the curve, Monkey Pants was Los Angeles’ go-to for Monchhichi — a fuzzy monkey doll with a babyface that’s been popular in Japan since the 1970s — before Urban Outfitters revived the trend.
Monkey Pants’ newest obsession is Fueki, a Japanese company founded in 1886 best known for its corn starch-based paste that comes in an adorable yellow doll’s head. That yellow character — which is reportedly a dog — now has a few friends, a blue elephant and a pink bunny. Fueki is a bit mysterious, a bit inscrutable and a whole lot kawaii. Hardy has imported a trove of products and stickers; Fueki now inhabits a whole wall at Monkey Pants.
“I’ve been addicted to all things cute since I could breathe,” says Hardy, whose favorite toy was a Monchhichi when she was a kid. “So I made a store about that.”
FYI: Monkey Pants is located in Little Tokyo, where there are a cluster of stores where you can find cute objects — there’s an official Sanrio store around the corner, and an official Gashapon Bandai store with over 200 “gasha” machines (coin-operated toy dispensers).
UwU factor: 4/5
Monkey Pants’ newest obsession is Fueki, a Japanese company founded in 1886 best known for its corn starch-based paste that comes in an adorable yellow doll’s head. That yellow character — which is reportedly a dog — now has a few friends, a blue elephant and a pink bunny. Fueki is a bit mysterious, a bit inscrutable and a whole lot kawaii. Hardy has imported a trove of products and stickers; Fueki now inhabits a whole wall at Monkey Pants.
“I’ve been addicted to all things cute since I could breathe,” says Hardy, whose favorite toy was a Monchhichi when she was a kid. “So I made a store about that.”
FYI: Monkey Pants is located in Little Tokyo, where there are a cluster of stores where you can find cute objects — there’s an official Sanrio store around the corner, and an official Gashapon Bandai store with over 200 “gasha” machines (coin-operated toy dispensers).
UwU factor: 4/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Bunny Museum
Altadena Museum
The bunny rabbit stands near the top of the list of cutest creatures in the animal kingdom. It follows, then, that there’s an inevitable cuteness overload at the Bunny Museum in Altadena. Home to over 46,000 bunny artifacts, ephemera, porcelain figurines and mountains upon mountains of plushies, the Bunny Museum is the largest collection of its kind — as confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The origins of the Bunny Museum are humble, and mimic how bunnies reproduce (bunny factoids — including the information that female bunnies have two uteruses, which contributes to their reputation as speedy breeders — are scattered throughout). Before they became obsessed with bunnies (and way before the museum), Steve Lubanski used “honey bunny” as a term of endearment for his Bunny Museum co-founder (and spouse) Candace Frazee. One bunny gift turned into another, and an accumulation spiraled out of control from there.
What began in 1998 as a collection in the couple’s home that they opened on request — they moved to their Altadena spot in 2016 — the collection is now an “encyclopedic museum,” according to Frazee. Which means the Bunny Museum is simply looking at life through the ubiquity of bunnies and the fact that nearly every aspect of our existence has some bunny in it, from literature (like the White Rabbit in “Alice in Wonderland”) and religious symbolism to art and legend (like the rabbit in the moon, lore about the shape of the craters on the moon’s surface in cultures as far-flung as Japanese, Burmese, Mayan and among the native Cree tribe).
But, let’s be real: The bunny rabbit’s most significant contribution to culture might be cuteness. Frazee exemplifies this with her cute bunny puns always at the ready. “We love it when locals hop on down here,” she cracks when I tell her I’m from The Times.
Don’t forget to meet Doris and Nicky, two live bunnies that wander freely in one of the rooms in the sprawling Altadena building — don’t worry, both bunnies are docile and don’t mind a head scritch or two. The museum is $12 for adults and $8 for kids 5 and up (younger kids are free); do the per-bunny cost ratio and adults have access to nearly 4,000 per dollar. Worth it.
FYI: When you first walk in, there’s a signature wall of celebrities who have stopped by the Bunny Museum — look out for Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly and Rosé from the K-pop group Blackpink.
UwU factor: 3/5
The origins of the Bunny Museum are humble, and mimic how bunnies reproduce (bunny factoids — including the information that female bunnies have two uteruses, which contributes to their reputation as speedy breeders — are scattered throughout). Before they became obsessed with bunnies (and way before the museum), Steve Lubanski used “honey bunny” as a term of endearment for his Bunny Museum co-founder (and spouse) Candace Frazee. One bunny gift turned into another, and an accumulation spiraled out of control from there.
What began in 1998 as a collection in the couple’s home that they opened on request — they moved to their Altadena spot in 2016 — the collection is now an “encyclopedic museum,” according to Frazee. Which means the Bunny Museum is simply looking at life through the ubiquity of bunnies and the fact that nearly every aspect of our existence has some bunny in it, from literature (like the White Rabbit in “Alice in Wonderland”) and religious symbolism to art and legend (like the rabbit in the moon, lore about the shape of the craters on the moon’s surface in cultures as far-flung as Japanese, Burmese, Mayan and among the native Cree tribe).
But, let’s be real: The bunny rabbit’s most significant contribution to culture might be cuteness. Frazee exemplifies this with her cute bunny puns always at the ready. “We love it when locals hop on down here,” she cracks when I tell her I’m from The Times.
Don’t forget to meet Doris and Nicky, two live bunnies that wander freely in one of the rooms in the sprawling Altadena building — don’t worry, both bunnies are docile and don’t mind a head scritch or two. The museum is $12 for adults and $8 for kids 5 and up (younger kids are free); do the per-bunny cost ratio and adults have access to nearly 4,000 per dollar. Worth it.
FYI: When you first walk in, there’s a signature wall of celebrities who have stopped by the Bunny Museum — look out for Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly and Rosé from the K-pop group Blackpink.
UwU factor: 3/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Crumbs & Whiskers Cat Café
Beverly Grove Cat cafe
The first cat cafe opened in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1998, but the concept really took hold in 2004 when the first Japanese cat cafe, “Cat’s Time,” opened in Osaka. The concept quickly became a hit, particularly in urban areas like Tokyo, where most people live in tiny apartments that don’t allow pets. It’s the perfect way to get your cute animal fix.
Crumbs & Whiskers, which opened in 2016, takes the idea a step further. You can go into this cat cafe on Melrose and relax, de-stress, have some coffee and enjoy feline companionship, but you can also go home with one (or more!) of the location’s current roster of 25 kitties, which have been saved from euthanasia. The cafe works with Kitten Rescue Los Angeles to populate the kitty zone.
Spending time at Crumbs & Whiskers isn’t cheap — on the weekends, it’ll run you $28 for 30 minutes or $45 for 70 minutes (weekdays are a little cheaper) — but the cafe also takes care of the kitties and provides them with medical treatment, so it feels a little like a donation. (Advance online bookings for cat-time are recommended.)
At the cat cafe, interactivity is key. A black cat named Bandit might stalk you around the cafe and attack your pant leg. A tuxedo cat named Squeak might make biscuits on a nearby couch. Or a calico named Gwendolyn might look at you with big kitty eyes next to a sign that says “Saved from euthanasia: 4,795.” The adoption fee is $150 per cat.
FYI: The adoption fee for two cats is $250.
UwU factor: 4/5
Crumbs & Whiskers, which opened in 2016, takes the idea a step further. You can go into this cat cafe on Melrose and relax, de-stress, have some coffee and enjoy feline companionship, but you can also go home with one (or more!) of the location’s current roster of 25 kitties, which have been saved from euthanasia. The cafe works with Kitten Rescue Los Angeles to populate the kitty zone.
Spending time at Crumbs & Whiskers isn’t cheap — on the weekends, it’ll run you $28 for 30 minutes or $45 for 70 minutes (weekdays are a little cheaper) — but the cafe also takes care of the kitties and provides them with medical treatment, so it feels a little like a donation. (Advance online bookings for cat-time are recommended.)
At the cat cafe, interactivity is key. A black cat named Bandit might stalk you around the cafe and attack your pant leg. A tuxedo cat named Squeak might make biscuits on a nearby couch. Or a calico named Gwendolyn might look at you with big kitty eyes next to a sign that says “Saved from euthanasia: 4,795.” The adoption fee is $150 per cat.
FYI: The adoption fee for two cats is $250.
UwU factor: 4/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
NeoFuns Arcade
Monterey Park Arcade
The first official claw machine was the Erie Digger, patented in 1926 by the Erie Manufacturing Co. Inspired by claws on the large machinery that dug the Erie Canal, the Eerie Digger was a glass box with a hand-cranked shovel you could use to win candy and trinkets. It became a hit at carnivals and later entertained customers in train stations, hotels and soda shops during the 1930s.
In the 1980s, claw machines became ubiquitous simultaneously in the United States and Japan, due to the rise of video game arcades and the release of the ultra-popular Sega claw machine in Japan, respectively. They even had a cultural moment after the film “Toy Story” featured one filled with green squeeze-toy aliens that became fan favorites. (In fact, claw machines are known as “UFO catchers” in Japan due to the resemblance of the claw to UFO depictions.)
NeoFuns Arcade in Monterey Park is a version of the latest iteration of claw-machine culture — a whole arcade filled not with video games but with the skill-based machines. NeoFuns’ machines are filled with the most kawaii of plushies — think Stitch from “Lilo & Stitch,” Hello Kitty holding a heart and Hello Kitty’s dog friend Pompompurin.
How it works is you get a card loaded with credits. You can buy credits à la carte at $1 per six credits. (Each machine requires four to 12 credits based on the size of the plushie you’re clawing at.) But the best deal is to get one of the packages, starting at $25 for 186 credits, which guarantees you a plushie from a selection at the counter — you’ll likely score at least one or two at the machines as well.
FYI: I received a tip from another patron that the move is to angle the claw over the heaviest part of the plushie. This strategy is confirmed to work.
UwU factor: 2/5
In the 1980s, claw machines became ubiquitous simultaneously in the United States and Japan, due to the rise of video game arcades and the release of the ultra-popular Sega claw machine in Japan, respectively. They even had a cultural moment after the film “Toy Story” featured one filled with green squeeze-toy aliens that became fan favorites. (In fact, claw machines are known as “UFO catchers” in Japan due to the resemblance of the claw to UFO depictions.)
NeoFuns Arcade in Monterey Park is a version of the latest iteration of claw-machine culture — a whole arcade filled not with video games but with the skill-based machines. NeoFuns’ machines are filled with the most kawaii of plushies — think Stitch from “Lilo & Stitch,” Hello Kitty holding a heart and Hello Kitty’s dog friend Pompompurin.
How it works is you get a card loaded with credits. You can buy credits à la carte at $1 per six credits. (Each machine requires four to 12 credits based on the size of the plushie you’re clawing at.) But the best deal is to get one of the packages, starting at $25 for 186 credits, which guarantees you a plushie from a selection at the counter — you’ll likely score at least one or two at the machines as well.
FYI: I received a tip from another patron that the move is to angle the claw over the heaviest part of the plushie. This strategy is confirmed to work.
UwU factor: 2/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Tsun Scoops
Garden Grove Ice cream
Can ice cream be kawaii? When the ice cream comes in “chibi” (anime-speak for “teensy”) and “mecha” (“giant robot”) — you bet. That’s what you’ll find at Tsun Scoops, an unassuming but popular little shop in a mini-mall in Garden Grove.
Remember Neopets? Well, the virtual pet site popular in the early-2000s is still around, and it is just as cute as ever. Tsun Scoops, which specializes in kawaii collabs on their creamy creations, has created flavors like “Kacheek’s Grove Twist” (kiwi and lemon custard) in honor of the tiny green Neopet and “Aisha’s Blueberry Bash” after the psychic Neopet. A Neopets vlog plays on the TV next to the freezer.
Their regular flavors include “uwube” and “Doki DoKey Lime Pie” (“doki doki” is Japanese for the beating of the heart when, say, a crush is nearby), in case you needed more evidence of Tsun Scoops’ ability to melt your heart.
FYI: Tsun Scoops even has a ramune-flavored ice cream, which tastes like a popular Japanese lemon-lime festival drink.
UwU factor: 3/5
Remember Neopets? Well, the virtual pet site popular in the early-2000s is still around, and it is just as cute as ever. Tsun Scoops, which specializes in kawaii collabs on their creamy creations, has created flavors like “Kacheek’s Grove Twist” (kiwi and lemon custard) in honor of the tiny green Neopet and “Aisha’s Blueberry Bash” after the psychic Neopet. A Neopets vlog plays on the TV next to the freezer.
Their regular flavors include “uwube” and “Doki DoKey Lime Pie” (“doki doki” is Japanese for the beating of the heart when, say, a crush is nearby), in case you needed more evidence of Tsun Scoops’ ability to melt your heart.
FYI: Tsun Scoops even has a ramune-flavored ice cream, which tastes like a popular Japanese lemon-lime festival drink.
UwU factor: 3/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Carousel's
Koreatown Gift Store
Tucked on the eastern edge of Koreatown, Carousel’s is a gift boutique run by a mother-daughter duo who share a passion for all things kawaii. Pearl Kim and her mother, Ri Kim, opened in August of 2024 with a mission to curate a store full of cute, aesthetic items and clothes.
Their shop is filled with treasures, from pastel stationery and Sanrio ephemera to streetwear and soft-goth home decor. “It’s all fun and nostalgic,” says Pearl Kim, who grew up on Sanrio and says that the store reflects her love for design and cuteness — but it’s cute with a bit of a cool-girl edge.
The look of the store is a wonder unto itself; the Kims tapped superstar interior designer Dani Klariç to add elements like a hand-textured checkout counter and cathedral-esque walls.
FYI: Carousel’s has classics like four-color pens topped with Sanrio fave Cinnamoroll, along with unique items like a deadstock Hello Kitty CD case for your car’s sun visor.
UwU factor: 3/5
Their shop is filled with treasures, from pastel stationery and Sanrio ephemera to streetwear and soft-goth home decor. “It’s all fun and nostalgic,” says Pearl Kim, who grew up on Sanrio and says that the store reflects her love for design and cuteness — but it’s cute with a bit of a cool-girl edge.
The look of the store is a wonder unto itself; the Kims tapped superstar interior designer Dani Klariç to add elements like a hand-textured checkout counter and cathedral-esque walls.
FYI: Carousel’s has classics like four-color pens topped with Sanrio fave Cinnamoroll, along with unique items like a deadstock Hello Kitty CD case for your car’s sun visor.
UwU factor: 3/5
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(Maxwell Williams / Los Angeles Times)
Life4Cuts Flagship Studio
Buena Park Photobooths
Taking photobooth photos is a part of just about any event, from bar mitzvahs and weddings to office parties and club nights. But those pics aren’t kawaii. Life4Cuts, the biggest Korean photo studio company, is.
The Buena Park location is a major attraction at the Source O.C. mall. There are few other locations in SoCal (though the Hollywood location is closing for good soon), including studios in Arcadia, Rowland Heights and Stanton. But Buena Park is the flagship, and while you don’t need reservations, bring some patience, as the four studios fill up quickly and you may need to wait in line. Even weekdays can be full.
To maximize the kawaii features of your visit, first check yourself in the large mirrors in the lobby area. Select from a number of plushie hats and plushie characters from BT21, a collab between K-pop group BTS and Line Friends (Line is a phone messaging app popular in Japan and South Korea), including Koya, a koala; Chimmy, a dog in a yellow hoodie; and Tata, who has a hyper-elastic body and a heart for a face. Head into the studio and choose your background from a rotating number of K-pop artists like Zico (who will show up around the borders of your pics) or collaborations like a kawaii anime version of Disney’s “Toy Story.”
You get two strips of photos for $10. Many people purposefully leave behind one of the strips, which then gets subsumed into Life4Cuts’ Hall of Fame on the walls outside the studio.
FYI: Life4Cuts is pet-friendly, so bring your pet in for a photo that will be literally too cute.
UwU factor: 3/5
The Buena Park location is a major attraction at the Source O.C. mall. There are few other locations in SoCal (though the Hollywood location is closing for good soon), including studios in Arcadia, Rowland Heights and Stanton. But Buena Park is the flagship, and while you don’t need reservations, bring some patience, as the four studios fill up quickly and you may need to wait in line. Even weekdays can be full.
To maximize the kawaii features of your visit, first check yourself in the large mirrors in the lobby area. Select from a number of plushie hats and plushie characters from BT21, a collab between K-pop group BTS and Line Friends (Line is a phone messaging app popular in Japan and South Korea), including Koya, a koala; Chimmy, a dog in a yellow hoodie; and Tata, who has a hyper-elastic body and a heart for a face. Head into the studio and choose your background from a rotating number of K-pop artists like Zico (who will show up around the borders of your pics) or collaborations like a kawaii anime version of Disney’s “Toy Story.”
You get two strips of photos for $10. Many people purposefully leave behind one of the strips, which then gets subsumed into Life4Cuts’ Hall of Fame on the walls outside the studio.
FYI: Life4Cuts is pet-friendly, so bring your pet in for a photo that will be literally too cute.
UwU factor: 3/5
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