It's not only a shuttle stop and a nice place to stay for AX. No, this year, Little Tokyo is jam-packed with way too much going on. In year's past Little Tokyo has tried to capture people's attention and a least their wallets with a place to chill and eat after a full day of AX. Now, it seems like it's trying to be an expansion of AX itself. Below, will be listing everything going on in Little Tokyo around AX and beyond.
It look like some artists are coming together for an outside Artist Alley. Los Angeles Anime Artist Alley is not officially connected to AX, but is happening the same weekend. And, they're really trying to get across it's free entry with no badge required. 60+ artists as of writing this.
Check out their social media to see if you're interested or if you couldn't get into AX; it's a pretty nice alternative.
Technically, it's in the Arts District, just walking distance from Little Tokyo.
Not far from LA Anime Artist Alley is this special exhibit below.
July 2 – 26, 2026
Open daily from 12:00 PM–7:00 PM
Art Share L.A. 801 E 4th Place, Los Angeles, CA 90013
General Admission: $20
Exhibition-Exclusive Plate (Add-On) : $25 (Limited)
The exhibit on the edge of Little Tokyo, it's in the Arts District as well, will feature art from the creator of Delicious in Dungeon, Ryoko Kui, special photo spots for you to grab selfies at and plenty of fake fantasy dishes to take photos of. Monsters, props, weapons and more are promised.
You get a free postcard with your visit (there's one of eight to collect) and if you want to add an extra $25 get an exclusive plate featuring the characters from the manga/anime. Oh, and exclusive merch from Japan and for the exhibit will be available for purchase.
The exhibit is sticking around after AX for almost the whole month. So, don't worry if you miss it AX weekend.
But, wait there's more!
Special for AX are Dungeon Quests
Dungeon Quest #1: Stamp Rally
Step 1: Begin your journey by finding a stamp sheet and collecting your first stamp either at:
The Kadokawa booth at Anime Expo (SH-2720), or
Kinokuniya Little Tokyo for visitors not attending Anime Expo.
Step 2: Bring your stamp sheet to the Ryoko Kui Exhibition & "Delicious in Dungeon" Exhibition and collect your second and final stamp at the Merchandise Counter.
Quest Complete: Once both stamps have been collected, adventurers can claim their quest reward at the Merchandise Counter.
Dungeon Quest #2: Share Your Adventure
Visitors can also earn a reward by sharing their exhibition experience on social media using #DeliciousinDungeonLA.
Whether you're enjoying Senshi's cooking, encountering a dungeon monster, exploring the exhibits, or discovering your favorite part of the exhibition, simply post your adventure on any platform and show it to our staff at the Merchandise Counter to complete the quest and receive your reward.
After going to the exhibit you might be hungry. Why not try the brand new Square Enix Cafe and Shop?
Grand Opening will be June 27th
Mon-Sun 11:30am-9:00pm
316 E 1st St., Los Angeles, California 90012
Price varies by meal, recommend making reservations
The new cafe is up and running as of writing this, but is still in soft opening mode until Saturday, June 27th. Right now, you can grab a specialty menu featuring characters from various Square games and media and munch and drink them down. Quite the colorful collection of food, hope it comes out the other end, okay. Check out
the menu. They also have quite the collection of merch to purchase too. We haven't heard of any special deals for AX, but here's hoping.
It's not a pop-up, it's sticking around as best we know.
Not sticking around is the blue blur himself and the synonymous game company he's from.
Everyday from 12pm-7pm until July 19
319 E 2nd St Los Angeles, CA 90012
This pop-up has already being going and won't even finish at the end of July. So, if you love Sonic or other SEGA properties you might want to stop by and grab special merch. They seem to have special items per week, like exclusive shirts. Oh,this includes ATLUS merch for all you Persona people.
And, for one of the more enticing pop-ups is the Kodansha House one. They're a major manga publisher behind some top tier favorite series like Ghost in the Shell. They have a very special pop-up this year.
July 2 – 12, 2026
701 E 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Story World & Clubhouse 11 am – 9 pm
July 4 & 5 The Clubhouse will close at 5 pm
Story World open regular hours
Free, no AX badge required
From the their site:
"Fans
this year will enter a portal that takes them into a dynamic,
interactive space to connect with and celebrate the impossible stories
they have come to love. They can then spend their time more leisurely
with friends, as well as meeting new ones, while hanging out in a manga
gallery, cafe, lounge, and library.
With daily programming to
include manga creator appearances, anime screenings, panel discussions,
and more, Kodansha House is the perfect pop-up for manga enthusiasts,
both new and seasoned, to mingle and dive deeper into the magic of
manga."
With reading lounge we thought they were going to team up with an old friend. Though, that doesn't seem to be the case so far.
Scheduled to Reopen This June 2026
Right across from Weller Court
No hours or times confirmed as of writing this
From the official Kinokuniya X account the brand new location is supposed to be up and running this June. The Japanese Bookstore chain has been missed as a stalwart of Little Tokyo. And, it's supposed to be double in size of the last location in Little Tokyo, when it closed back in 2025. Can't wait to see it up and running during AX weekend.
format(webp).webp)
format(webp).webp)
.jpg)
