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.
Updated:
101 San Pedro Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hours:
11:00am - 8:00pm (Daily)
It's the second largest location in the US and it's up and running. The bookstore closed down for unspecified reasons last year from its decades old Weller Court home to move across the street from that exact location.
Update:
Mori Calliope Special POP-UP
Venues:
Anime Jungle (319 East 2nd Street Suite 103, Los Angeles)
Anime Jungle booth inside the Anime Expo 2026 venue
Dates: July 2 – July 12, 2026
*The Anime Expo 2026 booth will operate for four days, from July 2 to July 5, in accordance with the convention’s schedule.
Venue-Exclusive Bonus: Original shopping bag
Screening Information
“Mori Calliope 2nd Concert ‘Grimoire’” World’s Earliest Advance Screening
Dates & Showtimes:
July 11 Shows
1. 4:00 PM (local time)
2. 6:30 PM (local time)
July 12 Shows
1. 4:00 PM (local time)
2. 6:30 PM (local time)
Venue: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Downtown Los Angeles
Ticket Information
Price: $25
Sale Starts: July 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM (Local time; first-come, first-served)
Tickets will be available through the theater’s website (
https://drafthouse.com/los-angeles). Please contact the theater for more information.
Ticket inquiries:
https://drafthouse.com/los-angeles/theaters
From press release:
Mori Calliope, a VTuber artist known for her bilingual Japanese-English lyrics and outstanding rap skills, has announced that she will host a special pop-up store in Los Angeles, USA, from July 2 to July 12. The pop-up will span two locations: the main Anime Jungle store in Little Tokyo, and the Anime Jungle booth at Anime Expo 2026 during the convention’s four-day run (July 2–5). Both sites will feature Calliope’s entire post-major-debut product lineup alongside limited-edition Reimei Compass T-shirts, and customers will receive a venue-exclusive shopping bag with any purchase.
Additionally, to commemorate the release of the live Blu-ray for “Mori Calliope 2nd Concert ‘Grimoire’” (held at the Hollywood Palladium in February 2025), the world’s earliest advance screening will take place in Los Angeles, the very city where the concert was held. The screening will run on July 11 and July 12 at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Downtown Los Angeles, with afternoon and evening sessions each day for a total of four screenings. Tickets will go on sale starting July 2nd at 10:00 AM Pacific Time.
Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
George J. Doizaki Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
244 San Pedro Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
A limited-time exhibition featuring original works from more than 20 contemporary artists, each offering their own unique interpretation of the BLEACH universe.
Original artwork inspired by BLEACH characters, scenes and themes
Artist-created reinterpretations and original concepts inspired by the world of BLEACH
Exclusive art prints and merchandise
A digital gallery experience and online store
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