Exit Temple Avenue

I got invited on an afternoon trip to Little Tokyo in L.A. by me and my sister's friend.  Her out-of-town friend who was visiting had never been either and we just had a ball.  The tour started at Senor Fish and ended at Mr. Ramen with stops at the mochi shop, a waltz through the bakery, the bookstore, the market, the anime & figurine shop and every little other shop in-between.  It was my first time trying proper ramen noodles, mochi, ramune, onigiri and melon bread!

Also, I'm so sad that photos weren't allowed in the figurine shop because there were some things I'd have really like to have posted!  No amount of search keywords can find a likeness of what I saw in one of those shops, but still I search..

There were so many cute, useless things to "aw" over and tons of curious kitchen wares there.  I came home with a peanut shaped pencil sharpener for my sister (with accompanying miniature peanut-shaped eraser) and something for myself that can only be described as a.. piggy lingerie mobile.  That, I think I'll have to get a picture of.