The Japan House — Local services in Monterey Park

DO NOT SUPPORT THIS PLACE. I have NEVER been so mistreated by a business in my life until I walked into The Japan House. Trust the 1 star reviews on here and on Yelp. The owners are EXTREMELY RUDE!! DO NOT GIVE YOUR BUSINESS OR THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

I came with a friend to try and find cute gifts. We were the only customers in the store and the plaza was empty, there was no foot traffic. Right when we walked in, an old lady (maybe in her 70s-80s in age) asked what we wanted. I said we were just looking and she said "No. Looking is bad". (Which I don't understand, not everyone walks into a store knowing what they want, especially if they don't know what the store sells?) Anyways, I thought I may have heard her incorrectly so I gave her the benefit of the doubt and started walking around the store. The old lady and the other lady both began speaking Japanese to each other and ignored us.

I saw some cute items but they were very overpriced, however I still considered buying from this store because I wanted to support a small business. At one of the display cases in the front counter, I saw a row of Hello Kitties in zodiac animal costumes that looked really cute. I squatted down to get a closer look and texted my friend asking what their zodiac animal was so I could get one for them as a gift. The other owner (maybe in her 50s-60s in age) suddenly yelled at me to "Be on my phone somewhere else". I told her I was texting my friend to ask which animal she would like. I was just about to spend money at this business! That comment quickly changed my mind and me and my friend left right away. I feel that if I were Japanese, they would not have treated me this way. Their rudeness seems xenophobic and...

Extremely extremely, rude owners!! I have a toddler with me and was closely following her all 4 minutes of being there, holding her hand, and telling her that she's not allowed to touch anything as they are fragile. She was fascinated and excitedly identifying all fragile objects. When we got to the front, the owner said in a very condescending annoyed voice, "I'm sorry you need to control your child!!!" Excuse me, what do you think I've been doing the whole time? Don't come here, not only because it has nothing but 20 years old yellowing greeting cards, old dusty stuff animals wouldn't want for free, and tourist trap gadgets trying to pass off as Japanese items. Even a zojirushi thermos that you can get for $21-28 on Amazon is being sold for $43 here, what a terrible store and not worth a visit. I noticed another customer walked in for 1 minute and immediately left too. Owners are constantly giving people the stink eye as if people are trying to steal their old Temu crap. Check out all the 1 star reviews on Yelp too, this place is NASTY. All the positive reviews are likely...

The moment I stepped inside, I was mesmerized by the array of unique treasures adorning the shelves. Each item seemed to whisper stories of craftsmanship and artistry. Amidst this delightful collection, I found the most exquisite and unique gift for my mother. Its beauty was surpassed only by its sentimentality, making it the perfect Christmas present.

What made this discovery even more magical was that the shop was open on Christmas day. The owner, a warm and friendly soul, greeted me with genuine kindness, sharing anecdotes about the shop’s offerings and its history. Their passion for the crafts and commitment to personalized service left a lasting impression.

The experience of finding such a special gift in a cozy, welcoming environment on Christmas day made it truly memorable. I’m grateful for this charming shop and its owner, who made my Christmas shopping an unforgettable...