Sanrio Tour: Las Vegas Style

Are you planning your trip to Las Vegas and have been wanting to stop by all the Sanrio stores along the way?

Well, you're in luck that this Sanrio collector has decided to create one for those who live in Southern California or visiting California. This tour guide might not cover all the Sanrio boutique locations in California, but it suggests enough stores along the way as detour.

This trip will take you one day to visit all the stores, switch out drivers for the night-- then prepare for the rest of the long deserted road trip to Las Vegas. Or this Sanrio Tour of California is a fun start of a road trip for hardcore collectors who are looking to add memories onto to their Sanrio Scrapbooking collection.

This is an excellent idea for me to start commemorating everything when I finally get down to scrapbooking my Sanrio life and events that have taken place.

My guide starts at Canoga Park, but others who live in San Diego can start there with their local Sanrio boutique store.

Sanrio Tour
Destination: Las Vegas
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Sanrio Topanga
Westfield Topanga Mall
6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd
Canoga Park, CA 91303
818-704-9953
Notes: Find the farthest left of the parking lot and Park at the back of the Mall where Target is located. Next to Target is the Mall entrance. Go down the escalator and store is on the left side.


Sanrio Sunshine Station - not yet confirmed
Santa Monica Place
395 Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, CA 90401
301-260-8333


Sanrio Culver City - not yet confirmed
Westfield Culver City Mall
159 Fox Hills Mall
Culver City, CA 90230
310-310-1694


Sanrio Hollywood

Hollywood and Highland Center
6801 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-462-2901
Notes: The only way to be able to get into this parking lot is to come from Franklin Avenue. Turn left on N. Highland Avenue and after the stoplight, stay on the farthest right to turn right into the entrance of the parking structure (passing the Hotel next to it). If you hit the second stoplight, you have gone too far and have passed the parking structure. Once inside and getting a parking ticket, keep right to curve into a corner and head straight until you reach a dead end of a row full of cars. To the left is the entrance to Staff employee parking-- turn around and try to find parking in that area, close to the elevators/escalators in the middle of the structure area. Go to the very top floor of the escalators. From the escalators, turn around and head straight to the stores and turn left. The store should be at the left hand side next to a classic burger American restaurant.
 

Sanrio Little Tokyo

Japanese Village Plaza
115 Japanese Village Plaza Mall
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-620-0830
Notes: Coming from Judge John Aiso Street, turn left on 1st Street, you can find a few street parking to the right side (where the tall orange Japanese statue/structure). If no parking, turn right at the Central (across from JANM Museum), turn another right at 2nd St and there's another row of street parking.

Sanrio Pasadena

415 S Lake AvePasadena, CA 91101
626-568-9313
Notes: Located outside and not inside the plaza, but does not have a huge sign that reads Sanrio. Only street parking with meters.


Sanrio Arcadia

Westfield Santa Anita Mall
400 S Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007
626-445-3704
Notes: Park at the parking lot next to H&M and Nordstrom. From the entrance to the Mall, go down the escalator and the store is straight ahead.


Sanrio Temple City

5783 Rosemead Blvd
Temple City, CA 91780
626-287-3930

Sanrio Montebello

Montebello Town Center
2104 Montebello Town Ctr
Montebello, CA 90640
323-722-9544


Sanrio Lakewood - not yet confirmed
Lakewood Center Mall
8 Lakewood Center Mall
Lakewood, CA 90712
562-529-8407


Sanrio Cerritos - CLOSED?
Los Cerritos Mall
347 Los Cerritos Mall
Cerritos, CA 90703
562-402-6900


Sanrio Temecula

Promenade Temecula
40820 Winchester Rd
Temecula, CA 92591
951-296-1147


Sanrio Riverside

Galleria at Tyler
1212 Galleria At Tyler
Riverside, CA 92503
951-352-2240


Sanrio Ontario

Ontario Mills Mall
1 Mills Cir Ste 344
Ontario, CA 91764
909-484-2062
Notes: Park at the back of the Mall. Try searching for Gate 9 or Side 9. Located at Gate 9 right next to the Food Court. Facing the food court, the store is to the right hand side from the restrooms.


Sanrio Las Vegas

Fashion Show Mall, The Strip
3200 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-699-9373
Notes:  Park on the 2nd floor of the parking structure and take the bridge into the mall, not the one into Dillards. For Las Vegas Hello Kitty souvenirs, try the ABC store on the 1st floor.

Christmas in USA

............ or the better question to be asked: What happpened to Sanrio's Christmas focus in the States?

Looks like it's very true that Christmas is officially over for Sanrio USA. I hate to say it, but compared to Sanrio Japan-- they did a better job at making an attempt to bring Christmas to their fans. They didn't skip it for this year like Sanrio USA seemed to do.

By skipping it, I mean by actual Christmas PRODUCTS in stores. No matter how much you dress up a store in holiday cheer decor, you can't hide the fact that there are no Christmas themed products like in the past few holiday seasons. What happened is my question for the people in charge of USA headquarters.

Did they focus on HK Con and Sanrio--- oops, I mean the SuperCute Friendship Festival--- and completely forgot to set a budget or a team to focus on the Holidays for the States? Or did they think the Sanrio lovers are all tapped out of money since the Convention?

It must be nice for Japanese shoppers to walk in their local Sanrio store and be able to buy a Christmas plush of Hello Kitty or My Melody. At least Sanrio Japan did a half attempt to celebrate Christmas. Even if it was a really small selection of Christmas merchandise, the effort can be seen that they thought about the special season and it's fans. 

It doesn't compare with just giving out Christmas Hello Kitty pink bags to customers here in the USA. Once you walk by the Christmas decor, you can't hide the fact that there was nothing seriously worth to purchase if you're searching for that special gift. 

I was lucky that my local Sanrio store had porcelain figurines or else, I would have walked away empty-handed and in disappointment. Before Christmas came, I did stop by several Sanrio stores and only two boutique stores were selling some rare Christmas gift wrapping paper. 

Another thing that is quite disappointing is the fact that you would think to find a bigger selection of very pretty Sanrio themed Christmas gift wrapping and holiday decor in a Sanrio store. There was none of that in any of the boutique stores (minus two stores). You would think both Sanrio JP and USA would be up to speed on modern times like providing Sanrio themed Christmas ribbons and fancy holiday decor, but I guess it's all about the safety net. Maybe those products are just too risky, right?

By the way, it's called Sanrio-- did you notice Sanrio USA was giving out Christmas shopping bags with only Hello Kitty on it. What do you think? You must know what I am thinking now.

Christmas Gifts

All month I have been listening to Christmas songs on my local radio station 103.5 as a recent tradition that I have taken for the last few years. By listening to these holiday songs, it has put me in a holly jolly festive mood.  

As Christmas draws closer, I have been getting all the special X-mas gifts that I wanted...

Christmas Plushes

Nao Porcelain Figurines

This Christmas, I wanted something that wasn't any ordinary type of gift. I was searching for something special and these gifts above filled all my requirements. 

If you were giving a plush or doll for Christmas...

The doll has to be of a large type size and cannot be small like 10 inches. Large type of gifts usually gives an impression that someone has spent a lot of money on you. It says a lot about how valuable you are to the person giving you the gift.

Another thing about the plush is that it is Christmas themed. It's a special seasonal gift that you won't be able to find during the year. Unless you are a Collector yourself or a relative of a Collector, then the average consumer wouldn't know what was selling these past several holidays.

Lastly, *THE* Gift...

It is true what they say about the more expensive the gift, the more special it is to the individual collector. Sure, it's not the same for everyone. Although, not everyone is a collector. As a collector, my collection is all about the materialistic things. 

My porcelain figurines did cost me a pretty penny, but it's all worth it in my world. Yes, the money spent on all my collection won't keep me warm at night or fill my tummy-- but all that I have, I am proud of something that gives me passion in life. 

I have something to care about other than my family and life. My collection tells a story about me. I can choose a special toy or figurine and be able to tell you why it's so special to me or how it has come into my collection. Stories after stories to tell because this is my life and my very special world that I get to share here on my blog.

This jolly season, I'd like to give thanks to all my readers who have followed my journey in the magical world of Sanrio. Thank you for visiting and sharing my love for all things kawaii.

XOXO,

Lynnie