With mixed signs of Japanese and either Chinese or Taiwanese ownership, Ebisu Life Store is a growing chain of department store-sized retail shops promising “a more modern way to shop Asian goods” – primarily Japanese snacks, toys, and beauty products. After five years of building an Osaka, Japan-based export business, Ebisu began opening U.S. stores on the East Coast, then expanded to an Anaheim location near Disneyland in 2025. Inside, we found large selections of blind box-style collectibles, inexpensive stuffed Sanrio- and Nintendo-themed plushes, and very basic “cute” items for purses or home decor. The store also sells mostly Japanese hair, skin, and nail products, themed toilet and tissue paper, and some snack items from Japan and South Korea; freezers stock mimetic fruit and meat-shaped ice cream treats, with sodas, teas, and coffees on shelves and in refrigerators.
On our first visit, the overall experience was mediocre, thanks in part to a B- to C-grade product assortment and some ridiculously high prices ($15 for boxed miniature KitKats); notably, no video games, premium toy brands, or electronics were available. Despite rosy images on social media, we found aisle after aisle of opened shipping cartons and partially empty shelves, all the way from the front to the back – a profound contrast with Japanese supermarkets including Mitsuwa and Tokyo Central. The aisles were cleaner and better stocked on a second visit, but cartons were still strewn throughout parts of the store.
Parking is free immediately in front of Ebisu, which occupies an outparcel of Anaheim Plaza. Plenty of adjacent spaces are available at nearby big box retailers such as Walmart, Petco, and Old Navy, as well as at neighboring restaurants including In-N-Out Burger, Crumbl Cookies, and Jollibee.
