On the morning of Saturday, December 15th, in the chilly weather of Los Angeles, the enthusiasm for Japanese cuisine among residents remained undeterred. The grand opening of Tokyo Central, a Japanese food supermarket in Torrance, once again proved the market rule that quality and reputation win hearts.
Scheduled to open at 10 a.m., a long line had already formed outside the Tokyo Central store starting from 8 a.m. By 9:30 a.m., the waiting queue had extended over a hundred meters around the front and side of the supermarket.
This is the second store opened by Marukai Corporation in Torrance and the 12th chain store established in the United States, covering an area of over 22,000 square feet. The store offers a wide variety of food and groceries, including various ready-to-eat meals, sushi, seafood counters, fresh meats, vegetables, fruits, etc. There is also a Vanshow Sushi & Bar restaurant inside the supermarket, providing authentic Japanese cuisine.
The new store opening was welcomed by the city of Torrance. On that day, Chinese-American Mayor George Chen, along with two council members Jon Kaji and Asam Sheikh, were present to congratulate; dozens of suppliers and supporters also attended. With around a thousand Japanese immigrants in the city, Japanese culture and cuisine have been deeply rooted and popular in the community for many years.
During the opening ceremony, Marukai President Koichi Toyo stated that the new store brings together the finest foods from various regions of Japan, offering customers the best selections at the specialty counters. He was thrilled to provide customers with an experience of Japanese culinary culture in the spacious and cozy new store, saying, “We hope everyone can enjoy every moment of their shopping experience.”
Yosuke Shimanuki, manager of Vanshow Sushi & Bar restaurant, expressed great joy in expanding the restaurant business. He mentioned that the restaurant uses the best Japanese rice, vinegar, mustard, and other ingredients to make each serving of sushi, pricing them fairly to give customers value for their money.
Mayor George Chen congratulated the opening of the new supermarket on behalf of the city of Torrance and presented award certificates. He introduced that the city has the largest population of Japanese-Americans and nearly forty percent Asian population. Torrance has established friendly city ties with two cities in Japan. “The contributions of the Japanese community are well known,” Chen said, adding that food, sports, and baseball are great unifiers and he believes Tokyo Central’s new store will be successful.
To celebrate the opening, the supermarket invited a Japanese Ryukyu drum troupe to perform in front of the store. Seven or eight energetic young men and women drummers danced to the beat of the music while playing the drums, creating a lively atmosphere. Some customers who had waited for over an hour outside expressed their love for Japanese supermarkets, appreciating the cleanliness and quality of the food they have grown to trust.
On Saturday and Sunday, the new store held promotional activities for two consecutive days, offering discounts on a wide range of products and providing gift cards to customers. Market department head Jinju introduced that this new store is Tokyo Central’s largest outlet, and she is very excited about the opening, looking forward to offering more services to the community here.
Established in 1965, Marukai Corporation (trading as Tokyo Central) is one of the earliest Japanese international retailers to expand operations in the United States. Most of its stores are concentrated in California, and the company plans to open another store next year.
According to data from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Japan’s agricultural and seafood exports to the United States reached a total of 206.2 billion yen (over 1.3 billion USD) in 2023, widely welcomed by American consumers.
Tokyo Central – Torrance New Store
Address: 3665 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance, CA 90505
Business Hours: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.