Marukai Corporation (dba Tokyo Central), a popular Japan-based grocer and retailer, held the grand opening of its Irvine Tokyo Central on July 26 and 27.
Hundreds of people lined up to be the first customers at the newest Tokyo Central in Orange County, located at 14120 Culver Dr. Early arrivals received $10 gift cards and discounts and played a spin-the-wheel game for prizes.
At 17,368 square feet, the store is the company’s 14th U.S. location. There are 12 other locations in California and one in Hawaii. The company is exploring opportunities to expand into other states.
Offering a wide variety of premium imported Japanese goods such as groceries, made-to-order and ready-to-go food trays, health products and many other specialty items, Tokyo Central features a sushi restaurant, Waka Sakura.
“The community of Irvine is known for its love of Japanese and Asian goods and services,” said Koichi Toyo, president of Marukai Corporation. “It is an important market for Tokyo Central as we continue to grow our presence in the specialty Asian retail and grocery sector.
“Tokyo Central is the ultimate one-stop shop for Japanese specialty food and lifestyle items and we hope that Irvine residents will enjoy our top-notch selection and excellent customer service. With our ‘Customer Matters Most’ motto, we look forward to sharing the unique Tokyo Central experience with the community.”
He added that the store plans to offer “limited-edition products that are typically only available locally in Japan.”
Irvine is an ideal location for the store, Toyo said, because of its “exceptional quality of life,” including education and cultural diversity.
Akira Maruyama, the company’s head of overseas restaurant and retail business, noted that the second Waka Sakura is opening in Irvine after the first restaurant at the Gardena store became “a massive hit.”
Tokyo Central was welcomed to Irvine by Vice Mayor James Mai and City Councilmember Melinda Liu of District 1.
“This is my neighborhood,” said Mai. “This is my district, District 3. This plaza is where I take my kids, I ride my bike, I’m looking for food … I just want to say thank you on behalf of the neighbors and the community for opening here.”
Mai and Liu presented Toyo with a proclamation from the City Council.
The opening included a ribbon-cutting and an Okinawan drum performance by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko.
Established in 1965 under Marukai Corporation, Tokyo Central was one of the first international Japan-based retailers in the U.S. Other California locations include Torrance, Little Tokyo, West L.A., Costa Mesa, Yorba Linda, San Diego and Cupertino. For more information, visit tokyocentral.com.
— J.K. Yamamoto