Mitsuwa Marketplace

Mitsuwa Corporation
TypeSubsidiary
IndustrySupermarket
Food court
Retail
Predecessor Yaohan USA
FoundedMarch 1998; 28 years ago (March 1998) in San Jose, California
HeadquartersTorrance, California
Number of locations
13
Area served
California
Hawaii
Illinois
New Jersey
Texas
Key peopleTakeshi Izuma (President, CEO)
ProductsJapanese cuisine
Number of employees
380 (as of January 1, 2023)
ParentKamei Corporation [ja]
Websitemitsuwa.com

Mitsuwa Corporation, doing business as Mitsuwa Marketplace (Japanese: ミツワマーケットプレイス, Hepburn: Mitsuwa Mākettopureisu) and commonly referred as Mitsuwa, is an American chain of Japanese supermarkets headquartered in Torrance, California. It was formed in March 1998 from Wanoba Group Inc.'s acquisition of Yaohan USA after the parent company, Yaohan, filed for bankruptcy. On December 21, 2012, the Kamei Corporation [ja] acquired Wanoba Group Inc.

Mitsuwa is one of the largest Japanese supermarket chains in the United States, operating 13 store locations in California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas. It features an extensive array of imported Japanese goods and products. In addition to their supermarket, most locations also offer food courts featuring mainly Japanese and other Asian cuisine. Some also host Japanese retail stores and services, such as Books Kinokuniya, Daiso, and Shiseido. Because of this, it is often referred as a mini-mall.

Background

1979-1997: Yaohan USA

Yaohan USA supermarket in Arlington Heights, Illinois

Under President Kazuo Wada's international expansion plans, Yaohan established subsidiary Yaohan USA by opening its first location in Fresno in 1979. Yaohan continued opening stores throughout California, such as Torrance and Costa Mesa.

In September 1988, Yaohan opened its first East Coast location in Edgewater, New Jersey. In September 1991, Yaohan expanded to Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It opened as the largest Japanese supermarket in the American Midwest. Both locations planned on constructing hotels with a Japanese communal tub on the rooftop. The purpose of the projects was drawing in local communities from around the areas. However, for reasons unknown, the projects never came to fruition. In 1992, the Torrance store relocated to a larger space in the city's eastern edge to account for increased popularity amongst Japanese-Americans.

History

1997-2012: Wanoba Group Inc. acquisition and rebrand

In September 1997, Yaohan declared bankruptcy, citing the 1997 Asian financial crisis, stagnation of the Japanese retail market, and company debt of ¥171 billion, or $1.42 billion. In March 1998, Yaohan USA executives branched off to form a new company called Wanoba Group, Inc. and acquired the American locations. They used the assets to form a new subsidiary called Mitsuwa Corporation and rebranded the supermarkets as Mitsuwa Marketplace.

Throughout the 2000s, Mitsuwa continued operations. On January 25, 2009, the Los Angeles location in the Little Tokyo neighborhood closed due to Korean investors purchasing the property for $35 million. On December 17, 2011, Mitsuwa opened a new location in Irvine, California, their second supermarket in Orange County.

2012-present: Kamei acquisition, U.S. expansion, and renovation

On December 21, 2012, the Kamei Corporation [ja], a Japanese trading company, acquired Wanoba Group Inc. for $27.8 million with plans of retaining their management team and keeping business intact.

Inside the relocated Torrance location

In 2017, Mitsuwa expanded to two U.S. states outside of California. On April 14, 2017, they entered the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex with a store in Plano, Texas, the biggest city in Collin County. It was chosen for their large Asian population and the recently relocated headquarters of Toyota Motor North America from Torrance, California. On May 15, 2017, Mitsuwa opened a new location in Waikīkī, Hawaii, at the International Market Place.

In 2019, Mitsuwa completed a major infrastructure renovation of the Chicago location with improved lighting, wider aisles, new walls, new flooring, and new restaurants to their food court. The company also announced it was relocating their Torrance location from Western Avenue to the Del Amo Fashion Center, debuting on February 12, 2020, with a modern, sleek look. The former building was demolished in 2023 for a new project.

On January 21, 2023, Mitsuwa opened a new supermarket in Northridge, California, near California State University, Northridge. It is one of only two stores in California that does not host a food court, the other being in San Gabriel. On August 22, 2023, Mitsuwa renovated Waikīkī's food court into a food hall called The Japan with six new vendors. On November 1, 2025, Mitsuwa opened a new location in Cypress, California, their third supermarket in Orange County.

Products and offerings

Okonomiyaki sauce for sale at Mitsuwa in Arlington Heights, Illinois

Mitsuwa offers a wide variety of imported Japanese products that are not often available in American grocery stores. The store carries a wide variety of ingredients essential in Japanese cuisine, popular snacks and drinks, and convenience food. Mitsuwa NAGOMI, the supermarket's sushi deli, sells a variety of pre-packaged sushi. For non-food items, Mitsuwa provides Japanese cosmetics, kitchenware, and toiletries.

Mitsuwa is best known for having food courts and specialty retail stores at most locations. The restaurants offer mostly Japanese and other Asian food. Some locations also offer Japanese specialty retail and services, with key stores such as Books Kinokuniya, Daiso, and Shiseido. Others also have stores with Bandai gashapon vending machines and One Piece Card Game products.

A panorama of Mitsuwa's food court in Torrance, California


Festivals and fairs

At most locations, Mitsuwa hosts a calendar of festivals and fairs. Often, they are sales events to promote deals and discounts on goods using free samples, demonstrations, limited supply, and guest celebrities. The events have highlighted store brands, specific cuisine, foods from Japanese prefectures and regions, and anime.

The New Jersey location hosts an annual summer festival, or natsumatsuri, around August. The outdoor event showcases various entertainment filled with music or dance. These include bon odori, taiko, yosakoi, hula dancing, and local band performances. For food, local vendors sell a variety of savory and sweet food, such as takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kakigōri. They also offer traditional games and activities, like yo-yo balloons, karaoke, and cosplay contests.

Store locations

California

Mitsuwa Marketplace in Irvine, California

Hawaii

Illinois

New Jersey

Texas

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Mitsuwa Marketplace Celebrates "Rising Tohoku Fair in LA" with Delicious Regional Foods, Cultural Performances, Craft Workshops and Mascots' Meet and Greet" (Press release). August 31, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  3. ↑ "About Mitsuwa". Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Mitsuwa Acquired By Sendai-based Kamei Corp". January 7, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Gnerre, Sam (January 29, 2024). "A South Bay history: Mitsuwa Marketplace found ways to appeal to a broader audience". The Daily Breeze. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  6. 1 2 El-Hasan, Muhammed (January 8, 2013). "Torrance: Mitsuwa Marketplace owner acquired by Japanese firm". The Daily Breeze. Archived from the original on July 8, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  7. ↑ Myerson, Allen R. (January 20, 1992). "6,800 Miles From Tokyo, East Meets West at a Shopping Mall". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023.
  8. ↑ Lee, Cristina (May 10, 1991). "For a Little Bit of the Real Japan, You Can Shop Yaohan Grocery: The Japanese supermarket in Costa Mesa is getting high marks from Orientals and others after a year of operation". Los Angeles Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ Tsuda, Akira (August 1, 1990). "Already a successful Japanese grocer in the New York..." United Press International. Archived from the original on November 10, 2025. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  10. ↑ "YAOHAN MARKET A MIDWEST MAGNET FOR JAPAN". Chicago Tribune. May 14, 1997. Archived from the original on November 10, 2025.
  11. ↑ Sterngold, James (February 18, 1990). "A Different Drummer in Japan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  12. ↑ "NEW SUPERMARKET SERVES UP AUTHENTIC SLICE". Chicago Tribune. November 15, 1991. Archived from the original on November 10, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Japan Retailer In Bankruptcy". The New York Times. September 19, 1997. Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Jusco to lend hand to Yaohan". The Straits Times. Reuters. October 7, 1997.
  15. ↑ "About Mitsuwa". Mitsuwa Marketplace. Mitsuwa Corporation. Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  16. ↑ Watanbe, Teresa (January 23, 2009). "Little Tokyo market, a onetime rising sun, is poised to set". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  17. ↑ Amter, Charlie (January 26, 2009). "The end of an era: Mitsuwa Marketplace in Little Tokyo now closed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Big Japanese grocer coming to Irvine". The Orange County Register. July 25, 2011. Archived from the original on November 11, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Mitsuwa Marketplace Irvine store will be opened on December 17th!". Facebook. Mitsuwa Marketplace. November 17, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Kamei Corporation acquired Wanoba Group, Inc. from Watanabe Family Trust, Bruce R. Bailey, Masayuki Nozue, and Kazuhiko Hori for $27.8 million". MarketScreener. December 26, 2012. Archived from the original on October 28, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Announcement regarding the acquisition of Wanoba Group Inc. and Avis Group Inc" (PDF). Kamei Corporation. Kamei Corporation. December 27, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  22. ↑ Halkias, Maria (March 22, 2017). "Japanese grocery giant Mitsuwa sets opening date in Plano". Dallas News. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  23. ↑ McCarthy, Amy (April 13, 2017). "Japanese Grocery Wonderland Mitsuwa Marketplace Arrives in Plano". Eater Dallas. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Mitsuwa Marketplace Waikiki - Honolulu". www.shopinternationalmarketplace.com. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Largest Japanese supermarket chain opened first store in Waikiki Monday". June 6, 2017. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  26. ↑ Lapan, Tovin (May 26, 2017). "Japanese market opens in Hawaii". Travel Weekly. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights offers all things Japanese". ABC7 Chicago. August 23, 2019. Archived from the original on November 9, 2025. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Inside Mitsuwa Marketplace's Futuristic New Torrance Grocery Store at Del Amo Mall". Eater LA. February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  29. ↑ "IPopular Japanese market Mitsuwa opens doors in Northridge soon". LA Focus News. January 13, 2023. Archived from the original on November 9, 2025. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  30. ↑ Obungen, Thomas (September 5, 2023). "There's a New Japanese Food Hall Inside This Waikīkī Grocery Store". Frolic Hawai'i. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  31. ↑ @intlmktplace; (August 22, 2023). "New Food Hall at Mitsuwa Marketplace". Retrieved November 10, 2025 – via Instagram.
  32. ↑ Goldschmidt, Bridget (October 30, 2025). "Mitsuwa Marketplace to Open New California Store". Progressive Grocer. Retrieved November 9, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  33. ↑ Kenney, Alex (August 10, 2023). "Annual Japanese Summer Festival Comes Back to Edgewater". New Jersey Digest. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Summer Festival Schedule". Mitsuwa Marketplace. Archived from the original on November 11, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2025.