SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — Imagine a 7-Eleven that only sells Japanese and other Asian products — but it also has a matcha cafe, sushi bar, ramen station and a bar for alcoholic beverages.
That is what San Jose’s newest Japanese market is. Sakura Market — spearheaded by the team behind Bay Area-founded Osaka Marketplace — is located downtown on 184 South Market St. and debuted with a soft opening on Wednesday.
Despite being a fraction in size (5,000 square feet) compared to Osaka Marketplace (35,000 square feet), Sakura Market offers amenities that even its bigger counterpart doesn’t have –such as a ramen station and bar serving alcohol.
Sakura Market is inspired by Japan’s signature “konbini” convenience stores — a type of shop that is found only in a handful of places in the Bay Area.
KRON4 got a look inside Sakura Market. See photos below.
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Sushi buffet
Customers can grab their sushi of choice, and everything will be weighed at checkout for $17.99 per pound.
Customers can grab their sushi of choice, and everything will be weighed at checkout for $17.99 per pound.
Ramen bar
Instructions on how to make your own ramen with options to add topping like meat.
Customers try on the ramen station at Sakura Market’s soft opening on June 24.
Matcha cafe
Beauty section
The beauty section at Sakura Market features products from Japan, Korea, etc.
Grab-and-go section, fresh produce, poultry
There are also options to purchase pre-packaged sushi.
Bar
Sakura Market plans to open a bar inside the store that serves sake, beer, and other adult beverages. The bar looks to be ready by the grand opening on July 24, according to staff.
The bar at Sakura Market is expected to debut on July 24 when customers can order drinks like sake and beer.
A interior look of Sakura Market. (Continue slideshow for more photos inside –>)
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An exterior view of the Sakura Market at 184 South Market St. in San Jose. (Courtesy: Sakura Market)
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Sakura Market is open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The soft opening begins June 24 with a grand opening celebration on July 24.
Sakura Market is operated by Osaka Marketplace Director/COO Kazuhiro Takeda. His downtown San Jose store is intended to emulate the larger Osaka Marketplace stores but in a more condensed and grab-and-go format.
Osaka Marketplace is currently open in Fremont and Foster City, with a Pleasant Hill store set to open in October. In December, Takeda hinted to KRON4 about another opening in the region but told us with a chuckle, “this is very secret.”
Takeda said he plans to open another 12 stores over the next 10 years.
Sakura Market’s opening comes on the heels of the much-anticipated debut of T&T Supermarket in California, which opened last week — also located in San Jose. The Canada-based Asian grocery store drew long lines outside the door ahead of its grand opening.
This latest opening in downtown San Jose adds to the recent wave of Asian grocery establishments in the Bay Area, such as H Mart in March, Tokyo Central in January and Mega Mart in September.
“Our vision for SAKURA MARKET is to create a space that fits seamlessly into people’s daily routines,” said Takeda in a news release. “Whether it’s grabbing a quick, high-quality meal between classes or work, or enjoying a simple, authentic Japanese dining experience, we want SAKURA MARKET to feel convenient, welcoming and distinctly Japanese.”
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