Tokyo Central held the grand opening of a new store in Irvine, joining 13 locations across California and one in Hawaii, on July 26. Tokyo Central markets their store as a Japanese grocer that serves a variety of to-go Japanese food items.
The new store is located at 14120 Culver Dr, just under six-and-a-half miles from UCI’s campus.
Tokyo Central’s opening has grabbed attention from the LA Times and the OC Register, suggesting the store may expect to have a broad audience in Southern California. Some students were excited by this development, and many had previously visited the existing store in Costa Mesa.
UC Irvine student Benjamin Lu was pleased with his experience at that location.
“I live next to one back in my apartment in Costa Mesa. It’s really nice. Everything’s pretty fairly priced. I love their sushi. Their sushi is really good,” Lu told New University.
UC Irvine sits amidst an abundance of food options, ranging from the various shops at the University Town Center (UTC) to plazas and specialized markets around town.
Miranda Goldstein, another UCI student, had a positive experience with Tokyo Central in Costa Mesa. She enjoyed the many specialties in the ready-to-eat section of the store.
“I like the area where they have pre-made food and sushi and stuff like that,” Goldstein told New University.
She also said she would “probably” visit the new location in Irvine after hearing about its opening.
Celeste Cius, an incoming UCI student, hadn’t heard of the store’s opening.
“Yeah, I definitely would [visit]. I’m very much into the Japanese culture,” Cius told New University when asked if she would be interested in seeing the new location.
Some students, however, were less enthusiastic about visiting the location.
“Maybe not, because I live near the H Mart, the Korean market. [H Mart] is more convenient,” Shu Nie, a Junior Specialist in the SOM Radiological Sciences department, told New University.
The H Mart referenced is a Korean supermarket with three locations in Irvine. Their website describes their services as, “the pioneer of Asian food in America,” and states that, “H Mart is also known for its innovative new food halls which are an extension of over 30 years of providing eateries in its stores.”
Tokyo Central advertises its services as “a wide-variety of imported Japanese goods such as food, health products, cosmetics, home furnishings, [etc.].”
The company began as Marukai Central in 1965 and served as one of the first retailers from Japan in the United States. They are now part of Pan Pacific International Holdings Corporation, a large Japanese company that operates multiple retail chains.
Inside, the store has a variety of pre-made food options including various sauces, drinks and other products from Japan. The exterior is a beige office-looking space, trimmed with black, which is located in a shopping plaza. Inside there are display cases with various hot and cold foods and an assortment of well-stocked shelves, similar in feel to an H Mart.
With various dining options in Irvine, UCI students regularly make decisions about where to eat based on factors like convenience, distance and quality of services.
Lu describes his decision-making process.
“For lunch, [I] just go to UTC… the barbecue soup grill spot [California Gogi Grill],” Lu said. “But for dinner, usually I go not necessarily in Irvine, but in the Orange County area, anywhere that looks good.”
Nie stays closer to school when looking for a bite. Her regular spots are located directly on campus.
“I have my lunch just in Zot-and-Go and also [at] Starbucks,” Nie said.
Goldstein also likes to stay closer to classes, walking just across the bridge for a quick bite.
“I usually go to, like, UTC and go to the places in there,” she said. “ I do like Luna Grill.”
Whether it’s UTC or the newest specialty market opening nearby, UCI students are likely to be there trying something new or enjoying a time-tested favorite.
Aidan Wyrough is a Features Intern for the summer 2025 quarter. He can be reached at awyrough@uci.edu.
Edited by Alyssa Villagonzalo and Joshua Gonzales