On December 16, 2025, the beloved Japanese boutique supermarket in the Bay Area, Osaka Marketplace, opened its new store in Foster City on December 12 (last Friday) to much fanfare. Over 500 people attended the grand opening, resulting in a lively atmosphere and a surge in crowd numbers.
From as early as 7 a.m. on the opening day, many people arrived early and queued up outside the supermarket. The opening ceremony officially began at 9 a.m. with a majestic taiko drum performance, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a Dassai sake opening ritual. The event was attended by distinguished guests including Wu Zhixiang, Director of the Taiwan Office in San Francisco, Zhuang Yashu, Director of the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center, Kanako Watanabe, representative of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Foster City Mayor Art Kiesel, and Bian Ke, the General Manager of Epoch Times, who all came to celebrate the occasion.
Huo Limin, in his opening speech, expressed his excitement about opening the new store in Foster City. Osaka Marketplace is dedicated to providing the highest quality ingredients, including a variety of fresh whole fish directly imported from Japan, aiming to serve not only the Asian community but the entire local community.
He told Epoch Times that in the face of rising prices at Bay Area restaurants, he hopes to offer people the opportunity to bring home the freshest fish and high-quality Wagyu beef at reasonable prices, allowing them to enjoy restaurant-quality dishes that are both healthy and top-notch in the comfort of their own homes.
Huo Limin mentioned that after the opening of the Fremont branch of Osaka Marketplace, he found that Japanese cuisine is not only loved by the Japanese or Asian communities but also welcomed by people of various ethnicities and younger generations. Fresh and healthy Japanese dining has become a lifestyle choice. Osaka Marketplace hopes to introduce the most authentic Japanese culinary culture and aesthetics to the Bay Area, sharing it with the community. He also expressed his gratitude for the professional dedication of the Japanese team, which has maintained high operational standards in all stores. There are plans to continue expanding in the Bay Area in the future, allowing more residents to enjoy fresh and high-quality Japanese ingredients nearby.
Wu Zhixiang, the Director of the Taiwan Office in San Francisco, expressed his delight at attending the opening event and seeing the success of this brand founded by a successful Taiwanese entrepreneur. While the store primarily sells Japanese products, it showcases the deep friendship between Taiwan and Japan. He hopes that people will support and patronize the store, demonstrating the friendship between the Taiwanese and Japanese people through practical actions.
Zhuang Yashu, Director of the Overseas Chinese Education Center, remarked that Huo Limin has not only excelled in the fields of technology, retail, and craftsmanship but has also been involved in associations assisting families of children with special needs for a long time. She hopes that the new Foster City store of Osaka Marketplace will not only enhance the quality of life for local residents but also promote the exchange of goods and culture between Taiwan, the United States, and Japan.
Kazuhiro Takeda, the General Manager of Osaka Marketplace, sincerely thanked the loyal customers for their continuous support, stating that the team is now officially part of the Foster City community. Kanako Watanabe, a representative of JETRO, expressed her joy at the enthusiastic turnout that day, emphasizing that it was indeed a long-awaited moment. She hopes to introduce more people to high-quality Japanese products. In his address, Foster City Mayor Art Kiesel stated that Osaka Marketplace has the potential to become an important force driving the local business community.
Currently, Osaka Marketplace has branches in Fremont and Foster City, and is planning to open a new location in Pleasant Hill in the summer of 2026, continuing to bring a more complete Japanese dining culture and shopping experience to the Bay Area.