Hashi Market opened at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 9, in the old Sprouts building at 20558 Stevens Creek Boulevard. SFGATE reported that people started lining up at 7:30 a.m., the line filled the parking lot, and about 1,700 customers came through by the end of the day. Out front, the local Yosakoi dance troupe Uzumaru performed. Inside, staff broke down a 200-pound bluefin tuna for the crowd.
That opening day is a month back now. The lasting change is the store's schedule. Hashi is open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. That's two hours after Tokyo Central at Cupertino Village and Mitsuwa Marketplace on Saratoga Avenue close for the night. Cupertino gained a second large Japanese grocery, and it also gained one that's still open after dinner.
A Storefront That Sat Empty Since 2023
According to the City Manager's October 2 newsletter, Hashi's space at Crossroads Shopping Center had been empty since 2023. Sprouts Farmers Market was the last tenant. The city followed up with a news item on October 16 pointing out that the opening drew coverage from SFGATE and USA TODAY, and that Hashi picked Cupertino for its first California store.
Hashi started in New York and has six stores there. Cupertino is its first on the West Coast. When SFGATE asked Ava Liu, the head of operations, why Cupertino, she gave a direct answer:
"It's a central place for California. Apple is here. Everyone knows it."
Liu also told SFGATE that the company sees this store as its California flagship. The chain also owns Marina Grocery stores in Milpitas, San Mateo and Union City. It's adding Japanese products there to see whether they'll become Hashi Markets or another brand under its parent, Toyo Group. That makes Cupertino the full version of the store and the template for anything else Hashi opens nearby.
What the Late Hours Are Built Around
The store's layout explains the closing time. Hashi has 20,000 square feet of imported Japanese snacks, produce, seafood, meat and sake, plus its own bakery and two big aisles of beauty and lifestyle brands such as Senka, Canmake and Bonbory. Hokkaido gets a lot of shelf space, with beef, rice, cheesecake, premium chocolate and melons that SFGATE priced at $59.
The prepared-food section is where the long hours make sense. SFGATE counted three large prepared-food kiosks selling chicken katsu bentos, curry bowls, salmon teriyaki and A5 wagyu rice bowls at $26, plus a full wall of sushi rolls and nigiri. Liu said all sushi will be 30% off after 8 p.m., a policy that has done well at the chain's New York stores. KRON4 also reported the discount before opening day. In SFGATE's report, Liu described the discount as coming soon. If it's running, it covers the 8-to-11 p.m. stretch, after the other two Japanese markets in the area have closed.
SFGATE called the grab-and-go section a draw for tech workers nearby and for De Anza College students down the road. On a weeknight, that means you can pick up dinner on Stevens Creek at 9:30 p.m. without leaving Cupertino.
Three Stores, Three Clocks
Each of the three stores now keeps its own hours:
| Store | Address | Regular hours | Food focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hashi Market | 20558 Stevens Creek Blvd., Crossroads Shopping Center | 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily | Three prepared-food kiosks, sushi wall, bakery, Hokkaido specialties |
| Tokyo Central Cupertino | 19750 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino Village | 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily | Fresh sushi and bento, groceries and snacks, sake, beauty and home goods |
| Mitsuwa Marketplace San Jose | 675 Saratoga Ave., San Jose | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily | Sushi and deli, ramen, tonkatsu, takoyaki, pickles, J.sweets counter |
Tokyo Central Cupertino opens at 8 a.m., the same time as Hashi. Mitsuwa opens an hour later and closes at 9 p.m., the same as Tokyo Central. Mitsuwa's San Jose page notes that its hours can change without notice. So from 9 to 11 p.m., Hashi is the only one of the three that's open.
Tokyo Central also publishes shorter holiday hours. It's open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. This year, that means Thursday, November 26; Friday, December 25; and Friday, January 1, 2027.
New Year Shopping Runs on the Older Stores' Calendars
Osechi, the traditional New Year assortment of small dishes, has to be ordered ahead, and those deadlines come from Tokyo Central and Mitsuwa.
Mitsuwa's San Jose page explains that each osechi dish stands for a wish for the new year, such as long life, good health or prosperity. Here's the season in order, starting from this week:
- Now through Monday, November 16. Otaru Tachiuri Shokai, a vendor known for its Hokkaido seafood bento, is running a limited demonstration sale at Mitsuwa San Jose.
- Through Monday, December 7. Mitsuwa's 2026–2027 Osechi Early Bird Special is open for advance reservations, online or by contacting the store. Supplies are limited.
- Monday, December 28. Order deadline Tokyo Central lists for its osechi. Each tray also needs at least four days' notice, and some need more, so the earliest pickup date for your store is confirmed in the online cart.
- Tuesday, December 29 through Thursday, December 31. Pickup window for Mitsuwa osechi.
- Thursday, December 31 or Friday, January 1. Tokyo Central osechi pickup, noon to 6 p.m.
Tokyo Central lists its osechi in three price tiers:
- New Year's Single-tiered Octagonal Osechi Box, $129.99
- New Year's Deluxe 3-Tiered Osechi Box, $249.99
- New Year's Premium 3-tiered Osechi Box with Snow Crab, $349.99, made only with Hokkaido seafood
The two programs work differently. Mitsuwa's early-bird reservations close more than three weeks ahead of pickup. Tokyo Central's listed deadline is December 28, and its January 1 pickup window falls inside its holiday hours that day. With the four-day notice on each tray, a late order fits the January 1 pickup more easily than December 31. If you want to plan early, December 7 is the first deadline.
The Rest of Stevens Creek Is Refilling Too
Hashi is the most visible of several new tenants on Stevens Creek. The City Manager's October 2 newsletter lists the others:
- Jingege & YaoYao, a Chinese restaurant in a 4,370-square-foot space at Marketplace, 19628 Stevens Creek Blvd. It opened in late August and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
- Specialty's Café & Bakery, taking the former Le Boulanger space at 20488 Stevens Creek Blvd., about 6,550 square feet. Plans for the build-out have been submitted to the city.
- Preferred Bank, which opened its Silicon Valley Regional Office at 20803 Stevens Creek Blvd. in a 3,280-square-foot former Vitamin Shoppe that had been empty since 2019. It's open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Together, these new tenants keep the boulevard busy across more of the day. A bakery café is planned for the morning, and a restaurant serves until 9:30 p.m. A grocery that stays open until 11 now sits in a building that was empty for roughly three years.
New Year's is one of my favorite times of year, and the osechi calendar takes more planning than most people expect. If you'd like to talk through your own holiday routine on Stevens Creek, in English or Japanese, Naoko Amaya would be glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
