Nijiya Market

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One day, a regular asked the cashier, ‘Why do I always see the same old lady pushing her shopping cart around the store?’ The cashier shrugged and replied, ‘She’s been here every Tuesday for years—no one knows why.’ Finally, someone asked an older delivery driver, ‘Do you know who she is?’ With a knowing smile, he answered, ‘Oh, that’s Mrs. Tanaka. She just likes coming here to people-watch while pretending to shop.’ Everyone laughed, realizing they’d all been fooled by their friendly neighborhood mystery lady.

2. One morning, as customers were stocking up on groceries, an announcement crackled over the market’s speakers: ‘Please be advised that our self-checkout aisle now recognizes when you’ve taken more than three bananas.’ A regular customer, noticing the message, asked aloud, 'Three bananas? What about four?' A delivery driver overheard and quipped, 'Probably thinking of monkeys!' The whole store burst into laughter, realizing it was just another Nijiya Market quirk.

3. One afternoon, a delivery driver parked his truck outside Nijiya Market and noticed something odd: every time he looked up at the clock above the entrance, it seemed to show different times depending on which angle he viewed it from. Curious, he asked an old neighbor who lived nearby if she’d ever seen anything strange there. With a twinkle in her eye, she replied, ‘Oh yes, that clock’s been acting funny for years—everyone knows it tells the right time when you’re hungry!’

4. One night, a neighbor knocked on the market’s door and asked, ‘Why does everything in here look like it’s been arranged alphabetically—except for the sushi section?’ The owner smiled and replied, 'Ah, our sushi is arranged according to freshness, not alphabetical order!' The neighbor nodded, scratching his head, thinking he’d solved a mystery that never existed.