This Ohio Japanese Grocery Has Been Packing Fresh Seafood, Bento Boxes, And Japanese Treats Since 1990

Ask nicely at the seafood counter, and they’ll cut your fish sashimi-style for free. That alone had me hooked.

The fish arrives from places like Alaska, Hawaii, New England, and Seattle.

Then there are the bento boxes. More than 60 varieties of bento and sushi get made fresh in the store every day. The rice comes from Japan and is chosen because it still tastes great once it cools.

All of this sits inside a little Japanese shopping plaza in Ohio. A bakery, a ramen shop, and a gift store are just steps away.

I’m curious how one small grocery has kept this going since 1990. I’d also love to know which bento disappears from the case first.

A Tiny Corner Of Japan Has Been Feeding Columbus For Over Three Decades

Long before sushi showed up in gas stations, Tensuke Market was stocking Japanese staples in Columbus. The grocery opened in 1990, after a restaurant started the family business.

The family’s first business was Akai Hana, originally called Restaurant Japan, which opened in 1986. The grocery followed to provide Japanese ingredients that were harder to find at ordinary supermarkets in Ohio.

Now the businesses form Japan Marketplace in Kenny Centre, a collection of related shops where groceries, prepared meals, gifts, and sit-down dining share one shopping center.

The market itself has stayed focused on everyday Japanese cooking, rather than becoming simply another place to buy imported candy.

Rice, noodles, seasonings, vegetables, and seafood fill the aisles. Nearby businesses handle sushi, restaurant meals, and pastries, so there’s plenty to explore without driving across town.

The market also stocks specialty frozen foods that can be difficult to track down in an everyday neighborhood supermarket.

One storefront started the story; today an entire shopping center helps tell it.

The Seafood Counter Can Do The Sashimi Slicing For You

Seafood is central to Tensuke Market. Its department carries a selection of sashimi-grade fish alongside options for cooked dinners.

Now for the handy part: the market offers sashimi-style cutting at the counter.

That service is available daily from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., making it possible to bring home fish already portioned for a Japanese-style meal.

That’s a welcome shortcut if your knife skills are more chaotic than careful. Ask about suitable selections, and keep purchases chilled.

The shop recommends enjoying sushi and sashimi on the day they’re bought. The selection depends on deliveries, so ask the counter team what is available during your visit.

The shelves nearby carry rice, nori, soy sauce, pickled ginger, and seasonings that can turn a seafood purchase into a complete dinner. For those assembling rolls, cucumber and other produce are close at hand too.

The shopping list almost writes itself once you’ve decided what to make. Bring a cooler bag if your drive home is long.

The Bento Case Makes Choosing Lunch A Delicious Problem

Indecisive eaters, consider yourselves warned. Tensuke Market stocks changing selections of bento, onigiri, and sushi.

There’s an interesting division of work behind the display.

Bentos are prepared by neighboring businesses, including Akai Hana and Tensuke Ramen, while Sushi Ten makes all the sushi sold inside the grocery store. The label on each bento identifies where it came from.

That means the choices vary from day to day. A bento might bring rice together with an entree and several smaller sides, while an onigiri offers an easy handheld snack.

Sushi trays give shoppers another ready-to-eat option without a restaurant reservation.

Popular meals can sell out early, so morning visits give you more choices. Advance bento orders can also be arranged with the businesses that prepare them.

Choose lunch first, then browse the aisles while deciding what to cook later.

A bento can turn an everyday shopping trip into a lunch break with several different flavors in one box. The food case may become the highlight of your grocery trip.

Your Pantry Is About To Get A Serious Upgrade

Ever tried finding the right miso for a recipe and come home with one lonely option? The aisles here give curious cooks more room to experiment.

Tensuke Market stocks Japanese rice, different styles of miso, and an extensive assortment of sauces and seasonings.

Noodle fans can look for ramen, udon, and soba, plus curry sauce for an easy weeknight dinner.

The refrigerated and frozen sections are useful too. Gyoza and shumai, tofu, natto, fish cakes, and wrappers make it possible to build a meal without starting every component from scratch.

Natto is fermented soybeans with a distinctly sticky texture, and it’s one of the ingredients that makes browsing a specialty grocery so interesting.

Look for produce suited to Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Selection varies, so plan around recipes rather than brands.

A useful trick is to choose one unfamiliar ingredient and learn a simple way to prepare it. The market also has recipes for miso soup, rice, and onigiri to help newcomers get started.

A jar of miso or packet of soba can become a regular part of dinner long after the shopping trip ends.

Snack Hunters Should Leave Time For A Few Surprises

Pocky is just the opening act. Japanese sweets, snacks, desserts, and tea give this Ohio grocery plenty of ways to distract anyone who came in for only rice.

There are crunchy choices for a savory craving and softer sweets for the ride home.

The selection changes, which makes it worth looking beyond familiar packages. Cold desserts and specialty drinks add another stop before heading to the checkout.

The tea selection is especially useful for anyone building a Japanese pantry.

Green tea pairs naturally with a sweet snack, and trying different varieties can become its own small project. Read the package for flavor and preparation suggestions.

Let everyone choose a treat, then compare favorites at home. Even ordinary errands can be playful.

The real temptation is how close everything sits together. A savory snack can lead to a dessert, and that dessert can lead you right back to the bakery next door.

Consider this fair warning to leave a little space in your shopping bag.

Welcome To The Neighborhood Folks Call Mini Tokyo

Groceries are only part of the adventure. Tensuke Market anchors Japan Marketplace, a cluster of family-run Japanese businesses in central Ohio.

Akai Hana is the original sit-down restaurant, serving sushi and other Japanese dishes.

Sushi Ten specializes in takeout sushi, including the rolls prepared for Tensuke Market’s refrigerated case. Tensuke Ramen serves noodle bowls, curry, and other casual meals nearby.

For a change from food, J Avenue carries ceramics, stationery, home goods, crafts, and Japanese character merchandise.

Belle’s Bread adds a French-inspired Japanese bakery and cafe, with sweet and savory baked goods made fresh daily.

There’s also Yokoso Center, a separate multipurpose space created for learning and community gatherings.

Its flexible rooms can accommodate activities ranging from language lessons to cooking demonstrations and cultural programs. That extra space helps turn the shopping center into a place for shared experiences.

All these shops share one family business story. Plan a meal, browse the gifts, and finish the grocery shopping last so refrigerated items spend less time in the car.

Fresh Bread From Next Door Deserves Its Own Detour

Bread lovers, here’s a happy little bonus. Belle’s Bread sits in the same plaza as Tensuke Market, serving Japanese-style baking with a French pastry influence.

Opened in 2011, the bakery makes bread daily. Its selection includes pillowy melon rolls, red bean rolls, custard-filled bread, and savory curry doughnuts.

Croissants and danishes share the display with matcha cream puffs, cheesecake, and slices of strawberry cake. A shopper looking for rice and fish might leave with a red bean bun or cream puff.

If the market’s prepared foods catch your eye first, the neighboring bakery is still worth visiting in its own right.

It has indoor seating, and whole cakes can be ordered ahead for celebrations. Popular pastries can sell out. The shops are close enough that there’s no need to move the car between stops.

The bakery also makes white sandwich bread and raisin loaves, extending the choices beyond individual pastries.

Enjoy a sweet treat while it’s fresh, then head back for the ingredients on your list. Dessert can be the reward for finishing the errands.

A Few Smart Moves Before You Head Over

Timing matters when prepared meals sell out. A little planning makes shopping easier.

Tensuke Market is at 1167 Old Henderson Rd, Columbus, OH 43220, in Kenny Centre on the northwest side of Ohio’s capital.

It opens Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For the widest choice of bentos, head in earlier rather than counting on everything remaining in stock near closing. If you’re after sashimi-style cutting, that service ends at 7:30 p.m.

The market has no dedicated dine-in area, but purchases can be enjoyed in the Tensuke Ramen dining room during its open hours.

Neighboring shops keep different schedules, so coordinate ramen, bakery, and gift-store visits.

Parking is available in the shopping center. The market closes on major holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, so check the calendar around a seasonal shopping trip.

Bring a cooler bag for fish and frozen foods, and leave the refrigerated purchases until the end. One trip can cover dinner ingredients, ready-made lunch, and something sweet for the ride home.