Arizona

Japanese grocery store opening 1st Arizona location. What to know

Published

1 month ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Japanese grocery store opening 1st Arizona location. What to know

A specialty Japanese grocery store will open its first location outside of California in north Phoenix.

In November 2026, Osaka Marketplace will move into the shopping plaza at the intersection of Union Hills Drive and Seventh Street and begin construction, said Julia Li, the plaza’s property manager.

Founded in the Bay Area in 2021, Osaka Marketplace specializes in Japanese ingredients and prepared food. The 35,000-square-foot space will feature a fresh produce section, a sushi counter and a food court. The grocery store is expected to open in the second half of 2027.

“We’re really excited,” Li said. “They’re great.”

What is Osaka Marketplace?

Osaka Marketplace has two locations in the Bay Area, with plans to open a third in fall 2026. Founder Kazuhiro Takeda, a former grocery executive in Japan, has said that he wants the store to feel like “a small trip to Japan.”

Osaka Marketplace is especially known for its sushi. It imports fish from Japan and offers a wide variety of sashimi, including salmon, scallops and squid. In addition to a food court with several restaurants, the Phoenix store will also sell bento boxes, Japanese sandwiches and onigiri.

The Bay Area locations host community events, such as a pop-up ramen festival, which was a major draw for bringing Osaka Marketplace to Arizona, Li said.

“It makes it feel like a part of the community and not just somewhere that you go to get groceries,” Li said.

There are several other Japanese-focused grocers in the Valley, like New Tokyo Food Market in Phoenix and Fujiya Market in Tempe, but none are nearly as large as Osaka Marketplace will be.

More Asian businesses are opening to serve TSMC workers

Fueled by the Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company facilities, the boom of Asian-focused development in north Phoenix has been quietly gaining steam over the past few years.

Small mom-and-pop restaurants have been followed by larger regional and national chains, like Paris Baguette and 85°C Bakery Cafe. One of the largest planned projects will partially remake Arrowhead Towne Center, with the opening of a Taiwanese grocery store, 99 Ranch, in a former Sears building.

Since 2023, Li has been working with her parents, who are developers, to fill the shopping plaza on Union Hills Drive with businesses that cater to Asian customers. The plaza already has a smattering of Asian restaurants and businesses, including a Taiwanese restaurant and a Chinese-English after-school academy, but the main storefront has remained a Goodwill.

It took them longer than expected to find a business to replace the Goodwill, Li said. Despite the growth of Asian development, many out-of-state companies don’t see Phoenix as a promising market, Li said.

“Convincing businesses from outside of Phoenix has been really, really difficult,” Li said.

The family was connected to Osaka Marketplace through word of mouth and found out that the grocery store was already interested in moving to Phoenix. Takeda has said he hopes to open a dozen Osaka Marketplaces in the next 10 years.

Cultivating a north Phoenix hub for Asian food and culture

Now that the plaza has an anchor tenant, it’s on its way to becoming the type of “cultural meeting center” that Li’s family hopes to create.

“You can just go spend an entire afternoon and not actually go with a plan,” Li said. “That’s the vision that we have for the plaza.”

Details: 710 E Union Hills Drive, Phoenix. osakamarketplace.com.

Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.

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Arizona

Where to watch New York Mets vs Arizona Diamondbacks: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 10

Published

7 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

Where to watch New York Mets vs Arizona Diamondbacks: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 10

Baseball is back and finding what channel your favorite team is playing on has become a little bit more confusing since MLB announced plans to produce and distribute broadcasts for nearly a third of the league.

We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know Sunday as the New York Mets visit the Arizona Diamondbacks.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is New York Mets vs Arizona Diamondbacks?

First pitch between the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, May 10.

How to watch New York Mets vs Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

Matchup: NYM at ARI
Date: Sunday, May 10
Time: 4:10 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Chase Field
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
TV: DBACKS.TV and SportsNet New York
Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo

Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for May 10 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.

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Arizona

Drowning happens in seconds, Arizona safety experts warn as triple-digit temperatures arrive this week

Published

19 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Drowning happens in seconds, Arizona safety experts warn as triple-digit temperatures arrive this week

GILBERT, AZ — As temperatures climb across Arizona, safety experts and parents say so does the risk around water.

“You brought them here for a reason, and you want them to keep safe at all times, and it’s the most precious things you have. Why, why would you not pay attention to them?” Ernesto Agüero said.

Agüero’s warning comes as families across the Valley head to pools and splash pads to beat the heat.

Experts say drowning can happen silently and within seconds.

“Drowning is silent. A lot of times it goes unnoticed, but it just takes seconds,” Jay Arthur, president of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona, said.

The Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona says while child drowning deaths are down compared to recent years, the danger is far from over as summer begins. It comes as the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona (DPCA) hosted its annual “Tapping Into Water Safety” event. The event brought together organizations like the Salt River Project (SRP) and the Phoenix Fire Department.

“You have to watch the kids with your eyes. Eye-to-eye contact is critical. You can’t be on your phone. You can’t be talking to your friend,” Arthur said.

Advocates say one of the biggest misconceptions is thinking you’ll hear someone struggling in the water. Instead, they say prevention starts before a child even gets near the pool.

“Always appoint a water watcher when you have a group of people around water, and that would be an adult that’s responsible for watching the water and they’re not on their phone,” Tanya Hughes, SRP Community Activation Strategist, said.

Families say the reminders are especially important heading into another Arizona summer.

“You want them to be safe. You want them to know how to behave when they’re in the water,” Agüero said.

Experts say designated water watchers, pool barriers and swim lessons can make the difference. They also warn that distractions like phones or conversations can quickly become dangerous.

“Seconds matter; it is really important because a child can drown in just a matter of seconds,” Arthur said.

With more families potentially spending time in the water this weekend, advocates say now is the time to prepare.

“We’re telling you, we’re trying to stop this from happening,” Arthur said.

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