Tokyo Central & Main — Attraction in Gardena

**UpdateI am extremely disappointed and still deeply hurt by what happened to me at this store — and by the silence that followed. I submitted a detailed review and reached out directly to the store, but management has ignored my message completely. No apology, no acknowledgment. Nothing.

During that visit, I was simply shopping for groceries with my husband — like any normal customer. I’ve never caused any problems here. I was quiet, respectful, and doing what all customers do: browsing products. But instead of being treated with basic decency, I was monitored, hovered around, and followed by multiple staff members as though I were a criminal. It was obvious, excessive, and deeply humiliating.

As an Asian woman, I know exactly what this was: racial profiling. I was treated with suspicion for no reason other than the way I look. No matter how respectfully I carried myself or how normal my behavior was, they saw me as a suspect — not a shopper. The way staff members circled around me, watched my every move, and hovered just a few feet away while pretending to “check inventory” was not subtle — it was targeted. It made me feel unsafe and dehumanized.

I am a loyal customer, a professional educator, and someone who contributes to my community. Yet in this store, I was treated like I didn’t belong. That is unacceptable.

To the management: your refusal to even acknowledge my message shows exactly why this behavior continues. Silence enables discrimination. Ignoring me doesn’t erase what your employees did — it only proves that Tokyo Central refuses to hold itself accountable.

To other customers, especially people of color: if this has happened to you here, know that you’re not alone. Our experiences matter. And I will continue to speak up until people are treated fairly, with respect — regardless of what they look like.

———-I’m writing to share a concerning experience I had during my visit to your store on May 1, 2025, between 6:40 and 7:00 p.m. I came in alone to shop for vegetables and groceries—mainly essentials for my home and for my bunnies—when I encountered behavior from two employees that made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.

As I entered the store and picked up a shopping basket, a Hispanic security guard near the entrance immediately looked at me in a way that felt intense. I didn’t pay much attention and continued toward the vegetable section. While I was selecting produce, an Asian man—who I later realized worked near the cafeteria—approached from that area and stared at me the entire time he walked toward me. I initially assumed he was a customer, but he lingered nearby, cleaning a table and then sitting down while continuing to look in my direction, even though the table faced the opposite way.

As I moved to the refrigerated section to get fish and meat for my husband, I noticed the same security guard had followed and was now near the fridge. I went to the soup aisle, and he immediately followed again. At this point, it became clear I was being watched closely throughout my shopping trip.

This is not the first time I’ve had a similar experience at your store. However, as an Asian woman, I continue to return because I rely on your selection of Asian groceries and the store is within walking distance. Today, though, was especially difficult. My husband is unwell, so I came alone—and I ended up walking home in tears. The experience left me feeling profiled, targeted, and deeply disrespected.

I believe in supporting local businesses, especially those that serve diverse communities. But no customer should ever feel unsafe, followed, or singled out while shopping. I truly hope this message encourages you to consider additional staff training or store policies that ensure every customer is treated with dignity...

It has been 3 years since my original review, it is now June 2024. Recently purchased salmon, brought it home and it smelled VERY bad. A month later, bought another piece and my spouse and I got food poisoning. Purchased an egg salad sandwich at 2pm, tasted off, looked at the label and it expired at 12pm the same day. The prices continue to rise and they have replaced most products produced under their own brand, "DO" or discontinued them. Purchasing non perishable items seems to be ok if they still stock the brands you enjoy.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: The prices have and continue to increase considerably with no improvement in quality. For some basic food items, prices have increased twice in one month, continuing to increase each month. It would be safe to say that everything across the board has increased. As for the bento sushi items, prices increase monthly with no improvement in quality. They have a discount section of fruits and vegetables, way past being ripe, some rotten, for 20% off. They should give it away to farmers so they can feed it to their livestock. As for the green onions, they cut off the rotten parts and continue to sell it for full price. This practice is obvious when you see the green onion stalk lengths lessening. Also, the supply of beef, pork, and chicken are unpredictable. On Mondays, they don't stock the meats until after 10am. As for the fish, there are often pieces that are past their prime and shouldn't be sold. If you plan to make a certain dish, it is more than likely you will be disappointed as you cannot count on the stock. I would recommend...

I frequent this store often for their wonderful selection of Japanese items. Unfortunately, this store has no central air or their central air has been broken for some time. In the summer time it’s especially noticeable as the only place in the store that you’re not dripping sweat is directly over the cold shelves.

Not all Tokyo Central stores have this issue. The others I’ve been to have as much AC as any other Vons or Ralphs. I wouldn’t trust the freshness of the food items here considering how warm it gets. The only counter measure I’ve seen here is providing their cashiers with cheap desk fans. Concerning. Customer service at the cashier/stocker level is usually 10/10 and their item selection is great. They need to do something about their maintenance. I wouldn’t shop at a Von/ that’s 80F inside the store when it’s...