Japanese Retailer Opens First US Store In Torrance Just In Time For The Holidays
TORRANCE (CBSLA.com) — Just in time for holiday shopping, there's a new kind of store in the Southland.
From convertible ponchos, to pajamas that double as blankets – Zakanaka is tailoring its merchandise to all things Japanese.
CBS2's Adrianna Weingold reports the shop is full of unique items you won't find anywhere else, including authentic Japanese fabrics and designs manufactured exclusively for the store in sizes owner Midori Andrews says many of her friends were finding difficult to shop for stateside.
"I have a lot of friends who are really small... they're complaining about [how] they can't find clothing [in the] right size and they go to kids [sections] to get the clothing here," Andrews said.
The store's design is also meant to feel like you're shopping in Japan.
Shopper William Spincola is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and spent many years stationed in Japan.
He stumbled on Zakanaka and ended up buying a Christmas gift for his wife.
"When you walk in the store it's like shopping in Sasebo... or someplace in Japan," he said.
Zakanaka opened its first U.S. location in Torrance on the corner of Hawthorne Blvd. and Sepulveda Blvd. in mid-October but it's part of a much larger chain of more than 90 stores in Japan.
