Small vegetable stores called "yaoya" are common in most local shopping districts, but neighborhood retailers in general are declining due to competition from supermarkets.
Operators of a greengrocer that opened in late April in the Iriya district of Tokyo's Taito Ward are challenging that trend by offering something their bigger rivals cannot.
"We want to be what supermarkets are not, and that's to become the center of a community," said Tsuyoshi Nakamori, 21, a senior at Tokyo University of Agriculture who leads Gakusei Yaoya Sun, a rare student-run vegetable shop.