At an intersection in Tokyo's Nihonbashi financial district, a wholesale supermarket with a bright yellow sign and outdoor fruit bins draws the curious eyes of people passing by.
One recent afternoon, the Hanamasa outlet was crowded with restaurant chefs browsing shelves of frozen meat and vegetables.
"The food here is really cheap," said Yasushi Fujioka, owner of a local restaurant who visits the store four or five days a week. "The other day, there was even someone from a vegetable store coming to buy daikon."