Japanese grocer in Crows Nest marks its 20th anniversary

"I was going to run this business only for 4 to 5 years." Ryoichi Umeki, managing director of Umeya, a Japanese grocer in Crows Nest in Sydney, said.

Ryoichi Umeki, managing director of a Japanese grocer Umeya in Crows Nest, NSW. Credit: SBS

Mr Umeki came to Australia in 1999. At first, he found a job in Sydney as a store manager for a convenience store aimed at tourists. After the convenience store closed for good, Mr Umeki starting to think about opening a Japanese grocer for local residents.

During the past 20 years, his store Umeya served the Japanese community and local residents. Nowadays, 60 to 70 percent of shop visitors are non-Japanese, according to Mr Umeki.

In the audio, Mr Umeki tells us about his experience of running a shop in Crows Nest for 20 years and how he manages more than 1200 items sold in store.

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