Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights ready to show off renovations

Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights will show off its first major renovation since it opened in 1987 with a three-day celebration beginning Friday.

The Japanese supermarket at 100 E. Algonquin Road will host events, entertainment, sales and more during the celebration, which runs from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Among the highlights will be a bluefin tuna filleting show from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Japan's star entertainer and transgender celebrity Ai Haruna will perform during the show and be available for autographs and photo for a limited number of customers.

Mitsuwa Corporation, which owns 11 stores across the country specializing in Japanese products, invested in the yearlong renovation because the store serves customers from all over the Midwest, said company President Takeshi Izuma.

"Because the Chicago store has been a vital location for us, it was absolutely necessary to renovate the entire store," he said. "We'd love to expand Mitsuwa to cover the entire U.S., and in order to achieve that, it is important for us to do our best to use our resources to ensure the satisfaction of our customers."

The renovation included a new design for the exterior, which now resembles a Samurai House, as well as the interior, which radiates Miyabi, Japanese aesthetics.

The renewed Food Court features two additions: J-sweets, Japan's confections conglomerate store with premier brands, and the Tokyo-based yakitori chain restaurant Toritetsu. This will be Toritetsu's first independent restaurant outside of Japan, offering authentic Japanese yakitori - skewered chicken.

For more information on the weekend celebration, visit www.mitsuwa.com.