Japanese people love Pizza and Pasta for some time already but now Italian food and the culture’s presence in Japan is about to get a big boost again from the opening of the first Eataly store in Tokyo. The quality food market operator Eataly Distribuzione created its own subsidiary in Japan earlier in the year and opened the first store at the end of September in the revamped Loveria space in Daikanyama – an area where it is likely to prove a powerful draw.

The 1,500 sqm store will carry about 2,500 items, including packaged foods, as well as cheese and wine, all imported directly from Italy. The store will also include locally grown vegetables but no fish or meat at first. In the same space, Eataly will operate a restaurant and on the second floor will offer cooking classes. Initial pricing suggests product could undercut department stores by around 30% for similar items.

Eataly is well-known for its direct distribution network within Italy, enabling it to deliver high end product at lower prices and its Turin store mixes what the New York Times called “elements of a bustling European open market, a Whole-Foods-style supermarket, a high-end food court and a New Age learning center”.

The store is like a mall, aiming to get quality food to as many people as possible at the lowest prices. Eataly was launched in Turin only last year but is already expanding fast and opened in New York last year. The chain was conceived by Oscar Farinetti, founder of Italy’s biggest electronics chain, UniEuro, and has Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food movement as an adviser.