The Seven Corners store that once housed a Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts is getting a makeover as a new Japanese lifestyle store filled with Hello Kitty and Pokémon plushes and figurines, imported snacks and drinks, beauty products, and household goods.
Ebisu will host its grand opening at 6320 Seven Corners Center at 11 a.m. today (Friday). The ribbon-cutting also marks the start of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and will feature a traditional lion dance performance.
The Northern Virginia location will be Ebisu’s third and largest store in the D.C. metro area, said Yu Wang, the local franchise owner.
“We feel that American people like Japanese things, so we decided to bring it to the DMV,” said Wang, a Fairfax resident who became involved with the chain three years ago, after it opened a store in New York.
The chain focuses on snacks and products that are popular in Japan, such as mochi, a rice cake. It also includes flavors of brands like KitKat and Oreos that are only made in Japan.
The chain’s aesthetics have generated a lot of chatter on social media in recent weeks, with a number of local accounts posting previews on Instagram and TikTok.
The back wall is lined with more than half a dozen bright claw machines filled with plushies. Anime characters feature prominently throughout the store, which is named after the mythological god of luck.
“Ebisu means lucky, so we used his name,” said Wang, pointing to the mascot dressed in red robes while giving a preview tour of the Seven Corners store recently.
To celebrate the location’s launch, Ebisu is offering a variety of promotions through May 15, including gift cards, complimentary items with purchases and exclusive deals. Some promotions will only be available at the Seven Corners location, while others are taking place at all three D.C.-area stores.
The Osaka, Japan-based chain, which was founded in 2013, has 24 locations already open in the U.S. and is quickly expanding to additional states. Fifteen more locations are listed as “coming soon” on its website, including in Pennsylvania, Alabama, Ohio, and North Carolina.
