Strategic investment from Mitsubishi Corporation marks Yami's Series C and expands access to Japanese SKUs through Mitsubishi Shokuhin's supplier network

LOS ANGELES, April 7, 2026 /CNW/ -- Yami, the leading U.S. online marketplace for authentic Asian goods, has announced that its strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation is now officially live. The alliance marks Yami's full leverage of a Japanese conglomerate's resources to bring authentic Japanese products to North America.

Mitsubishi Corporation has entered a long-term operating alliance with Yami, designed to modernize how Japanese food and lifestyle brands scale in North America. By pairing Mitsubishi Shokuhin's 100-year-old supply chain infrastructure and network of 6,500 suppliers with Yami's data-driven, direct-to-consumer platform, the companies are building a new market entry model for Japanese brands in the U.S., Anchored by a Series C strategic investment from Mitsubishi Corporation, this strategic partnership reinforces Yami's role as a key U.S. growth engine for Asian brands and will help fund the company's expansion into Canada, marking the next phase of its international growth.

"Yami has built the most trusted digital platform for Asian goods in America," said Alex Zhou, Founder & CEO of Yami. "This partnership pairs Mitsubishi Corporation's global supply chain expertise with Yami's digital-native platform to remove the structural barriers that have historically prevented many Japanese brands from scaling in the U.S."

Historically, many Japanese manufacturers, particularly emerging and mid-sized brands, have struggled to navigate fragmented U.S. distribution, limited cultural targeting, and high-risk retail launches. Under the new partnership:

• Members from Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Shokuhin will be embedded within Yami to support the execution of collaborative initiatives
  
  
• With support from Mitsubishi Shokuhin, Yami will expand its lineup of Japanese products and explore the development of Yami's own brand products
  
  
• Yami's Japanese assortment, already exceeding 100,000 SKUs, is expected to at least double, including premium products not previously available in the U.S.

"We hope that Yami can further expand its Japanese product assortment and deepen collaboration with Japanese manufacturers," said Shigeyuki Ikeda, Deputy General Manager of MSK Business Development Office at Mitsubishi Corporation & a Board Member of Yami. "Ultimately creating a "North American Asian Product Gateway Website" that meets the diverse needs of consumers seeking Asian products."

With more than 4 million registered users and deep trust across Asian American communities nationwide, Yami has become the go-to digital marketplace in Asian e-commerce. The platform offers cultural credibility and engagement capabilities that traditional mass retailers have struggled to replicate.

As demand for Japanese cuisine and premium products continues to grow across North America, Yami expects this partnership to support sustained medium- to long-term expansion across export/import, B2C retail, and B2B wholesale channels.

For more information, visit www.yami.com.

ABOUT YAMI

Established in March 2013 and headquartered in Brea, California, Yami is the leading DTC marketplace in North America for Asian goods – offering the most complete selection of products favored by the Asian community. Featuring over 500,000SKUs, Yami's offerings include Asian snacks, beauty & health products, home & kitchen appliances, herbal supplements, and more. While studying in Kansas, founder Alex Zhou, experienced the inconvenience of driving two hours to reach the closest Asian market and wanted to create a solution to help Asian Americans facing the same situation. Yami is the most authentic way for North American customers to experience Asia and aims to provide the most complete and up-to-date selection of Asian products while offering a great shopping experience with quick shipping and outstanding customer service. Learn more at www.yami.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yami-the-leading-online-asian-marketplace-and-mitsubishi-corporation-partner-to-create-a-digital-gateway-for-japanese-brands-in-north-america-302735788.html

SOURCE Yami