Mercari Co-founder Ryo Ishizuka gifted Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler with a brand t-shirt emblazoned with a company value in Japanese characters that encourages the employees to take challenges.

Japan-based Mercari, the buy-and-sell marketplace app, has opened a Portland office in the historic Yamhill district, celebrating with a ribbon-cutting this morning.

Across its new 20,000 square foot open office at the corner of Yamhill Avenue and First Street, it currently has 50 customer service employees.

“With the new Portland office, Mercari will be able to provide excellent support to its customers and solidify its place as the biggest peer-to-peer shopping app in the U.S.,” said Mercari co-founder and U.S. CEO Ryo Ishizuka.

The app, launched in 2013, became Japan’s largest mobile marketplace. Since launching in the U.S. in 2014 from its San Francisco headquarters, Mercari has been downloaded 20 million times in the U.S. — and more than 55 million times worldwide.

According to Bloomberg, Mercari is the first Japanese startup to be valued at more than $1 billion.

Mercari has received a warm welcome from Portland’s business community, and its recruitment was supported by Business Oregon, Greater Portland Inc, Portland Development Commission, Portland General Electric, Technology Association of Oregon and Worksystems.

“A lot of people were involved,, public and private sectors helped us out,” Ishizuka said. “When we first started looking for offices really had a good plan to find a place and hire 50 people in three months. Without help from them it wouldn’t have been possible.”

The PDC’s executive director Kimberly Branam attended the ribbon-cutting, as did Portland mayor Ted Wheeler.

“There’s so much uncertainty, but one thing to be certain about is Portland’s economy is on fire,” Wheeler told the Business Tribune.

He said Portland’s longstanding relationship with Japan has been since 1880, when the first Japanese entrepreneurs set up shop in Old Town Japantown (Nihonmachi).

“Those of you who work here, congratulations, you’ve landed a great location,” Wheeler said. “The Portland area is one of the best places outside Japan to get ramen.”

For example, Tokyo-based Marukin Ramen expanded to Portland last year, opening up in Old Town’s Pine Street Market and in the Central Eastside. Marukin has been popular in Tokyo for more than two decades.

“The ramen place expanding from Japan happened to be my favorite,” Ishizuka said.

A lot of people ask him why Portland, and while he said it’s great to know he can have ramen while he’s in town, there are many reasons he chose Portland — for the numerous supply of college-educated people, great hospitality, interest in the tech industry and customer service, a low crime rate and easy access.

“Two other reasons are really important to the core identity of the company,” Ishizuka said. “The first reason was Portland’s tie to Japan. As a company coming out of Japan, and being Japanese-American myself, it’s comforting to know the city has a strong ties with Japan. Some employees can speak Japanese, and there’s a strong interest in Japanese culture. I can tell people here have interest — there’s a Japanese Garden here in Portland.”

Ishizuka’s second reason is that he can see Portland is environmentally conscious, and a lot of people here agree with his vision for Mercari.

“Mercari is a platform where people can buy and sell used and second-hand items — things like baby clothes, old computers — those things would go to waste,” Ishizuka said. “By connecting buyers and sellers, we are doing something good and saving resources. I hope we continue to grow this office.”

By Jules RogersReporter503-546-5149email: jrogers@pamplinmedia.comFollow us on TwitterVisit us on Facebook