Ginza Mitsukoshi

"This is a department store that opened in 1930. Located at the Ginza 4-chome intersection, it shares information on “clothing, food, housing, entertainment, and knowledge” from the central area of Ginza. Not only does it house tenants of various brands, but it also holds special events and cultural events, and one of its features is that visitors can enjoy art as well.

Services for foreign tourists are well developed

At Ginza Mitsukoshi, in addition to digital signage that supports five languages (Japanese, English, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese), there is a tourist information center with English- and Chinese-speaking staff always on duty, as well as services such as tax-free procedures, foreign currency exchange machines, hotel delivery service, 5% discount coupons for corporate foreign customers, and downtown duty-free shops in an airport-style format. It provides an environment where visitors can enjoy shopping with peace of mind.

A department store located in the center of the stylish district of Ginza

In the late Meiji period, the Ginza area, which had previously been home to newspaper companies, printing houses, magazine publishers, and advertising agencies, began to see an increase in department stores, and the term “Ginbura,” meaning to stroll leisurely around Ginza, was born. From the image of Ginza as “a place that disseminates cutting-edge information and trends and where cultural figures gather,” cafés and Western-style restaurants also opened, and it became established as a sophisticated district.

Ginza / Photo AC

1923’s Great Kanto Earthquake once reduced the area to ashes, but reconstruction was carried out mainly by local residents, and with the advance of department stores, the area regained its bustle. Furthermore, with the opening of railway lines, it grew into one of the leading entertainment and shopping districts in Japan. After the war, thanks to reconstruction plans led by local residents, shops were able to resume business operations quickly. In 1970, a pedestrian-only zone was introduced on Ginza-dori, and it is still implemented during the daytime on weekends and public holidays.

Japan’s first department store: Mitsukoshi

“Mitsukoshi” is a long-established department store that originated as a kimono fabric shop and was founded in 1673. The “Mitsukoshi Nihombashi Main Store,” located in the Nihombashi area not far from Ginza, is considered the beginning of Japanese department stores and is also known for being the first commercial facility in Japan to introduce escalators. While it has branches nationwide, only the Nihombashi Main Store and the Ginza Store are directly managed. Stores in various regions across the country are operated by regional subsidiaries. In addition, due to poor business performance, it merged with the long-established department store “Isetan” in 2008, leading to the creation of “Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings.”

The lion statue at the store entrance has become a symbolic presence of Mitsukoshi, and the lion statue at the main store entrance has been on display since it was installed in 1914.

Bronze statue of a lion / Photo AC

It is characteristic that lion statues modeled after the main store’s statue are installed at major stores across the country. There is a good-luck charm (a kind of ritual to pray for success) that says, “If an examinee straddles the lion statue without being seen by anyone, or touches the statue, they will pass the school of their choice,” but actually straddling the statue is currently prohibited. Even if you wish to pray for success in entrance exams, you should limit yourself to gently stroking it.