Matsuzakaya Ginza Store (6-10-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo) will temporarily close its doors after 88 years of business today, June 30th, for reconstruction.

Approximately 300 people lined up before the store opened, stretching all the way to Prada, two doors down. At the head of the line was a mother and child with a baby from Shinagawa Ward, who arrived at 5:30 AM. They said it was their first time at Matsuzakaya. The store opened 15 minutes earlier, at 9:45 AM, accompanied by a band fanfare.

In 2017, the store will be reborn as a commercial and office complex with 13 floors above ground and 6 floors below ground as part of the Ginza 6-chome redevelopment project. "Today, I feel both sadness and excitement about the reopening. I want to thank the city of Ginza and our customers. We are steadily preparing to transform this into a Ginza landmark that can be seen around the world four years from now. We will work with our group's Matsuzakaya Ueno and Daimaru Tokyo stores to ensure that our customers do not leave," said store manager Eiji Kikutani. Matsuzakaya Ginza is the oldest department store in Ginza, having opened in 1924, the year after the Great Kanto Earthquake. In 2010, the electronics retailer Laox and the fast fashion brand Forever 21 opened here. Sales leading up to the store's closure have been a success, with sales from March to May more than doubling compared to the previous year. A closing countdown website has also been launched. It features a video chronicling the store's history from the Taisho, Showa, and Heisei eras, as well as messages from staff and a section where visitors can upload photos of their favorite memories of the store.