Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store announced its "Culture Resort Department Store Declaration" and held a ceremony to mark the occasion on March 26th. Also on the same day, the store opened a multi-purpose concept shop, "Hajimarino Cafe," on the 7th floor of the main building.
Mitsukoshi, which declared itself the first department store in Japan in 1904, has now declared its aim to become a department store with a business model other than that of a fashion department store. This "Culture Resort Department Store" refers to a new, "fun and playful store" in Nihonbashi, a hub for Japanese culture, where customers can immerse themselves in the spirit of Japanese culture.
Hajimarino Cafe, which can be called the starting point of this, is an experiential multi-purpose shop offering "things and experiences that you don't know where to go to buy." The store is rethinking the original role of a department store, with the concepts of "shifting from a place to collect things to a place to commercialize intangible things" and "shifting from a place to sell fashion to a place to sell culture," aiming to become a place where people can experience the "fun" and "play" that culture brings. At the time of opening, the store will be partnering with approximately 40 companies, suggesting a diverse store that goes beyond mere entertainment.
The store is comprised of five zones and gates. The pop-up shop zone "GATE," themed "PLAY," will offer its first offering, titled "A Story to Start with Nature," offering home- and village-building experiences. In addition to selling treehouses, the store has also produced Tsuchitaro Village, a 330,000-square-meter village in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, introducing mountain hiking and farming. Aiming to "build the village through communication with customers," the store plans various events, including workshops on the main building's rooftop where visitors can try plastering and make furniture. The pop-up shops will be replaced every two weeks, but the village itself will remain in existence, and its development will continue in collaboration with other zones. There will also be a corner where visitors can try out augmented reality experiences, such as horseback riding and canoeing, using smart glasses, a wearable device.
The "GUIDE" zone, themed around "SHIFT," supports the health management and comfortable living of those considering their families and retirement. It introduces and sells high-quality food and water delivery services, as well as housekeeping services. It will also provide detailed support for customer requests, from installing SECOM security systems to introducing nursing homes. It also offers services for creating family photo albums and 3D-printed figurines.
The "FOREST" zone, themed around "LEARN," offers a lineup of organic products, seasonings, kitchenware, and houseplants, as well as an open space where visitors can eat and drink. Daily workshops on a variety of themes, including food, lifestyle, and the outdoors, will be held. On the opening day, workshops were held, including metabolism-boosting dishes, latte art by a barista champion, and smoothie-making. The "Tools" zone offered cameras and mobile devices, as well as photography seminars and photo services, promoting a lifestyle incorporating IT. The "Gear" zone featured trekking gear from the outdoor brand Mont-bell and offered tours and seminars. Each zone also sold related books and some of the ingredients served at the cafe. Furthermore, tablets were installed in every zone to provide the latest information and provide elderly customers with a comfortable experience. Yoji Naka, Managing Executive Officer of Isetan Mitsukoshi and General Manager of Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, appeared in a traditional Japanese kimono and said, "The Original Cafe is a place for communication and a symbol of the department store we aspire to be. We aim to be a store that sells intangible items and provides instruction on how to use and enjoy them to help evolve people's lives. We aim to demonstrate customer service that does not prioritize display, and to spread the cafe philosophy throughout the building." They believe that charging money rather than just providing a service and establishing it as a business will lead to a level up, and they have set a sales target of 850 million yen in the first year.
