Isetan Mitsukoshi kicked off its year-end gift sales season on October 15th. Prior to the opening of in-store gift centers, Mitsukoshi began accepting online orders on the 15th. Isetan will begin accepting online orders on October 22nd. On the first day of the sales season, a "rally" was held at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, where "agricultural women" (nogyo joshi) attended and promoted year-end gifts made with ingredients they grew. This year's Mitsukoshi year-end gifts are a limited-edition item commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the store's iconic "lion statue." The "Lion Monaka Chazuke" (5,000 yen) features a mochi (sweet bean paste) shaped like the Mitsukoshi lion statue, filled with rice crackers and shredded nori seaweed. The accompanying dashi, abalone, and tea are freeze-dried to preserve their flavor. It's said to be exquisite when topped with the accompanying ingredients, split open the mochi to reveal the contents, and poured over with hot water. The store is also collaborating with the Mitsukoshi Lion on the classic year-end gift of beer. The "Suntory The Premium Malt's Original Label Bottle" (5,000 yen) features the Mitsukoshi Lion on the label and crown of the small bottle, and comes with a bottle opener shaped like the lion, making it a premium gift. RUYSDAEL, a long-established Western-style confectionery shop that cherishes traditional European manufacturing methods, will also be selling chocolates (5,000 yen) featuring the lion logo. The store's first "Agricultural Girls Gift" initiative is also a highlight. Agricultural girls from Yamagata Prefecture, who rushed to the event, introduced the "Girls Farm Rice Assortment" (5,000 yen). They promoted the set, which includes a total of five varieties of rice, including "Himemai," a brand of rice representative of Yamagata, "Irodorimai," a blend of ancient rice, and "Kaorimai," a rice with an appetizing aroma reminiscent of edamame. Saitama Prefecture's Nogyo Joshi (Agricultural Girls) introduced the "Peninsula Hotel Dim Sum Set" (5,000 yen). This set includes glutinous rice shumai filled with fragrant shiitake mushrooms, shrimp and chive buns, and steamed buns and shumai made with X.O. sauce, a specialty of The Peninsula Hong Kong. The shiitake mushrooms are planted in oak logs and cultivated over a period of approximately two years, following natural processes. The Nogyo Joshi (Agricultural Girls) project, endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, connects the wisdom gained through daily life, work, and interaction with nature with the seeds of various businesses to promote products and services. Mitsukoshi Isetan has been participating since 2014. Additionally, the store is focusing on washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine), an intangible cultural heritage that is gaining global attention. They have prepared a year-end gift featuring dashi, an essential ingredient in the umami of Japanese cuisine. Tankuma Kitaten's Kyoto cuisine restaurant, "Kyoto-style Hot Pot with Tilefish and Spanish Mackerel" (¥10,000) uses high-quality, "first-class" Rishiri kelp to bring out the delicate flavors of Kyoto cuisine. The luxurious hot pot is made with a refined dashi broth made with Makurazaki bonito flakes and a dashi broth made from grilled sea bream bones. The hot pot's ingredients include tilefish, Spanish mackerel, and tiger prawns. In addition to year-end gifts, the restaurant also offers a wide selection of Christmas gifts. In addition to the ever-popular "Mitsukoshi Christmas Stories" featuring Santa Claus illustrated by Tsunemasa Takahashi, they also offer Christmas gifts for children. The "Set of a Girl in a Coat Pulling a Rabbit's Sleigh with Presents and a Boy with a Wreath" (¥5,500) features "Nisse," the fairy who watches over children and their homes and helps Santa at Christmas, creating a simple and warm Christmas Eve atmosphere.

The in-store gift centers at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store and Isetan Shinjuku Main Store will open from November 5th.