Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store opened its Mid-Year Gift Center on May 28th. The on-site reception will run until August 4th.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Mitsukoshi food floor, so the store has titled this year's Mid-Year Gift Center "Chronicles of Food" a look back at its history and introduces products created through collaborations between the store and famous shops.
A century ago, Mitsukoshi's food floor had a "bonito flakes section," and this event focuses on Yamamasa's bonito flakes, which have been on display since the store's inception. The bonito flakes on sale this time are made from line-caught bonito, sun-dried to bring out their flavor, then molded five times, taking approximately six months to complete. The store will sell a set of "male and female bonito flakes," considered auspicious, along with a shaving tool (15,000 yen, limited to 300 pieces). According to the buyer in charge, "Although katsuobushi use in the home is declining, it is widely used in Japanese cuisine, including udon and soba noodles, and production is on the rise. We want people to experience the 'authentic taste'."
Also noteworthy is the collaboration between Suntory's The Premium Malt's and artist Sugiura Hisui, who became Mitsukoshi's exclusive designer in 1908. The beer cans are printed with a poster painted by Hisui 100 years ago to celebrate the completion of the new Mitsukoshi Kimono Store building. The beer assortment sets, priced between 3,000 and 5,000 yen, allow customers to enjoy beer while looking at modern Art Nouveau paintings.
They also paid special attention to somen noodles, a summer delicacy. According to the buyer in charge, "Usually the thinner the hand-pulled somen, the higher quality it is, and high-quality somen is said to have about 80 to 100 strands per 10g. We are introducing Shimabara's hand-pulled somen (15,000 yen) made by somen craftsman Honda Kenichiro. Made with spring water from Arima, one of Japan's 100 famous springs, these somen are exceptionally thin, with about 300 strands per 10g, and are smooth to the throat and blend well with the soup." The box containing the somen has a cool design, also designed by Hisui.
The "Every Day is a Pleasure in Eating" series is a selection of 20 products recommended for people who need to be mindful of their diet and those who are interested in food and health. Onozaki's Boiled Fish Assortment (5,000 yen) includes six types of boiled fish (golden-eyed snapper, yellowtail, mackerel, mackerel miso, nameta flounder, and peeled flounder). It's low in salt but still retains the flavors of soy sauce and miso, and is easy to separate with chopsticks. In addition to food, the store also offers 24 "Summer Gifts for Parents and Children," designed to deepen parent-child bonds and create memories together. There are also plenty of gift ideas, including a "Dinosaur Book and the Latest CG Animation DVD + Biscuits" (5,000 yen) and a "New Moving Picture Book + Jelly, Like Watching a Short Film" (5,000 yen). "This year, we paid special attention to the gift center venue," said a representative. Mitsukoshi's noren curtains and lanterns hang from the ceiling, evoking the design of Echigoya from the Edo period. To make waiting at the venue more enjoyable, the store will also be setting up a Purikura corner for the first time, where customers can take photos and paste them on message cards to send along with their mid-year gifts.
In addition, as bonuses for purchases at the gift center venue, Mitsukoshi will be offering an original Mitsukoshi tote bag, a plastic bottle holder, and a stuffed lion plush toy.
