Japan's oldest department store

Japan's oldest department store, Mitsukoshi, celebrates 121 years of business today. It first operated on December 20th,1904. But it was open before that as a store, "Mitsui Gofukuten". Moreover, it can trace its roots back to a kimono shop founded in 1673.

It is recorded that Mitsukoshi sent out a letter declaring that the company would abandon its traditional kimono shop and instead aim to operate as an American-style department store where everything was available under the roof. This was later referred to as the "Department Store Manifesto," and is considered the beginning of department stores in Japan.

The original Nihonbashi Main Store in Tokyo is still there As are the iconic lion statues. It is a historic landmark.