Two figures walked the deserted sidewalk in front of a well-established department store in Nihonbashi

Figures walking sidewalk in front of department store — Nihonbashi Takashimaya

There are two long-established department stores in Nihonbashi. I visited one of them, the Nihonbashi Takashimaya Department Store. Takashimaya was founded in 1831 as a used clothing and cotton merchant in Kyoto, which means that it has been in business for nearly 200 years. The company entered the Tokyo market in 1890, and the current Nihonbashi store was built in 1933. The prewar store is a massive stone structure and is designated as an important cultural property of Japan. The interior, which was modern at the time of construction, was now completely old and dignified.

The problem is not that the building has become old, but that the business model of the department store itself has become outdated. Even though it was a weekend, the store was not crowded. Many consumers probably shop online rather than in department stores. Many of the shoppers were older people who knew the days when department stores were sparkling. If these people retire from consumer activities, I feel that department stores will completely decline.

The sidewalk in front of the store was just as deserted as the store itself. As I stopped to look, I saw two figures stumbling along.

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