Shibuya, a district undergoing ongoing redevelopment, is poised to undergo yet another transformation. Seibu Shibuya, one of Shibuya’s leading department stores for nearly 60 years, will close at the end of September this year.
The legendary catchphrase that cemented the Seibu Group’s image as a hub of culture was “A delicious life,” created by copywriter Shigesato Itoi.
The advertisement featuring film director Woody Allen became a major topic of conversation. Seibu Shibuya’s A and B buildings opened in April 1968 on the site of a former movie theater. It was located just across the Shibuya scramble crossing from Shibuya Station. At the time, there was even an amusement park on the roof.
Five years later, a hub of youth culture opened: Shibuya Parco, equipped with a theater and galleries. Young people flocked there. A man in his 50s (a university student at the time): “When we all got together, we’d meet in Shibuya, so I’d wander around here before going to our meeting place. It was convenient to have.” (Q. I think there were other department stores, but what was unique about Seibu?) “It was stylish, after all.”
With the Seibu Group’s strategy, the streets of Shibuya continued to transform. Park Street is still bustling with young people and tourists today. The building facing it was called “SEED-kan” when it first opened. It became the hub for “DC brands” by Japanese designers, which were based on black. They exploded in popularity along with the bubble economy and swept the fashion world. A man in his 60s: “Walking around here felt stylish. The opening of Parco was also a big deal. It felt like Seibu’s products and culture had come together, which seemed good.”
(Q. What was the culture at the time?) “It was something we were lacking.” In 1987, “Shibuya Loft” opened. In an interview with its creator at the time… Seiichi Mizuno, then Managing Director of Seibu Department Stores, said, “There is no progress if you do the same thing as everyone else. You have to constantly try to grasp something new, and you have to take courageous steps to get the job done.
The more new and experimental elements a city has, the more attractive it becomes.” According to an announcement by Sogo & Seibu, which operates the stores, the three buildings that will close at the end of September are Buildings A and B of Shibuya Seibu and the Parking Building. These three plots of land and buildings are currently leased. For about 20 years, they have been in discussions with the landowners regarding the redevelopment of Shibuya in order to continue operations, but in August of last year, they received notice from the landowners that they would be terminating the lease agreement.
Sogo & Seibu said, “We continued negotiations after that, but we were unable to get our requests accepted, and so we have decided to close operations.” The Movida Building, which houses Shibuya Loft and Muji, will continue operations. A person in their 50s said, “Seibu department stores are closing down everywhere. It’s sad.”
(Q: What do you think of shopping in places like this?) “It’s fun. It’s exciting.” A person in their 60s said, “I guess that’s the kind of era we’re in now. The time will come when there’s no Seibu in Shibuya.” [TV Asahi NEWS]
On the 25th, it was revealed that Seibu Shibuya store will close at the end of September, and I’m sure everyone has their own memories related to department stores.
■The two main tools of department stores are “kimono store type” and “railway type” Caster Takahiro Inoue: Let’s take another look at the history of department stores. Department stores are said to be broadly divided into two types. ▼Kimono store type Mitsukoshi Kimono Store changed its business model to become Japan’s first department store in 1904. After that, other kimono stores such as ▼Matsuya (1907), ▼Matsuzakaya (1910), and ▼Isetan (1924) entered the market and it spread. ▼Railway type In 1929, Hankyu Railway started a department store. It was a department store directly connected to a station, which is said to be the “first in the world”. Railway companies entered an era where they not only built railways, but also built things that would attract people and create towns. After that, other railway companies in various regions followed suit, including Tokyu (1934), Kintetsu (1936), and Seibu (1940).
■The history of department store specialties “children’s lunch” and “department store basement food hall” Caster Inoue: Speaking of department stores, there’s the “children’s lunch.” It was created in 1930 at the restaurant of the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi main store. From that time, a flag has been stuck in the ketchup rice. It also contains spaghetti, croquettes, ham, sandwiches, and candy. The price at the time was “30 sen.” In 1931, a rice curry at the restaurant cost about 10 to 20 sen, so you can imagine that only a limited number of families could afford to feed their children this. And speaking of department store specialties, there’s the “department store basement food hall.” It is said that the roots of this tradition lie in 1936 when Matsuzakaya in Nagoya gathered food stores in the basement as the “East-West Specialty Street.”
■Sales down 40% from peak…Difficult times due to diversification of consumer spending Inoue (caster): According to the Japan Department Stores Association, the peak sales of department stores nationwide were approximately 9.7 trillion yen in 1991. Although it seems to have recovered somewhat after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is projected to be approximately 5.6 trillion yen in 2025, a decrease of about 40% from the peak. According to distribution analyst Nakai Akihito, who is familiar with the department store industry, the reason is that “consumers are diversifying due to the rise of specialty store chains and shopping malls.” Also, since people can buy things online, there is no need to go out of their way to visit a store, making it a very difficult time for department stores. Hoshi Hiroshi, TBS Special Commentator: I hear that even department stores have staff who specialize in advising wealthy customers, so it seems that disparities are emerging even in the world of department stores.
■Local department stores are employing “unique strategies” to survive Inoue (caster): In the competition for survival, there may be a polarization where “expensive items” are sold to people with a certain level of disposable income or foreign tourists. Even amidst these circumstances, local department stores are employing strategies like this to survive. Several local department stores have collaborated to launch a joint website titled “Recommended Local Specialties from Across Japan.” It started with six companies in 2021, but has now expanded to 14 companies. The joint site introduces specialty products carefully selected by buyers who are intimately familiar with their respective regions. While there aren’t any products that can only be bought there, some are ranked, allowing users to learn about the buyers’ selections. According to a representative from Kintetsu Department Store, the aim is to “increase awareness outside the area and encourage usage.” ====================
