is a

consumer electronics Consumer electronics, also known as home electronics, are electronic devices intended for everyday household use. Consumer electronics include those used for entertainment, Communication, communications, and recreation. Historically, these prod ...

retailer Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesal ...

chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A ...

in Japan. Currently, it has 45 stores in 17 prefectures. Bic Camera has a 50% ownership of former rival store Kojima with 143 stores and full ownership of computer store chain Sofmap with 24 stores. As of 2023, Bic Camera is the second largest electronics and home appliance retailer, behind Yamada Denki.

History

In 1968, founded in

Takasaki is a Cities of Japan, city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 372,369 in 167,345 households, and a population density of 810 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Takasaki is famous as th ...

Gunma Prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of . Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fuk ...

. Four years later, the camera sales department was separated from the company and renamed . In 1978, Bic Color was renamed Bic Camera, with their first store opening in

Ikebukuro is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro Station, and several shops, restaurants, and department stores are located within city limits. Transportation At the center of Ikebukuro is ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. Originally specializing in selling cameras at discount prices, Bic Camera expanded to selling home appliances, personal computers, alcoholic beverages, golf equipment, bedding, luxury brand products, bicycles, and toys. In 1994, Bic Camera spun-off its PC section to . Following a decline in PC sales, this subsidiary was absorbed back into the company in 2000. In 1995, Bic Camera displayed banners protesting France's nuclear weapons testing in the South Pacific. Nippon BS Broadcasting Corp. was established in 1999, with Bic Camera as its majority shareholder. As part of its expansion, Bic Camera purchased

Sogo is a department store chain with a significant presence in Japan. It operates a network of branches in various countries and has a long history dating back to 1830 when it was founded in Osaka by Ihei Sogō. The company is known for its retail ...

Yūrakuchō is a business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, situated in between the Ginza and Hibiya Park, southeast of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The district takes its name from Oda Nagamasu (1547–1622), who was also known as Yūraku (有楽). Oda Naga ...

building in 2001. Throughout the 2000s, Bic Camera opened locations connected to JR stations across the country. In 2005, Bic Camera moved its headquarters from Nishi-Ikebukuro to Takada. A year later, the company purchased Sofmap in February and had itself listed in the JASDAQ Securities Exchange on August 10. In September, Bic Camera purchased a 3.2% stake in

Tokyo Broadcasting System (formerly ) is a Japanese media and licensed broadcasting holding company. It is the parent company of the television network TBS Television and radio network TBS Radio. It has a 28-affiliate television network called Japan News Network, as ...

. On October 5, 2007, Bic Camera acquired a 9.33% share of rival Best Denki and increased its stake to 14.95%. On June 10, 2008, the company was listed on the

Tokyo Stock Exchange The , abbreviated as Tosho () or TSE/TYO, is a stock exchange located in Tokyo, Japan. The exchange is owned by Japan Exchange Group (JPX), a holding company that it also lists (), and operated by Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc., a wholly owned sub ...

and had itself delisted from JASDAQ on August 29. In 2009, Bic Camera was fined 1.3 million by the TSE for falsifying its earnings after its shares lost half its value early that year. As a result, Arai stepped down as chairman and the company was delisted from the TSE. Sofmap was delisted on January 26, 2010 after becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Bic Camera. In June 2010, Bic Camera absorbed rival Sakuraya. On June 26, 2012, Bic Camera purchased 50% of rival store chain . As a result of the Kojima acquisition, Best Denki split from Bic Camera and was fully acquired by Yamada Denki on July 13. On September 1, Arai was reinstated as chairman. On September 27, Bic Camera signed a partnership with clothing giant

Uniqlo ( ; ) is a Japanese casual wear designer and retailer. The company is a subsidiary of Fast Retailing, Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Clare Waight Keller is the creative director. History Men's Shop OS was founded in Ube, Yamaguchi. It was rebrand ...

to convert the Shinjuku East Store to . The partnership ended on June 19, 2022 and the store reverted into a Bic Camera branch the next day. In April 2016, Bic Camera opened its first branch at

Haneda Airport , also known as and sometimes abbreviated to ''Tokyo-Haneda'', is the busier of the two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita International Airport (NRT). It serves as the primary domestic base of J ...

. Air Bic Camera also has locations at

Narita International Airport , also known as Tokyo-Narita International Airport or simply Narita Airport, formerly and originally known as , is the secondary international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the only other one being Haneda Airport (HND). It is about e ...

Chubu Centrair International Airport is an international airport on an artificial island (which also houses the ) in Ise Bay, Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture, south of Nagoya in central Japan. The airport covers about 470 hectares (1,161 acres) of land and has one runway. ...

, and Naha Airport, as well as two branches in

Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge (Tokyo), Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. Odaiba was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s. The land was dramatically expanded during the late 20th centur ...

. On December 19, Bic Camera partnered with Rakuten to launch . In 2018, Bic Camera reported record profits and a 50% increase in shares as a result of a rise in Chinese tourists and the store chain's acceptance of

Alipay Alipay () is a third-party mobile and online payment platform, established in Hangzhou, China in February 2004 by Alibaba Group and its founder Jack Ma. In 2015, Alipay moved its headquarters to Pudong, Shanghai, although its parent company ...

and

WeChat WeChat or Weixin in Chinese ( zh, c=微信, p=Wēixìn , l=micro-message) is an instant messaging, social media, and mobile payment mobile app, app developed by Tencent. First released in 2011, it became the world's largest standalone mobile a ...

. On February 7, 2020, Bic Camera opened its

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, which sprung up around the bridge of the same name that has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...

Kaden branch in partnership with

Mitsukoshi is an international Department stores in Japan, department store chain with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Its holding company, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, is a member of the Mitsui, Mitsui Group. History It was founded in 1673 with the (sho ...

. On March 5, 2021, Bic Camera opened its

Kumamoto is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a populat ...

branch next to Kumamoto Station. In June 2021, the company was ranked 132nd on the Global Powers of Retailing's Top 250 list. In 2022, new branches were opened in Takatsuki and Chiba. In addition, Bic Camera partnered with the

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

to have its own section on the "JRE Mall" online store. On May 7, 2023, Bic Camera closed its

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

branch, with its assets transferred to the Takatsuki branch.

Stores

Bic Camera has stores in the following locations: ;Tokyo *

:* Main store :* Camera/PC building :* West Exit :* Bic Camera Outlet x Sofmap Ikebukuro East Exit :* Photo studio *

Shinjuku , officially called Shinjuku City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) as well as the Tokyo Metropol ...

:* West Exit (

Odakyu , commonly known as Odakyū, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its '' Romancecar'' series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone. The Odakyu Electric Railway Company f ...

HALC) :* East Exit (formerly Bicqlo; former Sakuraya store) :* East Exit Station Square *

(former

department store) *

Shibuya is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. A major commercial center, Shibuya houses one of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya Station. As of January 1, 2024, Shibuya Ward has an estimated population of 230,60 ...

:* East store :* Hachikoguchi *

Akihabara is a neighborhood in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan, generally considered to be the area surrounding Akihabara Station (nicknamed ''Akihabara Electric Town''). This area is part of the and Kanda-Sakumachō districts of Chiyoda. There is an ...

(former Sofmap store) *

(partnered with

) * Akasaka *

(Air Bic Camera) *

(Air Bic Camera at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza and Aqua City) *

Tokyo Skytree , also written as Tokyo Sky Tree, is a broadcasting and observation tower, located in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It has been the tallest tower in Japan since opening in 2012,

(Air Bic Camera) *

Tachikawa file:Autumn colors in Showa memorial park.jpg, 250px, Showa Memorial Park is a Cities of Japan, city located in the western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 184,383 in 93,428 househ ...

Chōfu is a Cities of Japan, city in the western side of Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 238,087, and a population density of 11,000 per km2. the total area of the city is . Geography Chōfu is approximately ...

Hachiōji is a Cities of Japan, city located in the Western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 561,344, and a population density of 3,000 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is ...

(CELEO) * Machida (Bic Camera x Sofmap) ;Kanagawa *

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

:* West store :*

Shin-Yokohama Shin-Yokohama (新横浜, Shinyokohama) is a small district located in Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. This area is known for its modern infrastructure and serves as a significant transportation hub, featuring the Shin-Yokohama ...

:* Vivre Shop (Bic Camera Outlet x Sofmap) * Kawasaki * Fujisawa * Sagamihara (former Sakuraya store) ;Chiba Prefecture * Chiba * Kashiwa *

Funabashi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 644,668 in 309,238 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . It is the Greater Tokyo Area's 7th most populat ...

(former Sakuraya store) *

(Air Bic Camera) ;Saitama Prefecture * Ōmiya *

Tokorozawa is a Cities of Japan, city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,298 in 168,939 households and a population density of 4761 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Tokorozawa is ...

;Gunma Prefecture *

;Ibaraki Prefecture * Mito ;Hokkaido *

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

(partnered with Tokyu Department Store) ;Niigata Prefecture * Niigata (partnered with CoCoLo) ;Nagano Prefecture * Matsumoto (partnered with Aeon Mall) ;Shizuoka Prefecture *

Hamamatsu is a Cities of Japan, city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In September 2023, the city had an estimated population of 780,128 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, with a population density of over the t ...

;Aichi Prefecture *

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

Nagoya Station is a major railway station in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Japan. It is Japan's, and one of the world's largest train stations by floor area (410,000 m2), and houses the headquarters of the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). Much of this space ...

West store :* Nagoya Station JR Gate Tower * Tōgō *

(Air Bic Camera) ;Osaka * Namba :* Main store :* Bic Camera Outlet x Sofmap * Abeno * Yao :* Ario Yao :* Bic Camera Toys * Takatsuki ;Okayama Prefecture *

Okayama is the prefectural capital, capital Cities of Japan, city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western J ...

;Hiroshima Prefecture *

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

;Kyushu *

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

:* Tenjin Store #1 :* Tenjin Store #2 *

Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...

;Okinawa * Naha Airport (Air Bic Camera) ;Former stores * Ikebukuro North Exit (closed 2002) * Takasaki West Exit (closed 2011) * Yūrakuchō Store Annex (closed 2011; now a

Loft A loft is a building's upper storey or elevated area in a room directly under the roof (American usage), or just an attic: a storage space under the roof usually accessed by a ladder (primarily British usage). A loft apartment refers to large ...

store) * Former Shinjuku East Exit (closed 2012; now a Koko kara Fine drug store) * Former Ikebukuro East Exit (closed 2021; now a GIGO branch) * Funabashi Tōbu (closed 2022) * Shijō Kawaramachi Select,

(closed 2022) * Roppongi Station Select, Tokyo (Bic Camera Select; closed 2022) *

Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesandō, Tokyo, Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya, Tokyo, Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 Japanese a ...

Select, Tokyo (Bic Camera Select; closed 2022) * Machida, Tokyo ( Tokyo Odakyu department store; closed 2022) * Kyōto Station (closed 2023) * Seiseki-sakuragaoka Station (closed 2023) * Sapporo Esta (closed 2023; moved to Tokyu Department Store) * Ikebukuro Select (closed 2024; now a Sofmap store) *

Ito-Yokado is a Japanese Hypermarket, general merchandise, shopping center, grocery store and department store originally founded in 1920. In 2005, it was reorganized, as part of a corporate restructuring, as a subsidiary of the Seven & I Holdings Co. ...

Tama Plaza (closed 2025) File:BIC CAMERA Ikebukuro main store 2018-02-08.jpg, Bic Camera Ikebukuro main store File:BIC CAMERA Ikebukuro main store for personal computer 2018-02-08.jpg, Bic Camera Ikebukuro Camera/PC building File:Biccamera Shinjuku.jpg, Bic Camera Shinjuku West Odakyu HALC File:SANY0166 (3157264355).jpg, Bic Camera Shibuya East store File:Shibuya TOEI IMG 1009 R 20150228.JPG, Bic Camera Shibuya Hachikoguchi File:Bic Camera AKIBA.jpg, Bic Camera Akihabara File:Chōfu Trie B-building.jpg, Bic Camera Chōfu File:CELEO Hachioji.jpg, Bic Camera CELEO Hachiōji File:Shin-Yokohama Station 20130506.JPG, Bic Camera Shin-Yokohama Station File:Biccamera fujisawa.jpg, Bic Camera Fujisawa File:Niigata-Station CoCoLo-South-Building 20130807.JPG, Bic Camera Niigata Station CoCoLo South Building File:Bic Camera Nagoya-Ekinishi 11022.jpg, Bic Camera Nagoya Station West store File:BIC CAMERA Namba on 13th May 2022.jpg, Bic Camera Namba File:Footage of construction of ekimae ōhashi line in Hiroshima.jpg, Bic Camera Hiroshima File:Bic-Camera Kumamoto-STA.jpg, Bic Camera Kumamoto

Commercials and jingles

Bic Camera's theme song

Bic Camera's original jingle was titled , which was used in TV commercials and broadcast within the stores. The jingle's melody was loosely based on the

enka is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...

song , which, in turn, traces its roots to the American hymn " Shall We Gather at the River?". The song's original lyrics for the main branch in

referenced the

Ikebukuro Station Ikebukuro Station () is a major railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan, shared by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro, and the two private railway operators Seibu Railw ...

, the

Seibu Ikebukuro Line The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway operator Seibu Railway. It originates at Ikebukuro Station, a large railway junction in north-western Tokyo, extending to northwest suburbs as far as Tokorozawa, Saitama, and nominally term ...

by the east exit and the

Tōbu Tōjō Line The is a suburban railway line in Japan which runs from Ikebukuro Station in Toshima, Tokyo to Yorii Station in Yorii, Saitama, operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway. Its official name is the , but it is referred to as on T ...

by the west exit, as well as Sunshine City. The lyrics were changed for specific branches such as Akihabara and Namba.

New Bic Camera theme song

In July 2023, Bic Camera launched a new jingle, featuring new lyrics that add the

Yamanote Line The Yamanote Line () is a railway Circle route, loop service in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres ...

, the Shōnan–Shinjuku Line, the

Saikyō Line The Saikyō Line () is a Japanese railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station (Saitama), Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture. The line's name is a portmant ...

, the

Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line The is a Rapid transit, subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metro. The line runs in a U-shape between Ogikubo Station in Suginami, Tokyo, Suginami and Ikebukuro Station in Toshima, Tokyo, Toshima, with a branch line between Nakano-Sa ...

, the

Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line The , formally the , is a subway line operated by Tokyo Metro in west-central Tokyo and Wako, Saitama, Japan. The newest line in the Tokyo subway network, it opened in stages between 1994 and 2008. On average, the Fukutoshin Line carried 362,654 ...

, and the

Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line The is a rapid transit, subway line in Japan owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line connects Wakōshi Station in Wakō, Saitama and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "go ...

among the eight lines connecting to Ikebukuro, reflecting the district's massive growth as a shopping destination. On March 1, 2024, the new jingle became the departure melody for the Yamanote Line at Ikebukuro Station.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Japanese brands Japanese companies established in 1968 Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Consumer electronics retailers of Japan Photographic retailers Photography companies of Japan Retail companies based in Tokyo Retail companies established in 1968