Takashimaya

is a Japanese multinational corporation operating a department store chain selling a wide array of products, ranging from wedding dresses and other apparel to electronics and flatware. It has more than 12 branches in Japan located in 2 regions, and 4 international branches in Asia.

Takashimaya is a member of the Sanwa Group keiretsu.

History

The first Takashimaya store was opened in Kyoto in 1831 as a sole proprietorship owned by Shinshichi Iida, a merchant from present-day Fukui Prefecture. The original store in Kyoto was only 3.6 square meters in area and specialized in selling gofuku (formal kimono). A second Kyoto store opened in 1893, followed by a Tokyo store in 1897 and an Osaka store in 1898. Takashimaya was incorporated as a gomei kaisha (unlimited liability company) in 1909 and converted to a kabushiki kaisha (stock company) in 1919.

Takashimaya began an export business in 1876, following the Meiji Restoration, and established an in-house trading unit in 1887. By 1903 Takashimaya had offices in Paris and London and an export office in Yokohama. The trading unit was spun off as a new stock company, , in 1913. Takashimaya-Iida later merged with the trading company Marubeni.

The chain saw a major expansion in the early 1930s. In 1931 it opened a "10, 20 and 50 sen store" in Osaka, a predecessor of today's 100 yen store. Its flagship store in Namba, Osaka opened in 1932, and a second flagship store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo opened in 1933. The Tokyo and Osaka stores were damaged by the firebombings of Tokyo and Osaka in 1945 but were not destroyed, and served as centers for logistics during the occupation of Japan. Due to postwar regulations on the size of new stores, many Takashimaya locations opened from the 1950s onward, including its Yokohama and Yonago stores, were set up as separate companies.

In 1958, Takashimaya opened a store in New York City which eventually occupied 37,000 square feet of floor space at 693 Fifth Avenue. The New York store closed in 2010 as Takashimaya chose to refocus on East and Southeast Asian markets amid struggling sales.

In 1969, Takashimaya opened Japan's first American-style suburban shopping center near Futako-Tamagawa Station, to the southwest of Tokyo.

The Japanese department store industry went through a wave of consolidation during a revenue slump in the 2000s, with Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings (parent of Mitsukoshi and Isetan) becoming the largest player in the industry, followed by J. Front Retailing (parent of Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores). In 2008, Takashimaya announced plans to merge with H₂O Retailing, the parent of the Osaka-based Hanshin Department Store and Hankyu Department Store chains, which would have formed the largest department store operator in Japan. Takashimaya and H₂O entered into a cross-shareholding relationship prior to the merger, with each acquiring 10% of the other's stock, but announced the cancellation of their merger in 2010.

In 2019, the company announced it would closing its mainland China store in Shanghai on August 25, but retracted its decision after it gained support from local governments.

Takashimaya was a member of the International Association of Department Stores from 1962 to 1997.

Stores

Directly owned

;Kansai
*Osaka - Nankai Building 1–5, Namba Gochome, Chuo-ku, Osaka, the north side of Nankai Railway Namba Station
**Sakai - Nankai Sakaihigashi Building, 59, Mikunigaoka-Miyukidori, Sakai-ku, Sakai, near Sakaihigashi Station on the Nankai Railway Koya Line
*Semboku - Panjo, 1-3-1, Chayamadai, Minami-ku, Sakai, near Izumi-Chuo Station on the Nankai Railway Semboku Line
*Kyoto - 52, Shincho, Shijo-dori Kawaramachi Nishi-hairu, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto ( Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Railway Kyoto Line is connected underground.)
**Rakusai - Rakuseine, 5-5, Oharano Higashi-Sakaidanicho Nichome, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, near Rakusai Bus Terminal (Kyoto Municipal Bus, Keihan Kyoto Kotsu, Hankyu Bus)
;Kanto
*Nihombashi - 4–1, Nihombashi 2-chome, Chuo, Tokyo, the historical structure selected by Tokyo Metropolitan Government, near Nihombashi Station ( Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway)
*Shinjuku - Shinjuku Takashimaya Times Square, 24–2, Sendagaya Gochome, Shibuya, connected with the South Gate of JR East Shinjuku Station and with Shinjuku-sanchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line.
*Tamagawa - the core tenant of Tamagawa Takashimaya Shopping Center in 17–1, Tamagawa Sanchome, Setagaya, near Tokyu Futako-Tamagawa Station
*Tachikawa - Faret Tachikawa, 39–3, Akebonocho Nichome, Tachikawa, near Tama Monorail Tachikawa-Kita Station
*Yokohama - Takashimaya Building, Sotetsu Joinus in the same location as Yokohama Station on the Sotetsu Main Line, 6-31, Minami-saiwai Itchome, Nishi-ku, Yokohama
**Konandai - Konandai Birds, 1–3, Konandai Sanchome, Konan-ku, Yokohama, near Konandai Station on the JR East Negishi Line
*Omiya - 32, Daimoncho Itchome, Omiya-ku, Saitama the east side of Omiya Station (JR East, Saitama New Urban Transit, Tobu Railway)
*Kashiwa - Takashimaya Station Mall, 3–16, Suehirocho, Kashiwa, Chiba the West side of Kashiwa Station (JR East, Tobu Railway)
**Takashimaya Food Maison Otakanomori - Nagareyama-Otakanomori Shopping Center, in Nagareyama, near Nagareyama-ōtakanomori Station ( Tsukuba Express, Tobu Railway Noda Line)

Subsidiaries

*Takasaki Takashimaya - 45, Asahicho, Takasaki, the west of Takasaki Station (JR East, Joshin Railway)
*Gifu Takashimaya - 25, Hinodecho Nichome (Yanagase), Gifu
*Okayama Takashimaya - 6-40, Hommachi, Kita-ku, Okayama, near JR West Okayama Station
*Yonago Takashimaya - 30, Kakubancho Itchome, Yonago

Domestic joint venture

*JR Nagoya Takashimaya - JR Central Towers, 1–4, Meieki 1-chome, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, in the east side of JR Central Nagoya Station, joint venture with JR Central.
*Iyotetsu Takashimaya - 4, Minatomachi Itchome, Matsuyama, the same location as Iyotetsu Matsuyamashi Station, joint venture with Iyo Railway Co., Ltd.

Closed domestic stores

* Wakayama - the station building of Wakayamashi Station on the Nankai Railway Nankai Line, 306, Higashikuramaecho, Wakayama - closed in August 2014.

International joint-ventures

*Takashimaya Singapore - 391 Orchard Road, Singapore, joint venture with Ngee Ann Kongsi agreed upon in 1988, store located inside Ngee Ann City.
*Shanghai Takashimaya - 1438 Hongqiao Road, Changning District, Shanghai, China.
*Ho Chi Minh City Takashimaya - 92-94 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Street, Bến Nghé Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, joint venture with Keppel Corporation, store located inside the podium of Saigon Centre Tower 2.
*Siam Takashimaya - 299 Charoen Nakhon Road, Khlong Ton Sai, Khlong San District, Bangkok, Thailand, joint venture with Siam Piwat. Two stores are located inside Iconsiam shopping mall and Siam Premium Outlet Bangkok in Samut Prakan provinces.

Former international stores/joint-ventures

* Dayeh Takashimaya - Tianmu, Taipei, Taiwan, joint venture between Dayeh Group () and Takashimaya. Takashimaya reported had sold its 50% stake, thus Dayeh Takashimaya was not mentioned in their corporate website, stating that Takashimaya are no longer affiliated with the joint-venture. Until today, the store is still operating independently using the 'Takashimaya' brand.

Closed international stores

* New York City Takashimaya - New York City, United States - Opened in 1958, the store eventually occupied 37,000 square feet of space at 693 Fifth Avenue. The store was closed in 2010 and the space was last occupied by a Burberry trench coat pop-up store which closed in May 2023.

See also

* List of companies of Japan
* List of department stores

References

External links

Official website (in Japanese)

{{Department stores in the United States
1830s establishments in Japan
Companies based in Kyoto
Companies based in Osaka Prefecture
Retail companies established in 1831
Department stores of Japan
Department stores of Singapore
Department stores of Taiwan
Department stores of Thailand
Food halls
Japanese brands
Japanese Imperial Warrant holders
Shopping malls in Ho Chi Minh City
Midori-kai
Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Companies in the Nikkei 225