What is so Unique About Japanese Department Stores?

Department stores began appearing in Japan around 100 years ago when established clothing stores began transforming into Western style department stores. About one century later, Japanese department stores have changed dramatically, and now operate as highly reputed large-scale retailers with a history and tradition of stocking a variety of merchandise consisting of both Japanese and top international brands including cosmetics, bags, jewelry, fashion items and lingerie. Currently, there are around 300 department stores located in the major cities across Japan, and are thought of fondly as city landmarks by customers who frequent them on a daily basis.

Japanese department stores are unique in terms of the wide variety of merchandise they carry, such as ladies’ wear, men’s wear, fashion items, cosmetics, jewelry, watches, kimonos, children’s goods, toys, stationery, foodstuffs, etc., enabling one-stop shopping under one large roof in an easy-to-understand and comprehensive layout. The upper floors of Japanese department stores are used for restaurants, where cuisines from Japan and around the world are gathered together to offer customers a memorable dining experience. In addition to this, the event space of these department stores plays host not only to Japanese cultural events, such as art and local produce exhibitions, but also to a number of other events all year round.

The most unique aspect of department stores in Japan is said to be their second-to-none attitude to service and amenities. Within a comfortable and luxurious shopping environment, customers are the main focus as they are instantly greeted in a high quality, polite manner that cannot be experienced at any other department store anywhere else in the world. Make sure you visit one of these Japanese department stores at the forefront of Japanese culture and world trends.