Department stores in Japan

Depāto (Japaneseデパート;. Engl of department store ) is the Japanese term for a department store.

Japanese department stores are characterized by extensive service and great range of goods. The service, for example, include welcome ladies in neat uniforms, the Irasshaimase before each new customer with the formula (いらっしゃい ませ, dt "Welcome" ) bow, and so-called elevator girls who operate the buttons in the elevators.

The range of a typical Depātos is not in the low price sector, but rather in the high price segment of the luxury brands. That is why even a souvenir ( Omiyage ) from a reputed Depāto, wrapped in the paper, highly regarded.

Japanese department stores are also engaged in the field of art and placing domestic and foreign works of art in their rooms from. So also the exhibition of the Mona Lisa in Japan was organized in 1974 by a department store.

Many Depāto operated by railway lines on the grounds of their terminal stations in major metropolitan cities, this can be seen in part on the character of Railways (鉄, tetsu ) or Express (急, kyū ) in the name. The trend goes so far that in the typical street scene of a Japanese city no more stations are visible - the railway station and department store are merged. The largest complex of its kind is the Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, the. , The lines of three railway companies ( JR, Odakyu and Keio ), the department stores and this is home to several subway lines

The large Japanese Depāto chains also operate branches overseas, on the one hand by Japanese abroad to use ( including three - German Mitsukoshi stores - now again closed ) to develop, but also to new markets, particularly in Taiwan and the People 's Republic of China.

Significant Depātos

Nationally represented Depātos are following after the first decade of the 21st century were several mergers occurring regionally Depātos under common holding companies:

• H2O Retailing: Hankyu Hyakkaten (阪急 百货店)
• Hanshin Hyakkaten (阪神 百货店)

• Daimaru (大 丸)
• Matsuzakaya (松 坂 屋)

• Mitsukoshi (三越; Shinkong Mitsukoshi stores in Hong Kong and Taiwan )
• Isetan (伊势丹)

• Seibu Hyakkaten (西武 百货店)
• Sogo (そごう)

More:

• Tōkyū Hyakkaten (东 急 百货店)
• Matsuya (松 屋)
• Izutsuya (井筒 屋)
• Printemps Ginza (プランタン 銀座)
• Hyakkaten Kintetsu (近 鉄 百货店)
• Tōbu Hyakkaten (东 武 百货店)
• Odakyu Hyakkaten (小田急 百货店)
• Keio Hyakkaten (京 王 百货店)
• Lumine (ルミネ)
• Parco (パルコ)
• Marui (丸 井)

• Economy (Japan)
• Department store