Ginza, one of Tokyo's upscale shopping districts, is likely to become a showcase for the ongoing realignment in the department store industry with Mitsukoshi Ltd. and Isetan Co. merging April 1.
A walk through the Ginza district arouses different feelings in visitors compared with several years ago. A flurry of overseas luxury brands, including Giorgio Armani and Bulgari, have opened flagship stores in the Ginza, while new shopping complexes, including Yurakucho ITOCiA and Marronnier Gate, have also debuted, drawing young customers to the district, traditionally a magnet for older shoppers.
Such changes provide a glimpse of the transformation one of the nation's most exclusive shopping districts is undergoing, with large-scale renovations of time-honored department stores planned for Mitsukoshi in 2010 and for Matsuzakaya around 2013, amid the industry realignment.