A once-bustling shopping district in the city of Gifu which boasts a 135-year history and inspired a hit song that defined its heyday will see the withdrawal of department store mega-chain
Takashimaya's departure from the Yanagase shopping arcade in the central
Despite the setback, individual store owners in the Yanagase arcade are determined to turn their fortunes around by using social media to remind people of the area's historical charm while changing their offerings to attract a younger, more vibrant clientele.
"I've always come to Yanagase because Takashimaya was here. If the store closes, it will be gloomy all around," part-time building cleaner
Hayashi fondly recalls his days of drinking at thriving local taverns along the shopping street as a young man.
Located about a 15-minute walk from
Driven by singer
More than 1,000 stores lined the street at its peak as Yanagase boomed as a central hub for the city's 350,000 to 400,000 inhabitants at that time.
In 1977, the Takashimaya Gifu store opened, but over time it waned due to the opening of large shopping malls in the suburbs in conjunction with the shift to a more car-oriented society and the collapse of the asset-inflated bubble economy.
With the upcoming closure, which the store announced in October last year, Gifu will follow Yamagata, Tokushima and Shimane to become the fourth of
In
According to a 2021 survey by the central government's
"Yanagase will not have anything to rely on anymore," said
But the 35-year-old quickly added, "This will finally put a fire in the belly of the individual shop owners. Our district will definitely make a comeback."
In May, an official Yanagase account was opened on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. In addition to promoting events and details about eateries and shops, it also looks to draw in shoppers by highlighting an anime in which the shopping district appears. The account also includes updates on Mizuno's official activities.
Within two weeks of its launch, the number of followers had approached 1,000.
Each store in the arcade is also putting in work to bring in new customers.
In addition to traditional high-end jewelry, affordable wedding rings for young customers are also displayed in the showcases. The entrance's signboard, which had been in place for 60 years, will be replaced to create a fresh look.
"We are aiming to become a time-honored business where young people also feel comfortable casually dropping in," Iwata said.
Mizuno sees the withdrawal of Takashimaya as an opportunity for each store to reassess its services.
He believes that today's increasingly efficient consumer-driven society conversely makes the traditional relaxed atmosphere of the Yanagase shopping district all the more appealing. He shared his vision looking ahead to the district's 150th anniversary, officially slated for 2039.
"This place is not as refined as a large shopping center and has many imperfections. I hope to make use of such human frailties so that people will again say that Yanagase is the best shopping district in
==Kyodo
© Kyodo News International, Inc., source