History of Matsuzakaya

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Genzaemon Sukemichi Ito, a son of Ranmaru Sukehiro Ito who served Nobunaga Oda,opened a kimono fabric and fancy goods wholesale store in Honmachi, Nagoya.
(Foundation of Matsuzakaya)■ Sukemichi s son Sukemoto opened a kimono fabric and fancy goods wholesale store in
Chayamachi, Nagoya and called himself Jirozaemon Ito.
(Since then the heads of the Ito family succeed to the name Jirozaemon.)■ Ito Gofukuten changed its trade from a silk kimono fabric wholesaler to a silk and cotton
kimono fabric retailer.
■ Ito Gofukuten became a kimono fabric purveyor to the Owari Tokugawa clan.
■ Kyoto Merchandising Branch opened in Muromachi Anekoji.
(Newly built at the present location in Shinmachidori Rokkaku in 1749)■ Acquired Matsuzakaya in Ueno Hirokoji and began business as Ito Matsuzakaya.
■ Ueno store was rebuilt into a Western-style building to display goods for sale andreorganized into Goshi Kaisha (limited partnership) Ito Gofukuten (capital ¥250,000)
to become ﬁnancially independent. Employed saleswomen.
■ Established Kabushiki Kaisha Ito Gofukuten with a capital of ¥500,000. Reopened Nagoya
store at Sakaemachi Kado, Nagoya as the ﬁrst department store in the Nagoya region.
■ Formed Ito Gofukuten Boys Music Band. (Present Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra)■ Completed the new main building of Ueno store.
(Burnt down in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923)■ Introduced uniforms for the ﬁrst time in the department store industry.
(Striped cotton kimono with a muslin sash)■ Ginza store opened at the present location. Allowed customers to enter all ﬂoors with their
shoes on for the ﬁrst time in the department store industry.
■ Changed the company name to Kabushiki Kaisha Matsuzakaya.
■ Nagoya store moved to Minamiotsumachi (present location).
■ Rebuilt the new main building of Ueno store at the present location.
■ The ﬁrst elevator girls in the department store industry debuted in Ueno store.
■ The basement of Ueno store was directly connected to Ueno Hirokoji station on subway Ginza line.
■ Shizuoka store opened.
■ Added a south wing to Ueno store.
■ Established Matsuzakaya Kimono Museum in Kyoto.
■ Held a huge sale on live animals on the roof of Ginza store.
■ Okazaki store opened.
■ Built an annex to Ginza store and opened an underground passage leading to Ginza subway station.
■ Added a north wing to Nagoya store.
■ Nagoya Station store opened.
■ Takatsuki store opened.
■ Issued Matsuzakaya My Card.
■ Nagoya store added a south wing to consist of three buildings.
■ Opened Matsuzakaya Museum in the south wing of Nagoya store.
■ Established a corporate philosophy.
■ Put up a website and opened an online shop.
■ Added a north wing to Shizuoka store.
■ Established an employee code of conduct and basic business transaction rules.
■ Developed the Matsuzakaya environment program and launched a new information system.
■ Toyota store opened.
■ Nagoya store added a new south wing to increase its ﬂoor space to the largest level inJapan (86,758 ｍ２).
■ Introduced an executive oﬃcer system and established a management code for personal
information protection.
■ Opened an oﬃcial goods shop at the Exposition of Global Harmony.
■ Established a pure holding company Matsuzakaya Holdings Co., Ltd.
■Matsuzakaya by Utagawa Hiroshige

Nagoya store reopened in Sakaemachi in 1910

Women wearing the industry s
ﬁrst uniforms (kimono)

Poster of Ito Gofukuten

Ginza store, the first department store allowing
customers to enter with their shoes on

Nagoya store moved to the present locationin Minamiotsumachi (at that time)a joint holding company J. Front Retailing Co., Ltd. and integrated management.

Elevator girls of Ueno store37