Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi main store - Immortal lions in the "Mitsui village"
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| "Mitsui village" in Nihonbashi area, Mitsukoshi main store and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (C)JAPAN a while ago |
In Tokyo, as same as Mitubishi group buildings in Marunouchi area is called "Mitubishi village", those of Mitsui group in Nihonbashi is so called "Mitsui village".
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| ”Echigoya" Kimono boutique in 1768, from an Ukiyoe print by Toyoharu Utagawa |
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| "Mitsui village" in 1830's by Hokusai |
In 1673's, Takatoshi Mitsui, a descendant of Mitsui "governor of Echigo privince" family and a merchant from Matsuzaka in Ise province, opened "Echigoya" Kimono boutique at near Nihonbashi bridge in Edo. This boutique start fixed price system the world's first and grew great business. After the success of Echigoya, Takatoshi kept stores at both side of street and established moneychanger business. This is the origin of Mitsui village in Nihonbashi area.
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| A bronze lion at Trafalgar Square, London (C)JAPAN a while ago |
In 1872, at the age of Westernization in Japan, Echigoya incorporated as a department store chain "Mitsukoshi (mianing Mitsui's Echigoya)". Thus, Osuke Hibi, the president of Mitsukoshi, went on a tour of inspection to Europe. In Britain, he was influenced two things. First, it was modern department store system from Harrods. And as the second, he was so charmed by bronze lions around the base of Nelson's Column, at Trafalgar Square. In fact, Osuke was known as a lion mania. Instantly, he ordered two bronze lions to Leonard Stanford Merrifield, a British sculptor, and A. B. Burton, a bronze founder.
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| An Osuke's bronze Lion in front of Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi main store (C)JAPAN a while ago |
In 1914, Osuke built new main store of Mitsukoshi, so called the largest building in west of the Suez canal, of cause, he put his bronze lions in front of the department store. Soon, Mitsukoshi main store and those bronze lions became a places of interest in Tokyo, as same as the Imperial theatre. After 1923 great Kanto earthquake, salvaging materials cause of ww2, Mitsukoshi's overseas advance including London, closing most of store in oversea, and merging with another department store chain, Osuke's two bronz lions are still in front of Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi main store. Since some time or another, they call these bronze lions as "Immortal lions".
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| Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi main store in today (C)JAPAN a while ago |
