The Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, with the branches of 9 department stores along it, is a shopping course. At the department store predecessors, dry-goods shops, Inari shrines prayed for business success and for family safety. As department stores became buildings, leaving these shrines on the ground floor seemed akin to walking on god, so they were moved to the rooftops. For this article, I’ll introduce some very truly Tokyo department stores where good fortune is doled out on the roof while you shop.
Nagoya area’s Ito Dry-Goods Store, in business for 400 years
Located in Ueno-hirokoji Station is Ueno Matsuzakaya.
It originated in Nagoya in 1611 with the establishment of the Ito Dry-Goods Store. In 1768, it launched in Tokyo (then known as Edo), acquiring Matsuzakaya in Ueno and renaming it as Ito Matsuzakaya, which is now the current day Ueno Matsuzakaya. Headquartered in Nagoya’s Sakae Ward, Ito Dry Goods Store is one of longest running department stores in Japan, having reached its 400 year anniversary in 2011.
Enshrined at this Matsuzakaya is Kakugo Inari Shrine. Near the end of the Edo period in 1815, Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine in Kyoto was ceremonially transferred to what was then called Kishimoto (now known as Arakawa Ward’s Higashi-Nippori). In the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the Nippori Fire, the shrine’s main building as well as the Matsuzakaya company-housing were spared from harm, so it became known as a god preventing fire. From the symbol of a protective Inari crane believed to create rain and put out fires, it was given a name which has Japanese characters that are a combination of symbols meaning rain, crane, and guardian (Kakugo), a name which it keeps to this day In 1929 upon the completion of Ueno Matsuzakaya, the deity of the shrine was divided, and it has now been protecting both Ueno town and Ueno Matsuzakaya for 85 years.
The Matsuzakaya logo carved into the stone lanterns in the above photo is impressive. Until last year there was also a Kakugo Inari shrine built on the roof of the Ginza Matsuzakaya, but due to redevelopment the shrine was moved to the head office in Nishinippori, so currently only the Ueno store has such a shrine.
Echigoya, the origin of commerce and forerunner of department stores
Just as it’s written, the Mitsukoshi flagship store is at Mitsukoshi Mae Station (literally meaning “in front of Mitsukoshi”). The predecessor of this store is the dry-goods shop Echigoya, which was established during the Edo period in 1673. It made use of over-the-counter sales, cash transactions, selling by the piece, and other practices which are commonplace today. Its current name of Mitsukoshi comes from a combination of Mitsu, from the Mitsui Family name, and “echi”, from Echigoya (which can also be read as “koshi”). It’s a well-established shop and is known as the forerunner of Japanese department stores since it was the first in Japan to actually advertise itself a “department store”.
On the roof, Mitsui Shrine and Katsudo Daikokuten are deified. Mitsui Shrine, with its main shrine in Mukojima, faces northeast (the unlucky direction) from the Mitsui family. Also, the Japanese character used in Mitsui Shrine 囲, contains the same character from the Mitsui family name, 井, so is thought to mean “protect Mitsui”. For these reasons it was enshrined on the roof as a guardian shrine of the Mitsui family. On the other hand, Katsudo Daikokuten, which enshrines Daikoku (the god of wealth) within the grounds of the main Mitsui Shrine, has a name that means to show dynamism, and is known as a god that brings thriving sales and good luck.
This photo shows the beautiful contrasting colors of the temple grounds. Though Mitsui Shrine is also deified at Ginza Mitsukoshi, it’s of interest that the lion statue from the closed Ikebukuro Mitsukoshi is also honored in main Mitsui shrine of Mukojima.
Takashimaya, the proud rose of the Kansai region
In Nihonbashi Station is the Nihonbashi-branch of Takashimaya Department Store. At the end of the Edo period in 1831, the second-hand clothing and cotton shop Takashimaya started business in Kyoto, then opened in Osaka in 1898 and in Tokyo in 1900 as a cotton dry-goods store. Currently its store in Osaka Nanba serves as its head office. Of special note, it changed from the seated selling-style of those days to the display-style of selling, making it known as the department store which brought window shopping to Japan.
In one corner of its roof, an offering box with the Takashimaya logo and the seven-sided shape of “Shichi Fuku Shingari” are enshrined. At the main entrance, Daikokuten is written, and on both sides there are name plates inscribed with Ebisu (the god of fishermen) and Hotei (the god of happiness). Its seven sides make it a shrine which worships the Seven Lucky Gods. Basically, if you go around this temple, you will complete the Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage, making it what is likely the shortest of such journeys in Japan.
In the old days, Kasamori Inari was worshipped on the roof, but nowadays it has become a break spot for employees expecting good fortune from the seven gods.
In the above picture is the Seven Lucky Gods structure sitting in an atmospheric, Japanese-style garden. Currently, all of its doors are locked so you won’t be able to encounter the Seven Lucky Gods, but their seven-fold power will still grant you good fortune.
Tsuruya Dry Goods Store, an extravagant interior
In Ginza station is the Ginza flagship store of Matsuya Beginning with the establishment of Tsuruya Dry-Goods Store in Yokohama’s Ishikawacho, in 1899 it expanded into Tokyo with the purchase of Matsuya Dry-Goods Store and grew its business during the Meiji period. The Ginza flagship store which opened in 1925 was decorated with stained glass windows, mosaics, and stucco patterns. It was a luxurious department store with sweeping spaces that reached seven stories. However, a major remodeling undertaken to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics left it lacking the look of its former days.
On the roof is Ryuko Fudosan. Ryuko Fudosan, the object of worship transferred from Koyasan Ryuko-in Temple in 1929, is the work of a Kamakura Period master craftsman and grants family safety and business prosperity. The lush green grounds of the shrine, created by the same designer of layouts for places like Heian-jingu and Kanda Myoujin, are also where a festival is held every 28th of May and September, as well as during New Year’s. Ryuko means “in-fashion”, so it helps with all fashion-related requests. On one part of the shrine grounds is a spot of scenic beauty where Sukagawa Peony flowers are planted. Ryuko Fudosan is an oasis in the city, so how about checking out this stylish shrine.
Mimatsu, a department store for only 4 years
The last is Ginza Mitsukoshi, which is next to Matsuya. On its roof is Mitsui Shrine, just like the main branch, but of note here is the Ginza Shisei Jizo (statue to protect travelers) built near it. This Ginza Shisei Jizo is not praying for Ginza Mitsukoshi, but rather for the Ginza Shisei Jizo Support Association, which is why the shrine office is located here. The Jizo was found in the ground during construction in the early Meiji period, then enshrined at what was Ginza Yonchome. It was so faithfully worshipped that, from the Meiji era to the start of the Showa era, a festival to represent Tokyo was held there. It later became lost during the war, but now you can once again find it at the corner intersection of Yurakucho’s 1-Chome and Hibiya. This spot was once a proposed relocation site for Isetan department store, but it instead became the site of Mimatsu Department store in 1931, which lasted there only 4 years. After that, the Ginza Shisei Jizo was enshrined there until the Ginza Mitsukoshi opened in 1968. The Jizo then was moved to the roof of the current Ginza Mitsukoshi along with a large replacement statue built in the Showa period.
Although the origin of its name is not clear, it is said that it was called Shisei Jizo (promotion Jizo) due to its being found in the ground, then enshrined on the ground at the former site of a department store, then moved up yet again to the roof of another department store. At the only Ginza Shisei Jizo with a shrine office, you can receive a hand-carved miniature wood hanging charm. This spot is also a bit of fun for company employees hoping for literal promotions and families visiting the shrine.
Lastly...
Speaking of the roofs of department stores, in the old days they had small amusement parks and were wonderlands for children. Nowadays, department stores that still have amusement parks or even just playground equipment are hard to find, but Inari shrines and Shinto shrines remain in great numbers. Even though most are for business success and family safety, the novelty of many of the prayers inside the shrines are very interesting. There are a lot of people who regularly use department stores, but there are few who use the roof, and there are probably even fewer who pray at the shrines. The stores introduced here each have their own histories and backgrounds, and with those in mind, have a look at the department stores from a slightly different perspective. You’ll undoubtedly receive both better fortunes and the soothing comfort of the sky.
History
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