Japan's Famous Mitsukoshi Mall Is Opening in BGC on November 18

Mitsukoshi, one of Japan’s leading department store chains, is finally opening in the Philippines on November 18. The branch is located in BGC and will sell Japanese brands and luxury goods. It will also carry local brands. The Mitsukoshi BGC branch is located at Grand Central Park on 36th Street. It has four levels and will have a spacious interior with Japanese restaurants and stores. 

Rendering of Mitsukoshi BGC

The first Philippine branch is Mitsukoshi’s 56th branch globally. Mitsukoshi is a subsidiary of Japan’s Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings. As a company, Mitsukoshi traces its roots to 1673 as Echigo-ya, a door-to-door shop that sold kimonos. A decade later in 1683, it established one of the world’s earliest department stores. Echigoya decided to stop door-to-door services and set up a store where customers could buy goods with money. 

In 2019, Mitsukoshi announced it would expand its Asian presence by establishing a branch in the Philippines, which is one of Asia’s biggest markets for retail. The Philippines has some of the world’s biggest shopping centers, including the sprawling complex of SM Mall of Asia, and the world’s biggest IKEA branch, situated next to it.