The Isetan Mitsukoshi Group is actively involved not only in the regions where its stores are located, but also in the regions with which it has ties through product procurement, and is working with government and companies to implement community-based initiatives. We will continue to contribute to the development of local communities by leveraging our know-how cultivated in the department store business and innovative ideas, without being bound by existing methods.
Isetan Mitsukoshi Hometown Tax (Japanese version)
Isetan Mitsukoshi Hometown Tax is a scheme to promote the charms of various regions of Japan through the introduction of department store quality return gifts carefully selected by our buyers, taking advantage of our Group’s superlative nationwide network and merchandising capabilities cultivated through our department store business. Our aim is that the local specialties introduced as return gifts under this scheme will be distributed widely as high-quality products handled by department stores, and that customers nationwide will be able to enjoy them outside of the Isetan Mitsukoshi Hometown Tax scheme.
To date, 319 municipalities have agreed to participate in this scheme, and the number of listed municipalities is 305 (as of November 15, 2023). We will continue to expand our efforts in this area in a bid to fulfill our social responsibility by co-creating with our business partners and contributing to the development of local industries.
* ”Hometown Tax” is a system that allows taxpayers to choose a municipality to which to donate an amount of their residence tax. It was established in an effort to redress the disparity between urban areas and regions where tax revenues are decreasing due to depopulation and other reasons. Depending on the municipality, local specialties and products are sent as a thank-you gift to the donor.
As a sales representative for municipalities, when I visit various regions, I often have the opportunity to hear from municipalities struggling with declining tax revenues due to depopulation and aging populations, as well as businesses struggling to expand their sales channels. Having a strong desire to somehow contribute to the development of local economies, I engage in repeated dialogue with such clients until I am able to convince them to participate in the scheme. In each region of Japan, there are many specialty products that are distinctive to that region, but which local people are perhaps unaware of. With my sensitivity cultivated through my experience as a department store buyer, I am well-placed to identify the unique strengths of each region and propose initiatives that will help convey the region’s charms to a broader customer base. In some cases, it takes several years to bring such initiatives to fruition due to the various circumstances faced by the region. However, I work closely with regions to determine what issues the region is facing and whether Isetan Mitsukoshi can play a role in a business model that will enrich the community, moving forward with their understanding.We produce pamphlets introducing each municipality, which contain information on the features and attractions of the region, as well as the thoughts of the producers and municipal government officials, along with photographs of municipal government officials and local characters. It is our hope that, through these pamphlets, people who are not familiar with the area will become interested and visit the area.
As a result of these efforts, we have received various messages of appreciation, such as that tax revenues from the Isetan Mitsukoshi Hometown Tax scheme and other tax revenues made it possible to undertake projects in the community, or that sales through other channels commenced as a result of products being introduced as return gifts.
I will continue working to help revitalize regions in the hope of creating initiatives that will please everyone.
Shinya Maki
MOO:D MARK by ISETAN (Japanese version)
MOO:D MARK by ISETAN is an online service that allows users to send gifts to recipients whose address they do not know via social media or e mail. Utilizing the merchandising capabilities and networks that we have cultivated over the years, we work together with producers and manufacturers of outstanding food products and crafts on everything from support for product development to PR, sales, and analysis of the results of these efforts.
Japan is a country full of wonderful local products and excellent technologies. I am working to find ways to bring these products to the attention of as many customers as possible, and to make them aware of their excellence, not only in stores, but also wh en shopping on our e commerce site, where they cannot actually touch the products themselves. To this end, I engage in extensive dialogue with business owners on the direction of product development. Instead of relying solely on my own tastes and sensibili ties, I create product plans from the perspectives of both sensibility and science, based on the real feedback of consumers and quantitative product trends that I obtain through my daily business activities.
SALAD, born in 2023, is a new towel brand planned in cooperation with one of Japan’s leading yarn spinners, a company with a long history whose factory is located in Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture. Taking advantage of the appeal of towels manufactured by a yarn maker, the brand focuses on cotton, the raw material of yarn. Based on the concept of “freshly picked seasonal produce,” our product development and communication design was inspired by vegetables and fruits, and as a result, we have received a great response from customers. In this way, I hope to play a part in boosting industries across Japan by conveying to as many people as possible the excellent technologies and regional attractions of Japan through support for the development of gift items.
Kenji Aoki
In the fall of 2023, Isetan Shinjuku Main Store celebrated 90 years since its relocation from Kanda to Shinjuku. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to do business here as we continue to evolve and develop. We hope to move forward with Shinjuku more than ever, and to convey the charms of Shinjuku to both those who know the city and those who have never visited it, so that they will come to love it even more. With this in mind, we have been working together with local residents and businesses to implem ent various initiatives. We launched this project in cooperation with the people of the city, who agreed with our stance and approach of positioning the Isetan Shinjuku Main Store as the city’s “center” in an effort to attract more people to Shinjuku.
Our main project on this occasion was called Shinjuku 90 Snap. A total of 90 people from companies, stores, prominent figures, employees, and customers with ties to Shinjuku were asked to introduce their favorite and memorable places in Shinjuku. We posted snapshots taken at those locations together with their stories in dozens of locations inside the store and in the Shinjuku East Exit area. This initiative led to various other projects, such as A Map of Shinjuku Woven by Books, in which employees of Books Kinokuniya and Isetan Mitsukoshi recommend books set in Shinjuku, as well as a flower art workshop with children from Hanazono Elementary School in Shinjuku City. In this way, Shinjuku 90 Snap has expanded to encompass a wide range of interlinking project s. The launch of our corporate philosophy, "Touching people’s hearts with human driven experiences" was the perfect time for Isetan Shinjuku Main Store to come up with this project to communicate the appeal of Shinjuku through the capabilities of people.
Shinjuku 90 Snap displayed on Shinjuku Boulevard
We will continue to cherish the connections we have created through Shinjuku 90 Snap and other projects to promote “Urban Community Development,” one of our key strategies, and will work even more closely with the people of Shinjuku to contribute to the de velopment of the city as we move toward our 100th anniversary ten years down the road and beyond.
Marui Imai Sapporo Main Store has been holding sales training sessions led by students of Hokkaido Shimokawa Commercial High School since 1992. In 2023, the event was held for the 35th time, with the aim of contributing to the sustainable development of the region through the enhancement of vocational education for high school students and the development of the next generation of community leader s. All 32 third year students participated in this sales training session. The students themselves developed sales strategies, stocked products, researched how to convey their appeal, and practiced customer service skills to sell local products. They also dis played their original product, called Tomato Udon, which they created in collaboration with a local noodle manufacturing company, from flavor development to labeling. The students carefully conveyed the charm of the area and their commitment to their produ cts, and customers commented that they were heartened by the cheerful and energetic students who served them, and that they felt they would bring vitality to the
community. After the sales training session, the students were full of smiles, brimming with a sense of fulfillment and confidence.
We will remain committed to contributing to the local community by providing support to students who will play a key role in the future development of the region's society and economy.
Third year students from Hokkaido Shimokawa Commercial High School line up to greet customers at opening time
Tomato Udon, the students’ original productSince March 2016, Niigata Isetan has been working on the NIIGATA EPPIN project to enhance the regional value of Niigata. Using the unique perspective of a department store, we discover, compile, and introduce fine products related to clothing, food, and li ving. Under the concept of “conveying value rather than selling,” we not only sell products, but also propose and present them in a variety of ways that tell the stories behind them and convey what makes them stand out.
The NIIGATA EPPIN shop offers a wide variety of little
known foods and excellent crafts unique to Niigata. We carefully introduce the story behind the manufacturing process and the outstanding craftsmanship when serving customers and on our website so that more people can learn about these products. We have received warm comments from customers, some of whom mentioned that they had no idea that there were makers of such wonderful products in Niigata Prefecture, or that they were glad to come to our store an d discover fine Niigata
products that they had never heard of. As such, we have created a store with a “sense of discovery” where each customer can encounter wonderful products that surpass their image of Niigata, and we now carry around 700 items.
Our objective goes beyond the mere creation of products and brands. From the perspective of regional development, we aim to collaborate with producers, businesses, and local governments to create one of a kind products that will
lead to the creation and de velopme nt of new value.
NIIGATA EPPIN shop
A wide selection of bamboo craft productsThe Isetan Mitsukoshi Group takes advantage of the highly public nature of its department stores to engage in a variety of social contribution activities, such as fundraising, as well as charity activities through product sales. We also undertake activities that contribute to society, including community cleanups and scholarships through charitable foundations.
As part of its social contribution activities, the Group conducts cleanup activities around its stores and in local communities. With an increasing number of domestic and international tourists and other visitors, our employees pick up trash in order to help create a clean and beautiful community. The out-of-store sales department of Isetan Shinjuku Main Store participates in cleanup activities in Shinjuku Kabukicho. These activities are carried out together with green bird, a non-profit organization, in which members of Criacao Shinjuku, a soccer club with which Isetan Shinjuku Main Store has concluded a partnership agreement, serve as community leaders. By communicating with people from various sectors of society, including local businesses, soccer players, people working in Kabukicho, and international students, we are strengthening our ties with the community while fulfilling our social responsibility.
Conducted community cleanup activities with members of Criacao ShinjukuThe Isetan Scholarship Foundation was established in 1963 by the founding family of the former Isetan Ltd., and later recognized as a public interest corporation. For about 60 years, this foundation has been awarding scholarships to students who are enrolled in commerce, economics, or business-related faculties at seven universities in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures, and who have excellent academic abilities but are unable to study for financial reasons.
In November 2022, the Isetan Scholarship Foundation held its first lecture and social event to provide scholarship students with useful information and a place to interact with each other. Many students listened with great interest to the lectures on management and secrets of new business development, which were followed by a lively question-and-answer session.
Lecture in progressIn the group discussion, they shared personal stories on the theme of what they focus on in their student life, allowing them to engage in wide-ranging communication with their peers from different schools and grade levels. Isetan Scholarship Foundation will continue to contribute to society by providing support to outstanding students who will be responsible for future social and economic development.
Group discussion| Period | Title | Amount (thousand yen) | Participating stores | Donation recipients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr.–Feb. | COVID-19 Infection Response | 2,629 | All Group stores | Japanese Red Cross Society |
| Jul.–Sep. | Humanitarian Support to Ukrainian People | 474 | Dedicated Website | Japan for UNHCR |
| Feb.–Mar. | 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake | 1,475 | All Group stores,and Dedicated Website | Japanese Red Cross Society |
| Oct. | Pink Ribbon Campaign | 467 | Isetan Shinjuku Main Store, Isetan Tachikawa Store, Hakodate Marui Imai, Sendai Mitsukoshi, Shizuoka Isetan, JR Kyoto Isetan,and Takamatsu Mitsukoshi | Japan Society of Breast Health,and Pink Ribbon Kagawa |
| All year | MI Card Points Donated by Customers as 1 Point = 1 Yen | 1,315 | MI Card Home Page | Japanese Red Cross Society |
| 5,191 | Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science, Kyoto National Museum, Morino Project, Nagoya Tourism and Cultural Exchange Bureau, and Kashima-Jingu Shrine | |||
| Donation of a Certain Amount of Money from the Profits of MI Tomonokai | 995 | Tomonokai counters at group stores | More Trees |
| Store outside Japan | Amount (thousand yen) |
|---|---|
| Isetan Singapore | 804 |
| Isetan Kuala Lumpur | 285 |
| Isetan Tianjin / Tianjin Binhai New Area Isetan | 139 |
| Mitsukoshi USA | 565 |
*Converted into yen at the rate as of the end of March 2023.