Daimaru Kobe, Department store in Chuo Ward, Japan
Daimaru Kobe is a department store in Chuo Ward, Kobe, Japan, with floors dedicated to fashion, accessories, cosmetics, home goods, and dining. The building has multiple levels above ground and basement floors, all connected by escalators and elevators.
The Daimaru group traces its origins to 1717, when it was founded as a textile merchant in Japan. The Kobe store was established in Kyukyoryuchi, the district that opened to foreign trade in 1868 and where overseas merchants settled in the city.
The basement level of the store is home to a depachika, a food market where shoppers browse fresh bento boxes, wagashi sweets, and regional specialties from across Japan. This kind of underground food hall is a well-known part of Japanese department store culture and draws as many visitors as the floors above.
The store is wheelchair accessible, and information desks on several floors can help with orientation. Since the retail space covers many levels, it is worth setting aside enough time to look around properly.
The rooftop of the building turns into a beer garden in summer, offering a view over the rooftops of the surrounding district. Kyukyoryuchi, where the store sits, is one of the few areas in Japan that still has a dense mix of 19th-century European-style buildings standing alongside Japanese architecture.
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