Japan’s Mitsukoshi mall opens in BGC

MANILA, Philippines — Federal Land Inc., the real estate firm  of GT Capital Holdings, yesterday unveiled the Philippines’ first Mitsukoshi mall, located at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, beside Grand Hyatt Manila.

Federal Land chairman Alfred Ty said it took eight years to make the dream of bringing the Japanese retail brand to the Philippines come true.

“It took eight years to get to this dream,” Ty said during the opening ceremony yesterday ahead of the soft opening today, Nov.18.

Mitsukoshi brings together Japanese traditions and contemporary design principles.

The retail development is a tripartite development of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd., one of the largest department store groups in Japan; Nomura Real Estate Development Co., Ltd., a Japanese real estate giant, and Federal Land.

It is located  at the podium level of The Seasons Residences in Bonifacio Global City and is envisioned to be the newest lifestyle destination in the BGC area.

The mall’s offerings include natural and organic cosmetics; depachika, or food markets found inside Japanese department stores; a supermarket which will carry local brands and authentic Japanese goods, hard-to-find delicacies such as frozen fish and sashimi which will be air-freighted straight from Japan.

There will be  other retail lifestyle brands including Kinokuniya Bookstore, a Japanese bookstore collaborating with Fully Booked.

The four-story mall brings to the country premium commercial spaces that showcase Japanese design elements in a casual but elegant setting.  It will feature a well-curated selection of shops and highlight the Japanese way of polite service known as Omotenashi.  At the basement level will be a depachika, an area of top-shelf Japanese food and related products.

By the entrance is the Mitsukoshi Lion, an emblematic lion statue, which is seen outside Japan for the first time.

Ty said Mitsukoshi BGC aims to elevate the Filipinos’ shopping experience, from its renowned hospitality to the retailers they will carry.

The Seasons Residences is part of Federal Land’s master-planned community in BGC, Grand Central Park, which is inspired by New York.

It has four residential towers, ranging from 41 to 51 floors. Each unit and the whole building ecosystem reflect Japanese technology from the design efficiency of its storage system to space-saving kitchens as well as below-floor drainage system for easier pipe maintenance and repairs as well as water leakage protection and separate shower & bathtub as an added luxury with a bigger space to relax and unwind.