![2023] A look back at Hokkaido's department stores, local stores, and discontinued stations that have closed, much to the regret of many.｜Domingo](https://p1-634a4370.imageflux.jp/w=768,f=webp:auto,q=78/https%3A%2F%2Fdomingo.ne.jp%2Fwp%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F12%2F40cc0859363fcb910e9d1feefb1c2f5a.jpg)
EDITORIALS
2023] A look back at Hokkaido's department stores, local stores, and discontinued stations that have closed, much to the regret of many.
The year 2023 marked a major milestone for Hokkaido, with the closure of department stores and department stores that have long been beloved by local residents, as well as the discontinuation of stations. We look back at the department stores that closed in 2023, stores that were beloved by the local community, and stations that were discontinued, though regrettably missed by many.
Hokkaido's "Department Stores and Department Stations" that closed in 2023
January 31, 2023: Fujimaru Department Store (Obihiro City)
[Fujimaru Closing Announcement]
Fujimaru Department Store (@fujimaruobihiro) January 31, 2023
Fujimaru will close its doors after 122 years of operation on January 31, 2023.
We would like to express our deep appreciation and gratitude for your patronage over the generations as a local department store since its establishment in 1900 in Obihiro, Tokachi.
Thank you very much for your patronage for 122 years. pic.twitter.com/BnPnTsLJpN-
Founded in Obihiro in 1900, the store was renamed "Fujimaru Department Store" from "Fujimaru Kimono Store" in 1930. It was the first department store in Tokachi to install an elevator, and at its peak recorded sales of 14.5 billion yen. However, the waves of the times pushed the store out of business, and in January 2023, the curtain came down on its 122-year history.
A new company has now been established to take over the "Fujimaru" name and rebuild the business, with the aim of opening in the fall of 2025 at the earliest, after renovating the existing building.
July 31, 2023: Nagasakiya Obihiro Store (Obihiro City)
beforeClosing sale begins at Nagasakiya Obihiro store with "10 times" as many people as
#Hokkaido NEWSWEB https://t.co/nSvBYaMl2w - https://t.co/nSvBYaMl2w-
NHK Hokkaido (@nhk_hokkaido) June 23, 2023
Following Fujimaru, Nagasakiya Obihiro has closed its large store in Obihiro. As a station-front store, it was used not only by Obihiro residents but also by customers from neighboring towns, but with the exception of a few tenants, the store will close in July 2023. The building is now being considered for demolition, and some of the remaining tenants have been asked to vacate.
August 31, 2023: Sapporo Esta (Chuo-ku, Sapporo)
Sapporo Esta, a commercial facility in front of Sapporo Station, will close in August 2023 due to the redevelopment of the Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train line. After the closure, the stores that were tenants moved to Tokyu Department Store, Moyuk Sapporo, and other locations. The site where Sapporo Esta used to be is scheduled for redevelopment in the future, and a skyscraper as high as 245 meters, the tallest in Hokkaido, is scheduled to be constructed.
August 31, 2023: Theo Department Store Main Store (Hakodate)
Thank you foryour patronage for 61 years.
Theo Department Store will close
today, August 31, 2023 (Thursday)
at 19:00.e
Wwould like to thank all
Theo [Thanks for 61 years of patronage] (@todept) August 31, 2023
customers who have visited us so far 😄
We will always be in your heart.
Heart TO Heart's Theo Department Store ✨ pic.twitter.com/wjzDAONbzE-
Opened in 1962 in the Hakodate Goryokaku area, the main Teo Department Store has long been a favorite of several generations of citizens, but will close in August 2023. Hakodate's department stores are showing the passage of time with the closure of BONI Moriya in 2019 and Seibu Department Store in 2003.
Hokkaido's "stations" abolished in 2023.
March 17, 2023: JR Hamadaura Station
Hamadaura Station is an unmanned station on JR Hokkaido's Hidaka Main Line. Due to a decrease in the number of users, the station was discontinued in conjunction with the timetable revision starting on March 18, 2023. On March 17, when the station was closed, a farewell ceremony was held by local residents.
April 1, 2023: Rumoi Main Line (Ishikari-Numada to Rumoi)
The Rumoi Main Line is scheduled to be phased out due to declining ridership; the line between Masuge and Rumoi was discontinued in 2016, and the 35.7 km section from Rumoi to Ishikari-Numada will be out of service in 2023. The remaining 14.4 km section from Ishikari-Numada to Fukagawa is scheduled to be discontinued in 2026.
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