At 15 Daimaru and Matsuzakaya department stores nationwide, new packaging designs have been introduced, incorporating a new symbol, "Hyakuyozu."
At Daimaru and Matsuzakaya department stores, a visual identity named "Hyakuyozu" has been developed with the theme of "richness where diverse values are mutually recognized and overlap." Based on this, on July 30, 2025 (Wednesday), Daimaru and Matsuzakaya have updated their packaging (shopping bags and wrapping paper) for the first time in 35 and 23 years, respectively.
Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores operates 15 stores in major cities across Japan. Each store possesses its own unique character, and by deeply connecting with its local community, has co-created a unique culture with customers—in a sense, a department store without a single flagship.
Daimaru was founded in 1717 and Matsuzakaya in 1611, initially as kimono fabric retailers. Both companies navigated numerous crises to transition into department stores, nurturing their respective traditions while continuously adapting to the changing times. They merged operations in 2007, leading to the establishment of "Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores" in 2010. Under the shared principles of "prioritizing righteousness over profit" and "abstain from all evil, do good," both companies have upheld for centuries the spirit of "humility towards customers" and "first, for society."
In today's society, where values are rapidly shifting with the times, we recognized that being "disparate" equates to "diverse," which is not a weakness but rather the DNA and raison d'être of Daimaru and Matsuzakaya.
"Hyakuyozu"—meaning "a hundred forms"—is named to represent the harmonious overlap between the values cherished by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores—such as the "history of connection" of its stores, their "regional distinctiveness," the "zeitgeist and transient beauty," and "consideration for customers"—and the individual values of each customer, creating a rich and beautiful harmony. Hyakuyozu embodies the "Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store-ness" of engaging in commerce while being close to customers in their respective locales, each with their own unique character, and also represents the ideal form we aspire to.
The "Hyakuyozu" motif, adopted for the new packaging, is a tangible expression of the value of "Hyakuyozu" that Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores cherishes, designed by Haruka Misawa of the Misawa Design Research Lab at the Nippon Design Center. Hyakuyozu is a design that layers the ubiquitous material of paper, the shapes of circles and squares, and the colors green and blue (peacock green and royal blue). The circle and green pay homage to Daimaru's symbol mark, while the square and blue echo Matsuzakaya's, conveying the aspiration to continue inheriting the history of both names.
The richness of "Hyakuyozu" that Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores wishes to convey extends beyond the packaging design; embodying Hyakuyozu means co-creating new value with customers.
Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores will continue to strive to become a company capable of fulfilling this mission.
Distribution begins in select departments from Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
Daimaru: 11 stores - Shinsaibashi, Umeda, Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe, Sapporo, Suma,
Ashiya, Shimonoseki, Fukuoka Tenjin, Kochi Daimaru
Matsuzakaya: 4 stores - Nagoya, Ueno, Shizuoka, Takatsuki
*Shopping bags are available in three sizes (S, M, L) for both Daimaru and Matsuzakaya.