- Wako Department Store
Infobox Company
name = Wako Co., Ltd.
株式会社和光
type =Subsidiary
genre =
foundation = 1881
founder = Kintarō Hattori
location_city =
location_country =
location = 4-5-11Ginza ,Chūō, Tokyo ,Japan
origins =
key_people =
area_served =
industry = Retail
products =
services =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent = Seiko Holdings Corporation (100%)
divisions =
subsid =
owner =
slogan =
homepage = [http://www.wako.co.jp/ www.wako.co.jp]
dissolved =
footnotes = Nihongo|Wako|株式会社和光|Kabushiki-gaisha Wakō (officially Wako Co., Ltd., also known as Ginza Wako) is an exclusivedepartment store inJapan , located at the heart of theGinza shopping district inTokyo . This store is famous for itswatches ,jewellery ,porcelain ,dishware , andhandbag s, as well as foreign luxury goods. There is also an art gallery, called Wako Hall, on the sixth floor. Wako was founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori as a watch and jewelry shop calledK. Hattori (now Seiko Holdings Corporation) in Ginza. In 1947, the retail division split off as Wako Co., Ltd.From 1894 to 1921, the
Hattori Clock Tower stood on the site where the Wako Department Store occupies today. In 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower was demolished to rebuild a new one. The reconstruction was delayed due to theGreat Kanto Earthquake ofSeptember 1 ,1923 . The new tower was completed in 1932 as the K. Hattori Building. In homage to its predecessor, the Wako Department Store was also fitted with a clock.Its 1932
Neo-Renaissance style building, designed byJin Watanabe , with its curvedgranite façade , is the central landmark for the district and one of the few buildings in the area left standing afterWorld War II . The building functioned as the Tokyo PX store during the Allied Occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1952. The clock tower plays the famousWestminster Chimes .The department store operates branches in Hiroo, Haneda Airport,
Shinsaibashi , and some luxury hotels in Japan.External links
* [http://www.wako.co.jp/ Wako's web page] (in Japanese)
* [http://www.oldtokyo.com/ginza2.html Images]
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