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Japan’s Depachika Basement Luxury Food Store Opens in Bangkok

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Newly opened Mitsukoshi Depachika is seen in November in Bangkok, Thailand.

By Takashi Itoda / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

16:59 JST, December 5, 2024

Fans of “depachika” basement food floors of department stores that house luxury and gourmet markets can now visit one in Bangkok.

Depachika is a portmanteau of the Japanese words “depaato,” for department store and “chika,” which means basement.

Japanese department store giant Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings opened the store, called “Mitsukoshi Depachika,” in the commercial complex One Bangkok in the city this October. The store sells sweets as well as perishables, packaged food and deli items. It aims to appeal to the appetite of wealthy locals for high quality products.

“The number of Thai tourists traveling to Japan increasing, as is the level of recognition of depachika,” said the store’s manager. “We intend to showcase the high quality and freshness of the food products to Thai people.”

As the consumer market has been shrinking in Japan due to the shrinking population, Japanese retailers are increasingly turning their attention toward Southeast Asia markets.