Lots of brand new commercial facilities will open in Japan’s two top cities in 2025 and some older facilities are getting a major facelift! Here are some of the most interesting locations opening or reopening in Tokyo and Osaka this year.
Harajuku Quest
Tokyo
Harajuku Quest
A new Harajuku Quest commercial facility is opening this spring, just three minutes’ walk from Tokyo’s Harajuku Station. The old Harajuku Quest was a well-known shopping mall and cultural facility that closed down in 2021 after 33 years of business.
The new Harajuku Quest will have six stories above ground, two basement levels and a rooftop tower. The upper levels will be terraced on one side of the building with the rooftop deck offering views over Meiji Jingu Shrine, Yoyogi Park and Omotesando Avenue. Inside, the facility has space for stores, restaurants and offices and is intended to become Harajuku’s newest cultural hub.
Takanawa Gateway City
Takanawa Gateway City is a huge development centred on Takanawa Gateway Station in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. Scheduled to open this March, this urban complex includes workspaces and apartments, a convention center, a JW Marriott hotel, a park, and the new MoN Takanawa cultural center.
New park at Takanawa Gateway City
Designed by Kengo Kuma, MoN Takanawa has six-stories above ground, three basement levels and rooftop gardens. Inside is a media library, and spaces for exhibitions and live performances of traditional Japanese and experimental programs.
MoN Takanawa cultural center
Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store
Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store is a well-known department store attached to the East Exit of Tokyo’s Ikebukuro Station. The store is currently undergoing a complete renovation, which will be carried out in stages, culminating in a grand reopening this summer.
The front of Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store after renovation
The revamped department store will have a new focus on luxury brand goods, hosting 60 of the world’s top brands, as well as cosmetics, which will also have around 60 domestic and international brands. The popular basement deli section is scheduled to host around 180 shops and will be the first section to be completed this month.
The new Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store design concept
Osaka
Daimaru Shinsaibashi
Daimaru Shinsaibashi is a historic department store in Osaka’s Shinsaibashi shopping district that dates all the way back to 1726. The current main building was originally designed and built by the American architect William Merrell Vories in 1933 but underwent extensive renovation in 2019. In advance of the Osaka World Expo in March of this year, the store is now undergoing another major makeover and is due to reopen in February. This latest renovation will see the luxury brands from the boutique floor expanded throughout the entire building and the introduction of new fashion stores such as Jil Sander and Amiri.
Daimaru Shinsaibashi
Grand Green Osaka
Grand Green Osaka is a massive urban development located to the north of Osaka Station. The southern part of Grand Green Osaka is due to have its grand opening on March 21st. This part of the commercial complex consists of three buildings and will include 55 stores and restaurants, a conference center, and two luxury hotels: Hotel Hankyu Gran Respire Osaka and Waldorf Astoria Osaka. The complex will also include Asia’s first Time Out Market, a large-scale food and culture market supervised by the media editors of Time Out magazine.
A design image of the southern part of Grand Green Osaka
Article by Michael Lambe. Images provided by the respective developments. All rights reserved.
