1 · Position
Founded in Tokyo in 1886, based at Shinjuku, with branches in Kyoto, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur. On 1 April 2008 Isetan and Mitsukoshi combined under Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings.
2 · ⚑ Why the merger is the entry
Mitsukoshi dates from 1673 and Isetan from 1886, and it is the younger house that is named first in the holding company. The register's own record explains why: through the 1990s Mitsukoshi was losing money for eight consecutive years while part-timers made up about 15 per cent of its staff against more than 40 per cent at Isetan — a cost structure that decided which of the two would still be making the decisions. Age does not confer survival, and this Library should not imply that it does.
3 · Candour
The group reports more than 200 million store visits a year in Japan — more than the country's population — and over fifty stores worldwide; both figures are the company's own. What the merger cost in stores closed and staff lost is not established here.