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Matsuya department store dining-room, c. 1930s.
the differences between the old and new style of department stores began
to disappear, and together they led the way to the full-blown development
of Japanese mass culture. 45
In many respects, the Japanese department store resembled similar
establishments in Paris, London and New York. Mass merchandising was
directly linked to the mass production, transportation, information systems
and new financial instruments that were capable of supporting this
mass retailing. 46 One of the characteristic features of Japanese department
stores, however, was a particular abundance of dining establishments.
The first store to set up a refreshment room was Shirokiya in 1904,
followed by Mitsukoshi in 1907, both located in the centre of Tokyo. In
1911, after a great renovation of the store was completed, Shirokiya
opened a grander restaurant where a selection of Western as well as
Japanese dishes was offered: sandwiches, sushi, Western- and Japanesestyle
confectionery, tea and coffee. 47 By the 1920s practically every department
store hosted at least two restaurants and a teashop.
The fact that these restaurants not only served food to nourish the
body but also provided entertainment in the form of unfamiliar interior
decorations and unfamiliar food constituted an important added value.
The interior was usually Western in style with waitresses dressed in
Western-style uniforms and wearing high-heeled shoes. The modern
character of the restaurant’s management, which followed the capitalist
51