Apple Store Ginza, in Japan, which opened in 2003, will be razed to the ground or demolished starting September 2022.
Opened on November 30, 2003, Apple Store Ginza is located in the Sayegusa Building in Tokyo. The shop was briefly closed due to fears of a terrorist bombing in 2015.
Now, as quoted from Apple Insider, Sunday (8/5/2022), Japan Property Central reports that the entire 8-story building will be demolished. A new 10-story building with office and retail space will replace it from late 2024.
Apple Store Ginza is one of the stores that Tim Cook visited during his visit to Japan in 2019. The store is close to the Yamano Music Hall, which is said to be the most expensive estate in Japan.
Japan Property Central says its value in 2022 will be USD 39,000 (approximately IDR 564 million) per square foot. The land value for the entire area is now reported to be 258% higher than the year before the Ginza Apple Store opened.
Currently the Apple Store Ginza is still open daily, although the website page only lists opening hours until May 12. It is not known whether Apple will move its stores to a new building once it becomes available.
However, Apple Store Ginza is not the only Apple store in Japan. The company, led by CEO Tim Cook, operates nine other stores in Japan, with four of them in Tokyo.
Our very first store outside of the US, Apple Ginza is always such a special place. Thanks for a wonderful visit! pic.twitter.com/h1ZLMhIpA5
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 10, 2019
To note, Apple Store Ginza is the first Apple Store built outside the United States (US). The Apple Store, which was established in Ginza, is also the 73rd Apple Store opened by Apple.
On its opening day, thousands of fans thronged the Apple Store location. The situation feels even more crowded because the Apple Store is located in a district that is well known as a shopping center in the city of Tokyo.
In fact, quoted from Cult of Mac, thousands of people are willing to queue in the pouring rain to enter the Apple Store. The selection of Ginza as the location of the first Apple Store outside the US is also seen as Apple's way of showing their target market.
By standing in the middle of dozens of fashion outlets, Apple seems to want to show that their products can be part of fashion and lifestyle.
