1904 Department Store Declaration (Translation).
Greetings,
Upon the succession of this store to the operation of the unlimited partnership of the Mitsui Dry Goods Store, the store employees will devote their full attention to the main Tokyo store, studying and pursuing the convenience of our valued customers. While we will of course exert ourselves to the utmost to meet the needs of the customers, as has been our practice up until now, we shall also earnestly redouble our efforts. With this in mind, we will endeavor to carry out the following:
- The main Tokyo branch will renovate its appearance, upgrade its products, and add improvements in every quarter in order to enhance the aesthetic experience of the customer, and to provide every possible facility to make the act of purchase pleasant.
- Our design division will provide a pattern reference room. For customers who wish to special order, this room will offer various old and new samples for viewing in order to facilitate selection.
- We have also increased the variety of products sold at this store; we are equipped to supply most items related to clothing and adornment all under one roof. In short, we shall constitute a department store like those in the United States.
- In the spring and fall, we will hold special exhibits of new patterns, promoting new products from all over Japan. At the same time, we will hold artistic exhibits, which, in addition to to demonstrating advances made in design, will present unparalleled displays of goods for our visitors to choose from.
- The Kyoto warehouse will undertake further improvements to stand at the forefront of fashion, including expanding its dye and weaving facilities and manufacturing the very latest elegant fashionable goods.
- The regional sales division will, with care and skill, endeavor to meet the needs of customers living far away, filling orders and sending patterns for metropolitan fashion goods as depicted in our monthly journal Jikou [Vogue].
For the purpose of the store enhancements along the lines mentioned above, our employee Hayashi Kouhei has been sent to the United States. Upon his imminent return, the cutting-edge methods of improvement that he will bring back will gradually be implemented in this store. These are our intentions that we would like to declare, despite the impertinence, on this occasion of our announcement of the store's incorporation.
December, Meiji 37, Mitsukoshi Dry Goods Store, Inc.