Matsuya Ginza transforms into a haunted house!? Report on the media preview of the 100th anniversary event “Matsuen Festival”

Matsuya Ginza will celebrate its 100th anniversary in May 2025, and since spring has been holding various anniversary events under the theme of "Connect, Connect, Connect." The main event of the second half, the Shoensai Festival , will be held from Wednesday, October 29th to Tuesday, November 11th. With the opening just around the corner, details were revealed at a media preview, so we've picked out some of the most noteworthy events to introduce.

*The contents of this article are current as of the time of the interview. Please note that they may differ from the latest information.

In the "After-Closing Haunted House Mission," Matsuya employees play the role of ghosts!

Matsuya Ginza is celebrating its 100th anniversary by continuing to take on a variety of challenges to break new ground as a department store. This year's Matsuen Festival is being held as a special event to express gratitude for the various connections that have been made so far and to connect them to the future, with the highlight being a haunted house .

On Halloween night, the guardian spirit that has protected the building and its customers for many years is sealed away by a ghost's curse. If things continue as they are, Matsuya Ginza will be possessed by ghosts. Participants will take on an unprecedented mission to save Matsuya Ginza in the silent, dark store – this is the setting for the "After-Hours Haunted House Mission."

■ Teaser video

The event will be set in the store itself, which is normally off-limits, after closing time, and will allow curious children to explore multiple floors – a very bold plan for a department store that houses luxury brands. It will not just be scary, but will also be a mission-based haunted house that incorporates educational and humorous elements . There will be a special performance by Nebuta artist Asako Kitamura, and more than 60 employees will be taking on the roles of staff and ghosts.

Yae Kawai of the Customer Promotion Department reveals that the project started with a casual comment: "Department stores are kind of scary after they close down." She enthusiastically states, "Just as the rooftops of department stores used to be playgrounds for children and places for families to relax, the starting point of this project was our desire for Matsuya Ginza to be a memorable place for children today. We envision this project as a way to make children fall in love with Matsuya and connect it to the future, so that they will continue to patronize us for many years to come."

The "After-Hours Haunted House Mission" will be held over two days, Friday, October 31st and Saturday, November 1st, and the participation fee is 2,200 yen per person (tax included) (for elementary school students and above, includes a souvenir). Applications for advance lottery can be made on the official website until Monday, October 20th, but it seems that there are already more than 10 times the number of applications than the capacity, so it looks like participation will be a tough challenge.

Make your Ginza stroll even more enjoyable with the GINZA CELEBRATION CARD!

Furthermore, with the desire to encourage people to enjoy walking and shopping not only at Matsuya Ginza but throughout Ginza, original trading cards called "GINZA CELEBRATION CARD" have been produced in collaboration with people associated with Ginza who are celebrating milestones. The 30 cards in total offer a wide variety of designs, including cards featuring people such as President Furuya Takehiko, Onoe Kikugoro VIII, who will succeed him in 2025, and Onoe Kikunosuke VI, as well as cards focusing on long-established businesses such as Mikasa Kaikan, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and Ginza Matsuzaki Senbei, which is celebrating its 160th anniversary since moving its flagship store to Ginza.

During the Matsuen Festival, one of these cards will be distributed at random to anyone who spends over 11,000 yen (tax included) on the 1st to 7th floors of Matsuya Ginza (purchases cannot be combined), and also to anyone who spends over 1,000 yen (tax included) (purchases cannot be combined) at participating stores in Ginza (while supplies last).

If you collect five cards, you can try your luck at a gacha machine to win delicious Ginza gourmet food, and if you win a rare holographic card , you'll also receive original Matsuya Ginza goods as a bonus. It's sure to add an extra touch to your Gin-bura stroll.

Enjoy the flavors of famous shops at "Ginza Connecting Koppepan"

Don't miss the new releases of the popular "Ginza Connecting Koppepan" project, which combines the flavors of Ginza's famous restaurants with the elegant sweetness and fluffy texture of Ginza Kimuraya's Sakadane Koppepan . This time, Ginza Wako, Ginza Mikawaya, and Romaiya Restaurant Ginza will be participating for the first time, while Ginza Yoshizawa, Ginza West, and Ginza Kimuraya, who are continuing to participate from last time, will also be offering new ingredients. The sale period is from Wednesday, October 29th to Tuesday, November 4th.

This time, the lineup included three types of savory koppepan and three types of dessert koppepan, and the actual products were served early at the preview event.

The "Truffle-Scented Roast Beef Coppé" (1,296 yen including tax) at the Romaiya Restaurant Ginza branch, which also celebrated its 100th anniversary, is made with the restaurant's signature Wagyu roast beef and is topped with an onion-based sauce that brings out the meat's natural flavor. The dish emphasizes a refreshing taste, balancing the sweetness of the bread, and highlights the refreshing spiciness of the wasabi greens and the aroma of the truffles, resulting in a highly satisfying dish.

Wako in Ginza, a leading chocolate lover in Japan, offers the "Nama Chocolate Cream Koppe " (1,188 yen including tax). This unique treat features a light cream made with high-quality French chocolate sandwiched between praline-flavored crunchy chocolate and accented with chopped chocolate, creating a contrast in texture. While simple in composition, the rich flavor lingers on the tongue, bringing a sense of happiness with every bite, exuding an elegance that's unusual for a koppepan.

The maximum number of loaves that can be produced each day is around 600-700, which will be divided among the various collaboration products. Apparently, during the previous event, all varieties were sold out by the afternoon, so if you want to be sure to get your hands on one, we recommend you go in the morning.

Discover the hidden charms of Matsuya Ginza. "Guided Tour: Learn from the Past and Create the Future"

Also making a comeback is the "Learn more about Matsuya Ginza! Guided Tour," which was well-received when it was held in May. Guided by Ken Tashiro, principal of Tokyo Fashion College, who has a career centered on Matsuya and has been with the group for over 40 years, this special tour is a must-see for Matsuya Ginza fans, as it allows you to explore secret famous spots and backrooms that are normally off-limits, complete with commentary.

Specifically, the tour will take in Matsuya Ginza's "power spots," such as the Sanskrit plaque representing the Four Heavenly Kings on the first floor ceiling and the Ryuko Fudoson statue on the rooftop. Tashiro is so knowledgeable about Matsuya that he's sometimes called a "living dictionary of Matsuya's history," and he's sprinkled trivia that will make visitors feel even more attached to the store into the 60-minute store tour and 30-minute photo lecture. In fact, he's retiring in March of next year, so this tour may be his last chance to experience Tashiro's insights firsthand.

The event will be held from November 1st (Sat) to 3rd (national holiday, Monday), 8th (Sat) and 9th (Sun). Participation is free. Advance reservations are required.

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In addition, the historic champagne house Piper-Heidsieck's pop-up store and Matsuya Ginza's 100th anniversary champagne bar will be selling limited edition special cuvées to commemorate the 100th anniversary, as well as rare bottles that are one of a kind in the world. Depending on the day, you can enjoy special effects such as champagne towers and DJ performances.

There will also be a plethora of new limited edition products, and the MATSUYA GINZA Souvenir Store will have a lineup of T-shirts and eco-bags featuring a design that resembles building blocks representing the 100 years of history, as well as the MATSUYA GINZA typography design. Nadir Gul, a long-established Turkish baklava specialty store, will be releasing a limited edition of 100 units of the Matsuya Ginza 100th Anniversary Baklava Box (12,960 yen). Three types of baklava and a limited edition notebook are packed into a chic wooden box, making it a striking piece of interior decor.

The above is only a small part of the Matsuen Festival. For the full details, including the exact dates of each event and the sales period for limited edition products, please check the official website .

President Furuya said that in the second half of the anniversary year, Matsuya will place more emphasis on its mission of "lighting a fire of hope for the future and creating a place where people can be happy," and will focus on challenges that will lead to the future.
"Our employees are increasingly connecting with local people and coming up with plans. In many ways, Matsuya and Ginza have become closer, and it makes sense to have our flagship store in Ginza," he said, exuding delight at the changes in the company culture he has noticed through these efforts. "A department store is fundamentally a public entity — a place that anyone can visit casually, and we believe that it has the role of attracting customers to the town, not just selling products, but also allowing them to experience the charm and excitement of the town. By increasing our unique identity as a department store, we hope to generate returns by attracting more people to the town, and become a presence that can coexist and prosper with the town."

*The contents of this article are current as of the time of the interview. They may differ from the latest information, so please check the Matsuya Ginza official website for details.