Nakasan Hirosaki store (Dotemachi, Hirosaki City) closed on August 29th.

On August 30th, local residents were seen visiting the storefront, mourning the sudden closure of this symbol of Dotemachi Shopping Street.

Nakasan is a long-established department store that represents Aomori Prefecture, founded in Goshogawara in 1896 (Meiji 29). Nakasan Hirosaki branch opened in 1962 (Showa 37). The miso ramen "Nakamiso" sold in the basement food court is known as one of the "soul foods of Hirosaki". The current store, which underwent a major renovation in 1995 (Heisei 7), was designed by architect Mozuna Kikko, and its unique design has been loved by locals as a landmark of the downtown area. During the heyday of Dotemachi Shopping Street in the 1970s and 1980s, six large commercial facilities such as department stores and fashion buildings were lined up, but the closure of Nakasan marks the extinguishing of the last light of the building.

Nakasan operated five stores in the northern Tohoku area, but went bankrupt in 2011. After undergoing civil rehabilitation procedures, a Tokyo-based investment fund acquired all of the shares. In 2015, all of the shares were taken over by MiK (Aomori City), which has been rebuilding the company as a subsidiary of the company. Since then, it has operated two stores, the Hirosaki store and the Aomori store, but the Aomori store closed in April 2019 due to aging facilities and other reasons.

The Hirosaki store had been operating at a large loss for the past three fiscal years, including an operating loss of 222 million yen in the fiscal year ending August 2023. In April of this year, Junkudo Bookstore, a core tenant, closed. The store had announced that it would close at 4 p.m. on August 28 for inventory and would be closed on the 29th, but on the 29th, the company announced bankruptcy and suspension of operations. This brings to an end 128 years of business under the Chusan name and 62 years of business for the Hirosaki store.

Shibuya Takuya, president of Meicha no Gyokuundo, a tenant in the basement, explained in a video posted on YouTube on August 29 that he had "decided to withdraw (the tenant store) on the 31st of this month" because he felt that "there was not enough merchandise for the summer sales season, such as midyear gifts and Obon." "All the staff were preparing to welcome customers for the last time, but we decided to close before the last business day. I'm surprised and angry. It's a shame that we've lost contact with our customers," he said. Narita Hisako, owner of Cafe Ziba, located near Nakasan Hirosaki, said, "Maybe it's because Nakasan closed, but we're not getting many customers. I wonder what will happen to Dotemachi from now on."

On the following day, the 30th, the foot traffic in front of the Hirosaki store was sparse, but locals could be seen stopping at the main entrance to stare at the closure notice. A woman who lives a five-minute walk from the store said, "Even though I live in the city, I'm now a shopping refugee. It's a shame, as it was doing its best as the last department store in Dotemachi." A man who had cycled to the main entrance to check out the store said, "I'm really surprised that there wasn't even a closing-down sale. Just like the Ito-Yokado Hirosaki store (which closes on September 28th), this is a facility I feel a strong attachment to, so I would have liked to have a proper farewell, not like this."