Mitsukoshi and the Wartime State: Consuming Production

Mitsukoshi debuted as a Western-style “department store” the same year as the Russo-Japanese War, and immediately capitalized on the moment through its patriotic advertising campaigns and commemorative goods.  Though initially linked by coincidence, the retailer vigorously continued to pursue profit in the wake of Japanese colonial expansion, not only through domestic sales, but also by providing goods and services to Japanese colonists, opening offices abroad and a branch store in Seoul, and eventually by directly supplying the Japanese military. However, postwar Mitsukoshi histories neglect this early twentieth century partnership by discursively leaving Asia and entering the West once more.  That is, while the retailer’s colonial connections were minimized, its reputation as a paradise of Western-style consumption was speedily revived under the American occupation.  Alignment with individualizing consumption rather than collective sacrifice provided an alibi:  since the wartime government had insisted that luxury was the enemy, how could one of the most preeminent champions of luxury have been a collaborator? 

This paper examines how the pioneering Japanese department store Mitsukoshi represented its role on the Asian continent before, during, and after the Asia Pacific War.  Reconsidering the manner through which Mitsukoshi evaded accountability allows us to revisit questions regarding relations between consumption, production, and war.