Apple to Relocate Its Ginza, Tokyo Store to New High-Rise

Apple’s (Cupertino, Calif.) Ginza store is in a prized spot in Japan’s upmarket shopping district in Tokyo. As the retailer’s first store in Japan, and also its first outside of the U.S., it drew 2500 customers to its opening day in 2003.

Now the landmark is set to be demolished and Apple is planning to relocate to a new building, Nikkei Asia reports. Apple’s new location is a first for Japan as the nation’s first 12-story building made of fire-resistant wood and supported with a minimal use of steel. Demolition of the Ginza store is expected to begin in September, and a 10-story building will replace the corner site.

The environmentally friendly high-rise that will become home to the relocated Ginza store was constructed with more than half of its load-bearing elements comprising wood. Not only does the use of wood reportedly cut down on carbon dioxide emissions over the lifetime of the property, the flexible nature of wood enables it to withstand a 7 on Japan’s version of the Richter scale, rated from 1-7. The forward-thinking design was created by developer Hulic, one of Japan’s biggest real estate groups.

The relocated Apple store is set to open Aug. 30.