Tono Shopping Center Topia

Tono Shopping Center Topia (遠野ショッピングセンターとぴあ) is a mixed-use commercial facility located in Tono, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It sits in the central shopping district, about a five-minute walk from Tono Station on the JR Kamaishi Line. The facility is also known as the Tono City Central Shopping District Vitalization Center, and it houses the Tono City Hall Topia Branch on its second floor. The center is owned by Tono City and operated by a tenant cooperative, Tono Shogyo Kaihatsu, with Kikukoh Store as its core tenant. The site has a layered history. It originally opened in November 1989 as Nichii Tono Store, developed on the former site of the old Iwate Prefectural Tono Hospital. The project was promoted by Tono City and the Tono Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with Nichii holding 70% and Tamakiya 30% through the operating company Iwate Family Department Store. Local merchants occupied roughly half of the sales floor area. In the 1990s, the operator changed its name to Mycal and the store was rebranded as Tono Saty. After Mycal's bankruptcy in 2001, the store was deemed unprofitable and closed on August 31, 2002, together with the Miyako and Esashi stores. Concerned about the impact on local tenants, Tono City purchased the land and building and renovated the facility, addressing earlier weaknesses such as inadequate parking and a weak food offering. In December 2002, just three months after Saty closed, the facility reopened as Tono Shopping Center Topia, with Kikukoh Store as the anchor. A tenant cooperative, Tono Shogyo Kaihatsu, was formed with 27 of the 33 original tenants. The center has since evolved into a public-private hybrid: after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake damaged the main city hall building, part of the municipal government moved into the second floor as the Tono City Hall Topia Branch in April 2011. When the new main city hall building was completed in 2017 on land that included the center's flat parking lot, a connecting corridor was built between the two. Today, Topia combines retail, municipal services, and community functions. It contains Kikukoh Store Topia, the Tono City Hall Topia Branch, and around 24 specialty shops. It also features a direct sales corner for local farm produce, a monthly free bus service for residents in remote areas without transportation, and original mascot characters called "Henokappa Goninshu," inspired by the kappa of Tono Monogatari. The center remains a focal point for shopping and civic life in Tono.

The site of Tono Shopping Center Topia was originally the location of the old Iwate Prefectural Tono Hospital. In November 1989, it opened as Nichii Tono Store, operated by Iwate Family Department Store, a joint venture established with 70% investment from Nichii and 30% from Tamakiya, promoted by Tono City and the Tono Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The store was intended to revitalize the former hospital site and develop the area in front of Tono Station. Local merchants occupied about half of the sales floor area. In the 1990s, the operator changed its name to Mycal, and the store was renamed Tono Saty as part of a format shift from Nichii to Saty. In 2001, Mycal filed for civil rehabilitation and later corporate reorganization, effectively going bankrupt. Tono Saty was classified as an unprofitable store and closed on August 31, 2002. The Miyako store (later Cattleya Miyako) and the Esashi store closed on the same day. One factor cited for the unprofitability was poor customer traffic due to the parking facility being exclusively a multi-story garage with narrow spaces per vehicle. Fearing adverse effects on local tenants, Tono City purchased the land and building. The city carried out renovation work to address previous issues such as inadequate parking and a merchandise mix centered on clothing with weak food sales. In October 2002, a tenant cooperative named Tono Shogyo Kaihatsu held its founding general meeting. On December 1, 2002, three months after Saty closed, the facility reopened as Tono Shopping Center Topia, also known as the Tono City Central Shopping District Vitalization Center, with Kikukoh Store as the core tenant. The cooperative consisted of 27 of the 33 original tenants. In 2009, the exterior walls of the facility were renewed. In March 2011, the Tohoku Pacific Earthquake caused significant damage to the central building of Tono City Hall's main office. As a result, part of the municipal government functions were relocated to the second floor of Topia in April 2011 as the Tono City Hall Topia Branch. In September 2017, the new main Tono City Hall building was completed on the south side of the facility, on land that included the former flat parking lot, and a connecting corridor was established between the two buildings. The center continues to operate as a public-private partnership. It houses Kikukoh Store Topia, the Tono City Hall Topia Branch, and around 24 specialty shops. It also features a direct sales corner for local farm produce within Kikukoh Store, a monthly free bus service for residents in remote areas without transportation, and original mascot characters called "Henokappa Goninshu" inspired by the kappa of Tono Monogatari. The facility has 350 parking spaces on the third floor and rooftop.

• 2017

  New Tono City Hall main building completed on the south side; connecting corridor established.

• 2011

  Tono City Hall Topia Branch opened on the second floor.

• 2009

  Exterior walls of the facility renewed.

• 2002

  Tono Saty closed.

• 2002

  Founding general meeting of tenant cooperative Tono Shogyo Kaihatsu held.

• 2002

  Tono City acquired land and building; facility reopened as Tono Shopping Center Topia with Kikukoh Store as core tenant.

• 2001

  Mycal filed for civil rehabilitation with the Tokyo District Court, effectively bankrupt.

• 2001

  Mycal Tohoku filed for civil rehabilitation, effectively bankrupt.

• 2001

  Mycal filed for corporate reorganization, switching bankruptcy procedures.

• 1990

  Operator renamed to Mycal; store renamed Tono Saty.

• 1989

  Opened as Nichii Tono Store, operated by Iwate Family Department Store.

A community-oriented shopping center combining retail, municipal services, and local revitalization in central Tono.

• Kikukoh Store Topia

• Tono City Hall Topia Branch

• Direct sales corner for local produce

• Free monthly bus service

• Henokappa Goninshu mascots

1. 1遠野ショッピングセンターとぴあ 公式サイトtono-topia.or.jp
2. 2遠野ショッピングセンターとぴあ - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
3. 3Tono Shopping Center Topia - Wikidatawikidata.org