Youme Terrace Gion

Youme Terrace Gion (ゆめテラス祇園) is a shopping center located in Nishihara, Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima, Japan, operated by Izumi Co., Ltd. It is the first store of Izumi's urban-type general merchandise store (GMS) brand 'Youme Terrace'. The food hall section opened ahead of the full store on June 1, 2023, and the entire facility opened on November 1, 2023. The current store is a rebuild and rebranding of a long-standing Izumi location that had previously operated under the names Izumi Gion Shopping Center and Youme Town Gion. The original store, which opened in 1973, was Izumi's first suburban store and a pioneering large-scale shopping center in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. After decades of operation and concerns over earthquake resistance, the old building was closed and demolished, and the new Youme Terrace Gion opened on the same site. The store offers food, daily necessities, and specialty shops, and is positioned as a community-oriented retail destination in the Gion area of Hiroshima.

The history of Youme Terrace Gion begins with the original Izumi Gion Shopping Center, which was planned in the early 1970s as Izumi's first suburban store. In October 1971, the company announced plans for a shopping center along National Route 54 in Hiroshima, inspired by American retail styles. At the time, it was planned to be the first large-scale shopping center in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions and one of the largest in Japan after Tamagawa Takashimaya Shopping Center. The initial plan included a four-story building with one basement level, a bowling alley, a restaurant building, an amusement park, a pool, and a nursery, with a total project cost of about 1.65 billion yen. Construction began in January 1972, and the name 'Izumi Gion Shopping Center' was decided in May 1972. During construction, the bowling alley was cancelled after the president observed the end of the bowling boom in the United States, and the design was changed at a cost of penalty fees. The final project consisted of two buildings (three and four stories) with 68 tenant shops and 275 free parking spaces, at a total cost of about 2.4 billion yen. The store opened on March 27, 1973, with the Family Land buildings (B and C) opening first, followed by the Fashion Land building (A) on May 2, 1973. The store was a major success, with average customer spending rising from 700-800 yen to 2,400-2,500 yen, and annual sales targets increased from 3 billion to 4.1 billion yen. It proved that suburban shopping centers could succeed in cities like Hiroshima, leading to similar developments in Itsukaichi and other areas. In March 1975, an 800 million yen expansion added 3,200 m2 of floor space, bringing the total to about 11,000 m2. In June 1980, a major renovation was completed, and the store was rebranded as Izumi Gion Shopping Center. In March 2001, it was rebranded again as Youme Town Gion, the first store in the Hiroshima area to bear the 'Youme Town' name. The food floor was renovated in April 2009, and the Living Hall (formerly Fashion Land) was closed in spring 2011 and demolished, with a condominium built on the site by Mitsubishi Estate. On November 24, 2020, Izumi announced plans to rebuild the store due to aging. The 3rd and 4th floors and the multi-story parking garage were closed on January 31, 2021, while the 1st and 2nd floors continued operating until a temporary store was completed. The store closed on November 23, 2021, and reopened in a temporary facility on December 1, 2021. The new Youme Terrace Gion opened its food hall on June 1, 2023, and the full store opened on November 1, 2023.

• Plans announced for Izumi's first suburban shopping center in Hiroshima.

• Construction begins; name 'Izumi Gion Shopping Center' decided.

• Family Land (Buildings B and C) opens.

• Fashion Land (Building A) opens, completing the full store.

• Expansion adds 3,200 m2, bringing total floor space to about 11,000 m2.

• Major renovation and rebranding to Izumi Gion Shopping Center.

• Rebranded as Youme Town Gion.

• Food floor renovated.

• Living Hall closed and later demolished.

• Announcement of store rebuild due to aging.

• 3rd and 4th floors and parking garage closed.

• Store closed; reopened in temporary facility.

• Youme Terrace Gion food hall opens ahead of full opening.

• Full opening of Youme Terrace Gion.

Urban-type GMS and community shopping center in the Gion area of Hiroshima, operated by Izumi under the Youme Terrace brand.

• Food and beverages

• Flowers

• Daily necessities

• Bakery

• Confectionery

• Cleaning services

1. 1ゆめテラス祇園｜イズミ・ゆめタウン公式サイトizumi.jp
2. 2Youme Terrace Gion - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3ゆめテラス祇園 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org