Latest news with #Ikebukuro
NHK
08-07-2025
- Business
- NHK
Sogo & Seibu set to partially reopen flagship Ikebukuro department store
A major Japanese department store chain, Sogo & Seibu, which has been acquired by a US investment fund, will partially reopen its flagship store in Tokyo on Wednesday. Fortress Investment Group acquired Sogo & Seibu from Seven & i Holdings in 2023. The chain has been renovating its main department store in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district since last autumn. It decided to reopen the store's cosmetics section on the third floor earlier than other parts as the work for the floor has already been completed. On Tuesday, the floor with about 50 cosmetics brands was shown to media. The store says cosmetics will also be available on the first floor, expanding their total sales space by 40 percent following the renovation. The store plans to reopen its food section on the basement floor in September. Full reopening is slated for January at the earliest as the renovation work is behind schedule due to the deteriorating condition of the building and other factors. Store manager Teraoka Yasuhiro says he wants to further develop the cosmetics and foods floors, which have been their forte, and be the best among department stores in these offerings.
Japan Times
04-07-2025
- Japan Times
Suspect in Tokyo law firm stabbing held grudge against victim, police say
A 50-year-old man who allegedly stabbed his 36-year-old coworker to death in a Tokyo law office Tuesday morning had harbored a long-standing grudge against the victim, according to investigators. The attack occurred around 11:50 a.m. at the Adire law office at Sunshine 60, a high-rise in the Sunshine City commercial complex in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo's Toshima Ward. Reito Watanabe is alleged to have approached Daiki Yoshino, a coworker from a different department, from behind while he was seated at his desk and stabbed him multiple times in the neck with a 9-centimeter folding knife. Watanabe then fled the scene, returned briefly to retrieve his office ID badge, and fled again. He turned himself in at a nearby police box outside Ikebukuro Station shortly after noon while still carrying the alleged murder weapon. NHK reported that Watanabe was also carrying two additional knives in his backpack, and that he had brought the folding knife from his home. Yoshino was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. 'I stabbed him,' Watanabe reportedly told officers. 'I don't remember it clearly, but when I came to, I had stabbed him.' During questioning, Watanabe reportedly said, 'I had held a grudge against him for a long time due to unpleasant experiences at work. I had reached my limit. I wanted to make him feel pain.' Police arrested Watanabe on suspicion of attempted murder, and plan to upgrade the charge to murder as their investigation continues. Adire specializes in services such as debt restructuring and overpayment claims against financial institutions. It has 65 branches nationwide and employs more than 235 lawyers. The firm expressed its regret over the incident in a statement on its official website. 'This incident has resulted in the tragic loss of a precious life. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and offer our deepest sympathies,' the statement read. 'We are prioritizing the emotional well-being of the employees who witnessed the incident, as well as all our staff. We take this matter very seriously and are cooperating fully with the police investigation.' A woman working on the same floor of the building as the law firm told reporters she was shaken by the violence. 'I heard in the hallway that something had happened and checked the news online. It's terrifying,' she said, her voice trembling. Sunshine City is a sprawling complex located near Ikebukuro Station. It is made up of five buildings that consist of offices, hotels, a planetarium, an aquarium and a large shopping center. It attracts over 30 million visitors annually. Information from Jiji added
NHK
01-07-2025
- NHK
Knife attack at commercial facility in Ikebukuro leaves one critically injured
Tokyo police say a man is unconscious after being stabbed inside the Sunshine City commercial facility in the Ikebukuro district. Police say a law firm that has an office in the complex reported shortly before noon on Tuesday that one of its employees was stabbed by a man brandishing a knife. The man turned himself in to the police after the incident and was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He was reportedly carrying a knife. Ikebukuro is a busy commercial district in Tokyo's Toshima Ward. Sunshine City is a business and leisure complex with offices, shops and an aquarium.
Japan Times
01-07-2025
- Japan Times
Man arrested after allegedly stabbing employee at Ikebukuro's Sunshine City
Police have arrested a man on suspicion of stabbing an employee at the Sunshine City shopping complex in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo's Toshima Ward on Tuesday morning, according to police reports quoted by NHK. At around 11:50 a.m, a call was made from the shopping center reporting that 'an employee has been stabbed.' The male suspect reportedly brandished a bladed weapon and slashed the male victim, who is in critical condition and unconscious. The suspect turned himself in at a police box while holding a knife shortly after the attack. The Metropolitan Police Department made an emergency arrest and are currently investigating the incident.
Japan Times
17-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Ken Goldin brings his sports memorabilia from Netflix to Tokyo
Just before the doors opened on Goldin Auctions' first-ever showcase in Japan, founder and CEO Ken Goldin surveyed the scene one final time. This is his first trip to Japan, and he brought some high-end sports memorabilia for the public to see, along with two of his employees — Head of Sports Consignment Dave Amerman and Ryan Krupa, one of the company's consignment directors — to help collectors who want to do consignments with the famous auction house. He has also brought star power as the central figure of a Netflix reality show, 'King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,' focused on him and his company. The line outside BlezAsia, a trading card shop in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district opened by one of Goldin's longtime friends, was growing. When the doors finally opened on Saturday, several people made a beeline for Goldin, who was ready to hold court from his spot near a jersey once worn in a game by New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle. Goldin Auctions is one of the top names in the sports memorabilia marketplace. The company has handled the sale of numerous collectibles that have sold for millions of dollars, including Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani's historic 50-50 home run ball, which went for $4.39 million — a record for a ball from any sport — in October 2024. The company was acquired by ecommerce giant eBay in 2024, and it is looking to expand its influence, which is why the King of Collectibles was in Japan over the weekend. 'Japan is the birthplace of Pokemon, birthplace of video games, which is very popular and has a tremendous culture of collectors,' said Goldin, 59, dressed in a black tropical floral print shirt, jeans and a pair of white Air Jordans. 'So it's an ideal location for us to visit. It is personally (my) first major international trip. But you know, Goldin, we're looking to go global. We're looking to expand our reach. We saw with the sale of the Ohtani ball that went for $4.4 million, we saw the amazing interest from, of course, Japan, but also all over the world and all over Asia. And we figured, if we're going to make a first big international stop, let's do it in downtown Tokyo.' Goldin said that Japan, in addition to its anime, video game and trading card game markets, is the largest market for baseball cards outside of North America. 'The experience was great, and meeting everyone was terrific,' Goldin said in an email later Saturday night. 'We were thrilled with the turnout. I honestly didn't expect to see the incredible card inventory. Some of the exquisite cards I saw were amazing, the TCG (trading card game) was great, and I did not expect to see an original Led Zeppelin signed album walk in the door.' In addition to allowing collectors to consign memorabilia and cards, Goldin Auctions also displayed several items currently in its care, including the Mantle jersey and a 1952 Topps Mantle card — another copy of the card sold for a record $12.6 million through Heritage Auctions in 2022. There were also shoes worn by basketball legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and a jersey from teenage soccer superstar Lamine Yamal of Barcelona. Among the nonsports items was a sealed copy of the Nintendo game Super Mario Bros. and a Superman #1 comic. At the center of the room was a T206 Honus Wagner, one of the holy grails of collecting. That particular card, dubbed the 'Connecticut Wagner' because of where it was discovered, is one of only 60 known to exist. The card is currently available through Goldin Auctions, with the sale set to end next week, and bidding has surpassed $3 million. A T206 Honus Wagner baseball card, one of the holy grails of collecting, displayed in Ikebukuro on Saturday. | Jason Coskrey Near the rear of the space was a glass case featuring various items related to Ohtani. Goldin Auctions has sold many items connected to Ohtani, but few sales played out as dramatically as the one for his 50-50 home run ball. Ohtani became the first player ever to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season last year, reaching both marks during a road game against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19. The fan who came away with Ohtani's 50th home run ball reached out to Goldin. 'I thought it was the easiest deal I ever did, because he caught the ball, he contacted us,' Goldin said. The situation became more complex when others claimed ownership of the milestone ball. 'What I didn't know is that he and Goldin were going to be hit with two lawsuits from two other people claiming that they caught the ball,' Goldin said. With the prospect of a potentially monumental sale being tied up in court, Goldin said he decided to be proactive. 'What people don't know, I don't think I've given an interview on this, is that while all these lawsuits were out, I told my lawyer, 'Get the other two guys. I want you to get them on the phone,'' he said. 'If the lawyer has to be there, fine. I wanted to get all the parties in the room. And I said, 'Look, if any of you two want to keep the ball and own the ball for the rest of your life, then we can't have this conversation. ''However, if you're looking to get a piece of the ball to get the most money possible, don't screw this up for me. I've got a ton of attention on it. It's already well over $1 million, and if this is tied up in court for a year, you could be splitting $4 to $600,000 instead of splitting $2 to $3 million.' That made sense to them. 'They all signed off on the deal. They may still be fighting it out, but they gave me the rights to sell the ball free and clear without any encumbrances.' Goldin had started the bidding at $500,000, which he says was met with skepticism. Goldin, though, felt Ohtani's popularity justified the lofty starting point. 'One of my competitors told me they didn't think I was going to get a single bid,' he said. 'I really felt that Ohtani is what you call in sports a unicorn. He is somebody that transcends baseball. He has a following that typically a global player like (Lionel) Messi or (Cristiano) Ronaldo, LeBron (James) and (Stephen) Curry have — and we don't really have (that) in baseball typically. So I knew he had that type of following. He had a great personality. When he was healthy as a pitcher, he was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, and as a player, he was the best hitter in baseball. 'So I really felt that this could be a seven-figure ball, and I was hoping that it would pass the Aaron Judge ball we sold a couple years earlier, slightly over $2 million. So if we hit $2 million, I would have been thrilled. If we had a chance to break ($3 million) and become the all-time most valuable ball passing Mark McGwire, I thought that would be amazing. But getting to $4.4 million was, you know, just a cherry on top. It surpassed my wildest expectations.' Selling items like the Ohtani ball has brought Goldin Auctions much attention. Meanwhile, the Netflix show — which highlights how the business is run and has aired for two seasons so far — has introduced Goldin and his company to a new audience. 'The show's been terrific,' he said. 'I will tell you, without giving out numbers, that, when the show first came out, since then we have seen a dramatic increase in registrations at Goldin. So more than half the people currently registered at Goldin registered after the first episode of Season 1. 'It's gotten us into many, many new categories. It's gotten me probably 250,000 emails trying to sell us Beanie Babies, which is an unwanted side effect of that. As far as future seasons, I'd like to do the show for another 10, 15 years. Netflix is in charge of that. We'll have to wait and see until they make an announcement.'
