Today is August 31, 2023, the last day that ESTA was in business.

ESTA is a department store in downtown Sapporo, one of the buildings in the shopping mall complex that makes up the Sapporo Station.

It was home to Uniqlo, BicCamera, Ramen Kyowakoku, the namco Game Center, and The Loft. Granted, most of the stores are moving just across the street to another department store, Tokyu, but I’m really sad to be losing this building.

After forty-five years, this department store closed its doors today.

ESTA has always been a staple for me. It’s been here since I arrived in Sapporo in 2004. I’ve spent so much time in this department store because there were so many interesting things to do here. And to be honest, the stores within the building cater to my taste more than the ones in Daimaru and Stellar Place, which are two department stores in the complex. They were definitely higher end than ESTA. The clothing stores were cheaper in ESTA. So was the food sold in the basement floor, which was essentially a deli that I would pass by on the way to the station upstairs. It was easy to just grab a few things from here before heading home after work.

Before I bought anything, I usually played with the electronic gadgets that BicCamera had on display. If I needed supplements, vitamins, or various household goods, I’d pop over to the on second-floor drug store of BicCamera’s. Plus, the points I got from buying the stuff I needed gave me discounts on future purchases.

I often prepped my lessons in Keys Cafe located next to the the arcade and game center. In hindsight, it was probably not the best place to work, but they had free wi-fi and decent coffee.

Usually, too, I often bought my clothes and t-shirts at the Uniqlo on the fifth floor.

Lunch was usually on the tenth floor, in one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. Sometimes, I had dinner dates with my husband at Mia Bocca Italian restaurant or had ramen at the Ramen Ohkoku.

The food court on the first floor was always a good place for lunch. But really, more often, it was the only place you could get the ShiroiKoibito soft-serve icecream and Sazae taiyaki combination.

And finally, the ¥100 shop, Can-do, in the basement floor was always the place I dashed off to whenever I needed something. It was the most convenient ¥100 shop in downtown Sapporo.

I guess it’s all part of the changes happening to the city. Unfortunately, ESTA had to close because it needs to be torn down to make room for the new platform that will be dedicated to the new Shinkansen coming in a few years.

Good-bye, ESTA. You will be missed. Thank you so much for the many memories.