Sharon M.
Yelp
Not often do we make it a point to visit a place because of its elevator...yet here we are! Hayashi Department Store was one of the first places in Taiwan to have an elevator and this state-of-the-art technology drew numerous tourists. To honour this age old tradition, we also trekked to Hayashi in hopes of riding this famous contraption.
The elevator was, indeed, interesting. They kept its original operational and aesthetic style from the early 1930s, allowing only 5 people on at a time and only travelling between the first and fifth floor of the 6 floors. It was like going into a time machine. While nice, the rest of the store had much more to offer and turned out to be way more interesting.
Today, Hayashi Department Store is still a department store, but not of general goods. Instead, it's become a rustic fairytale Pinterest fantasy. Handmade Japanese and Taiwanese-style specialty souvenirs are sold in what seems like a consignment basis. With all the different artistic styles, it almost felt more like a museum rather than just a department store. Artistic ceramics, traditional-style tote bags, hipster Asian clothing. There are definitely some fantastic gift ideas here. How about a luggage tag in the shape of bubble tea? Or handcrafted soap that look like a slice of colourful fudge?
On the very top of Hayashi Department Store, you get a slightly impressive view of the city (it's only the 6th floor), but you also get to indulge in some traditional and western style treats. According to a friend, he had the best tofu pudding ever here (unfortunately I missed out on this, so I'll just have to take his word for it). Hayashi Department Store definitely makes a neat little landmark. Shopping, history, food, it's got it all.
(51/100) - 2019