Marui
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese retail
company which operates a chain of department store
s in Tokyo
as well in other major Japanese cities. They are best known for their women's fashion and accessories, which are aimed at the 25–35 age range.
In 2003–4 the company generated US$
2.75 billion in revenues. Its president is Tadao Aoi.
lettering.
The department store's famously ambiguous present-day logo is a symbol resembling "○I○I", and read "marui". The Japanese symbol "○" (not to be confused with the Roman alphabet "O" or "o") is read "maru", meaning "circle" or "zero". The symbol "I" ostensibly represents the numeral "1", which can be read "i" in Japanese (note that the Roman alphabet letter "I" is also the Romanized
representation of the Japanese syllable "い", a third visual pun).
Despite being read as numerals, the symbol is written "OIOI" in Roman alphabet letters on the company's website, though the address of the website itself is "www.0101.co.jp". The "○I" in the logo is repeated, partly for aesthetics and also as an inference to the "0101" ending of the phone number all Marui department stores.
and traditional goods while their LiveJ information site provides information on fashion, culture and visual kei
music.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
company which operates a chain of department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
as well in other major Japanese cities. They are best known for their women's fashion and accessories, which are aimed at the 25–35 age range.
In 2003–4 the company generated US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2.75 billion in revenues. Its president is Tadao Aoi.
Name and logo
The company's name (丸井) is a combination of the name of its predecessor's parent company "Maru-ni" (丸二) and the name of its president "Ao-i" (青井). The name of the department store is customarily written in Japanese as "マルイ", in katakanaKatakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet . The word katakana means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana scripts are derived from components of more complex kanji. Each kana represents one mora...
lettering.
The department store's famously ambiguous present-day logo is a symbol resembling "○I○I", and read "marui". The Japanese symbol "○" (not to be confused with the Roman alphabet "O" or "o") is read "maru", meaning "circle" or "zero". The symbol "I" ostensibly represents the numeral "1", which can be read "i" in Japanese (note that the Roman alphabet letter "I" is also the Romanized
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
representation of the Japanese syllable "い", a third visual pun).
Despite being read as numerals, the symbol is written "OIOI" in Roman alphabet letters on the company's website, though the address of the website itself is "www.0101.co.jp". The "○I" in the logo is repeated, partly for aesthetics and also as an inference to the "0101" ending of the phone number all Marui department stores.
MARUIONE.JP
In December 2007, Marui Co., Ltd. launched an international shopping and information website, maruione.jp. The site operates in Japanese, English, French, Simplified and Traditional Chinese. The shopping site offers Japanese street fashionJapanese street fashion
Japan began to emulate Western fashion during the middle of the 19th century. By the beginning of the 21st century it had altered into what is known today as 'street fashion'. The term 'street fashion' is used to describe fashion where the wearer customizes outfits by adopting a mixture of current...
and traditional goods while their LiveJ information site provides information on fashion, culture and visual kei
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
music.