The Hayashi Department Store is a beautifully restored Art Deco building from 1932, the oldest surviving department store in Taiwan and one of the finest examples of Japanese colonial-era commercial architecture in the country. After falling into disuse and spending decades as a storage facility, the building was meticulously restored and reopened in 2014 as a curated space selling Taiwanese products — crafts, food, clothing, and design goods with a strong emphasis on local makers.
The restored interiors preserve the original tile floors, wooden staircases, and elevator cage. The top floor and rooftop are the most unusual part: a small Shinto shrine installed by the original Japanese owners in the 1930s still stands on the roof, an unexpected sight in a modern shopping context. The store makes a good stop for buying gifts or souvenirs, and the rooftop view over the surrounding low-rise cityscape is among the better ones in the old centre.