In March 1923, six months before the Great Kanto Earthquake, Sankyo opened the Sankyo Marunouchi Pharmacy in the newly built Marunouchi Building, with an authentic, American style soda fountain inside.
In order to prepare to introduce an American-style soda fountain, Sankyo representatives visited a pharmacy in the United States (US) that operated one.
They also recruited staff experienced for many years in working at a soda fountain in San Francisco and installed a US-made backbar behind the counter.
Customers enjoying sundaes, sodas, and coffee at the soda
fountain
The menu was also considered novel at the time, featuring items such as lavish ice cream sundaes.
In particular, Sankyo's original blended coffee, sourced from Kimura coffee store (present day Japanese brand, KEY COFFEE) in Yokohama, became popular for its distinct aroma and flavor.
Although at the time coffee was considered to be a luxury item, it was offered at nearly cost price at the pharmacy's soda fountain, making it a success in synergy with its good aroma. People even waited to be seated at lunchtime, and this popularity helped boost drug sales.
Sankyo Marunouchi Pharmacy supporting people after the Great Kanto Earthquake
Marunouchi Sankyo Pharmacy's Pharmacy Counter
The presence of Sankyo Marunouchi Pharmacy with its soda fountain became notable immediately after the Great Kanto Earthquake, which occurred on September 1, 1923, just six months after the pharmacy opened.
While many buildings collapsed or burned, the Marunouchi Building, which housed the pharmacy, remained intact, attracting people seeking medicine.
The pharmacists worked continuously for approximately two weeks, providing relief to the people of disaster-stricken Tokyo.
Sankyo continued to provide medicine to those in need after the large earthquake, and this commitment to patients has been carried on by present-day Daiichi Sankyo.