Costco coming to Moriyama (Nagoya)

The Moriyama area of Nagoya will soon welcome Costco into its neighborhood. Scheduled to open sometime towards the end of 2020 (or early 2021), this addition to the area will bring a new and exciting element to living near Nagoya International School.

The location of the new store is just a 5-minute drive to Nagoya International School and to the Moriyama Smart IC highway entrance (This is an in-and-out entrance but is not available for cash payments because it is only set up for ETC equipped vehicles). The plot of land is more than 33,000 square meters and is in the Nishi-Shidami area of Moriyama-ku, just down the street from the local Starbucks.

Costco is slated to open in December of 2020 (possible delays due to COVID-19) and will have hours similar to other locations in Japan, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm. Here is a map with the location of Costco (see the green shopping cart), some expat housing, and Nagoya International School.

The drive from Nagoya station to Costco is about 40 minutes (25 Kilometers) or about an hour train ride. Costco is located in the North east section of Nagoya.

Costco's first location opened in 1976 under the Price Club name and was in a converted airplane hangar on Morena Boulevard in San Diego. In 1983, the first Costco warehouse location was opened in Seattle. When Costco and Price Club merged in 1993, the combined company, operating under the name PriceCostco, had 206 locations generating $16 billion in annual sales.

Their operating philosophy has been simple. Keep costs down and pass the savings on to its members. The large membership base and tremendous buying power, combined with their never-ending quest for efficiency, result in the best possible prices for members.

Today, as the company evolves, it stays true to the qualities that helped attract and retain millions of loyal members around the globe: Commitment to quality. Costco warehouses carry about 4,000 SKUs (stock keeping units) compared to the 30,000 found at most supermarkets. By carefully choosing products based on quality, price, brand, and features, the company can offer the best value to members.

Construction of this new location is in full swing and can be seen in the picture below.