Hong Kong Daimaru (1960-1998) at Causeway Bay was the first Japanese department store in Hong Kong. When Daimaru opened, this area was still warehouses district, but after that, many Japanese department stores made their ways into Causeway Bay as Japanese residents had gathered near here due to their easy shopping on Japanese foods. However, increasing of the rental charges of the buildings, most of Japanese departments had to close one by one, and today, Sogo department store is the only one in Hong Kong. Sogo could survive they bought out the superficies against other Japanese department stores suffered from high rental charges.
The above curious photo was taken in October, 1972, just after the gas explosion accident at Daimaru, and it captured the car of Governor, Sir Murray MacLEHOSE,（later Baron MacLehose of Beoch）when he reviewed there.
This photo is from the reference storing in Hong Kong Public Library.
Gen
Comments
Re: Gas Explotion at Daimaru
Hi there,
I still remember the boom!. It was louder than the noon gun of the time. The incident seemed to kick start the change of mobile communication gear for the diciplinery forces. This being the tragic explosion seemed to be triggerred bysparks produced by one of the walkie-talkies in used by Fire Services troups on site.
T
tngan,
tngan,
Thanks for your supporting info.
My first visit to Hong Kong was the very year, summer in 1972, but I have not known the case. And I was surprised Governor visited the place where the accident caused.
Gen