Hayashi Department Store

A restored 1932 department store in central Tainan, one of the first modern retail buildings in southern Taiwan and among the earliest to install a lift. Its cream-tiled Japanese-modernist facade and rooftop shrine survived wartime bombing, with bullet marks still visible in places. Left derelict for decades, it reopened as a boutique showcase for local design, crafts, and souvenirs across its several floors. The small Shinto shrine on the roof and period detailing throughout make it as much a heritage attraction as a shop.