shopping at the outlets

outlet malls are becoming more and more popular in japan. this weekend, i went to the mitsui outlet park at marine pia kobe (三井アウトレットパーク マリンピア神戸) in tarumi (垂水区). it isn't a very big outlet park, with only 2 wings and about 80 shops. they are mostly japanese brands, but you can also find some american brands like nike, adidas, lacoste, and juicy couture. the quality is above normal outlet standard, and it's definitely a popular attraction because of its great ocean view!

from home, it is about 40 minutes away by train.


you can enjoy a spectacular ocean view during the last 10 minutes of the train ride too!


the outlet park is built around the theme of a lively southern european seaport town


the shops face a boat pier and an open piazza for weekend outdoor events


and just a few steps away is the akashi kaikyo bridge (明石海峡橋) that spans over to awaji-shima (淡路島), then further reaches over to shikoku (四国).