Mitsui Outlet Park Shiga Ryuo is the closest outlet mall to Kyoto. It takes about 50 minutes to get to if you take the bus that leaves from Kyoto Station’s Hachijo exit, though you do need a reservation for it. The bus only runs on weekends, holidays, and certain weekdays.

On top of that, there’s a campaign running that gives 1,000-yen coupons to passengers on weekdays, and tourist-exclusive coupons on weekends and holidays. Check out their website for more information.

Currently, about 100 shops are duty-free. Duty-free shops are displayed in bolder colors in the floor guides. Translation services via phone are available throughout the outlet mall, so the language barrier shouldn’t keep you from enjoying your shopping.

Mitsui Outlet Park Shiga Ryuo will have a few sales every year. These will be displayed on their official website, so try checking it before making your outing.

About 90% of the stores also accept Union Pay, but few take Alipay or WeChat, and there is no foreign currency exchange machine on the premises. You can use credit cards in most stores, but you should have cash on hand for the few stores that don’t accept plastic.

With that said, let’s bring up five shops you’ll want to visit.

Miki House Repro is the children’s clothing brand Miki House’s outlet brand. Visitors to Japan praise its quality, being particularly fond of the shoes. What makes them special is how they change shape and function to fit the wearer’s growth and are easy to wear. Since the shop is directly connected to the brand, it has a variety of colors and designs.

You can also get your child’s foot measured for free—buying shoes that are a perfect fit is important, after all. There are plenty of first shoes for children, made particularly soft and easy to wear. They have tough heels and soft toes, making them easy to walk in, and popular first pairs.

New Balance Factory Store has a variety of apparel, accessories, and shoes on display. The products appeal to a wide range of demographics, such as men, women, juniors, kids, and more. There are also Japanese apparel collections you can only buy in Japan’s factory store. The prices are also reasonable.

New Balance’s iconic 574 model is popular for its classic design and comfortable fit. This shop offers up shoes for work, running, and general use, as well as their high-end “Made in USA/UK” models, made by experienced shoemakers in United States and United Kingdom workshops.

GUNZE is popular for its stress-free undergarments. Seamlessly made and comfortable on the skin, this shop’s products keep customers coming back. Particularly popular are the Tuche crop tops.

Like a bra without the restrictiveness, their pads give them enough firmness. The lack of seams makes them easy on the skin, and they cover busts up to 101 cm. They dry quickly, too, making them wearable in any season.

Recommended for men is the “in T” series. Undergarments made for T-shirt use, they don’t have stiff cut-offs, letting them fit easily under your clothes. They also have deep collars, meaning they won’t pop out when wearing a boat neck.

These undershirts even have sweat pads for the armpits. These types of garments are something you can’t have too much of, and many customers buy them for friends and family as well.

LOGOS SHOP is a brand popular at home and abroad that deals in tents, barbeque equipment, and all sorts of other exciting outdoor equipment. Visitors to Japan tend to like the fashionable T-shirts and hats, as well. The shop boasts a wide variety of colorful items.

LOGOS makes plenty of collaboration goods with designers, bringing about interesting products. The tent pictured above was made in collaboration with the flower-art unit plantica. They also have sunshades with colorful flower prints and waterproof beach mats with storage bags. It’s fun to collect items with matching patterns.

INTERNATIONAL SHOES GALLERY has the highest-quality shoes and accessories from all over the world. It has first-class goods from international brands such as YANKO, a.testoni, Stefano Branchini, and more, as well as Japan’s finest brands and other original brands.

Japanese-made business shoes are popular for their soft, cushiony soles. The rounded toes and edges that jut out just enough give them the perfect amount of space, making the shoes a good fit on and off the job.

The items to take a look at here are the manufacturer’s samples and prototypes. Each pair is unique and carefully handmade, representing the pinnacle of Japanese shoemaking. They vary widely in size and design, making them scarce and valuable. These stylish shoes are just as comfortable as the mainline shoes, so if you’re lucky enough to find a pair in your size, you will do well to buy them immediately.

Being such a large outlet mall, each area has its own cafes and restaurants. There’s also the Ryuo Dining food court, packed with restaurants popular in Kyoto and Osaka. Let’s take a look at two standouts.

MACCHA HOUSE Matchakan is a popular maccha sweets shop in Kyoto. Particularly popular is the Uji Maccha Tiramisu. The establishment makes lavish use of matcha from the old Kyoto veteran, Morihan, and has a drink menu as well.

This is also the only place in Kansai where you can have crepes made with matcha dough. There are also exclusive food items such as chazuke (cooked rice with green tea poured into it) with either alfonsino (890 yen, without tax) or scallops and seaweed (790 yen, without tax).

Lines crop up on weekends and during teatime, but there’s less lines than the main shop in Kawaramachi in Kyoto. The menu has English and photos, so you can point and order.

If you want to eat Omi Beef in its native land of Shiga, check out Omi Beef Okaki. This restaurant is operated by the Okaki Ranch in the town of Ryuo, Shiga prefecture. The large interior is welcoming to families and groups.

If you’d like to directly taste the Omi Beef, try the chef’s selected steak cut. This 150g steak (3,480 yen, with tax) is limited to 20 orders a day. Another popular item is the 130g cube steak (2,380 yen, with tax) limited to 30 orders a day. Both end up sold out on weekends and holidays, so if you really want either, try getting to the store right as it opens.

The SUKIYAKI don, rice with sukiyaki-style beef and thinly cut omelet, allows you to enjoy sukiyaki and rice at the same time. On top of using local Omi Rice, it has generous helpings of Omi Beef on top of it, as well. All items can be ordered with soup and access to the salad bar, with free refills.

Stick a soup or salad to your order to make it a healthy meal! The salad bar is fully stocked with healthy, local vegetables as well as original salad dressings.

There are plenty of facilities for children to play in for visiting families, as well. Berry Garden, the outdoor park, is free to use and filled with playground equipment. There’s also a kids' space with a mini-theater indoors for rainy days.

In the baby lounge, you can use the free hot water dispensers and microwaves for babies’ milk. There are breastfeeding spaces and rental strollers, making it very accessible for families with small children.

Mitsui Outlet Park Shiga Ryuo is an outlet mall where you can enjoy shopping and dining. Getting there is a breeze, too, if you use the shuttle bus from Kyoto. There are coin lockers available, so you don’t need to worry even if you have a lot of luggage.

The mall is easy to get to from Kyoto and Osaka, and it’s surrounded by nature, making the trip there a pleasant one. How about visiting Kansai’s largest outlet mall during your trip?

Text by:Niki Shigemi