Mitsui Outlet Park Osaka Tsurumi is in Tsurumi ward of Osaka city. The nearest station is Kadoma-Minami station, and it’s 25 minutes away from Shinsaibashi station by the Osaka Metro, via the Nagahori Tsurumi Ryokuchi line.

As it’s directly connected to the popular tourist spot of Shinsaibashi, the outlet park is just a convenient train ride down. The place is particularly popular with visitors from China, Taiwan, and Asia, and it’s in a great location to drop by at the end of the day, after a full day of sightseeing.

Besides public transport, it’s just three minutes away from the Kinki Expressway’s Daitō Tsurumi interchange. Parking is free for the first hour, making it a popular outlet mall amongst the locals and people from Osaka too.

The building is shaped in a circle, with shops spreading out from the center plaza. Built in the likeness of the flower, the Queen of the Night, the complex stands out quite a lot, making it easy to find for first timers too. From Kadoma-Minami station, you can see the tower that stands on the roof too.

There are 70 shops spread over the third to fifth floors. The first and second floors is where the Osaka Tsurumi Wholesale Flower Market is, and there’s a flower gallery on the third floor accessible to the general public. Rare and seasonal flowers are displayed year-round, and it’s a nice place to take a quick break from shopping.

Pretty much all the shops offer tax free services, and many shops have Chinese-speaking staff. With point-and-speak sheets available too, it’s relatively fuss-free for many foreign visitors to do their shopping here.

At the information counter, you can also show your passport to get special coupons in both English and Chinese, though they can’t be used during sale periods. As the coupons can help you nab savings of up to 10%, do be sure to use then.

Let’s round up some of the most popular items amongst foreign visitors at Mitsui Outlet Park Osaka Tsurumi!

The most popular item amongst foreign tourists are backpacks from the brand GREGORY. Particularly amongst those from Hong Kong, they often end up buy two or three, and there are even people who buy five bags at a time!

GREGORY is a backpack brand from California, and their outdoor backpacks are made to be light and sturdy, using double stitching. The zipper pocket at the front is conveniently accessible, and its secret to success is its multipurpose nature, being usable for everything from holidays abroad to day to day commuting.

Another popular item is the business bag, designed to fit your body. Its simple form makes it easy to match with many types of clothing, and its roomy interior allows you to pack away enough for a one-day business trip. As one of the staff from Hong Kong points out, “This item is a specialty of outlet stores in Japan. Buying it here is about 30% cheaper than buying it in Hong Kong.”

The next item on our list are the water-resistant leather boots by Timberland. Especially popular amongst those from China and Taiwan, the wheat nubuck colored basic boots are the most popular. Judging from the internet, there are many people who decide exactly what they want to buy before going down.

One of the staff from Taiwan says, “Timberland is considered a high-end brand in department stores in Taiwan, and being able to get the boots at outlet store prices is really attractive.” Even if the exact size they want isn’t available, it’s known that leather tends to stretch, so people still end up buying boots when they go down.

Compared to Taiwan, boots sold at the outlet park are about 10,000 yen cheaper. With such a steep price reduction, there are many people who still get the boots even if it’s not an exact fit. Sneakers are a little cheaper than the boots, and there are many people who end up buying three or four pairs at one go.

Third on our list is the Hello Kitty chopping board from Kyocera Kitchen, which is especially popular amongst Kittylers from China. There are black, pink, and white versions available, though the most popular by far is the pink one. Light and thin, it’s easy to use, and can be cleaned with both bleach and disinfectants, resulting in its popularity.

The souvenir set comes in sets of five for each color, and it’s a popular buy as well. As there’s also a hole on the chopping board for you to hang it on a hook, there are also people who use it as a wall decoration.

As Kyocera is a popular brand in China as well, there are many people who make their shopping list after browsing through the online store, before coming down to the shop. The ceramic knife and peeler gift pack is wildly popular, with people buying five or six at a time. As there are only four Kyocera outlet stores in the whole of Japan, this is the only Kyocera shop in Osaka, making it a must visit while you’re in the region.

The fourth and final item on our list is the LIMO series by the fashionable brand, ASICS. With sportswear designed to be worn as tops and bottoms, the clothes use Backwarm technology, which makes use of the reaction between sweat and body heat to control the body’s temperature under clothing. As the clothes are both warm and fashionable in winter, its multifunctionality makes it popular amongst foreign visitors.

The GEL-KAYANO series of running shoes has many fans too, with some people buying four to five pairs at one go. There are a wide variety of design and color variations, and besides its designs, it has amazing comfort as well. The heel includes gel in its construction, taking away some of the stresses from your feet as you walk, and this point is one which captured the heart of many foreign fans as well.

At the end of all that shopping, your tummy should be rumbling, so here are a few recommended eateries. Right beside the entrance is the takeout store, 101 KIN NO TORIKARA, and their drink and fried chicken set is popular amongst visitors from China. There are many families and couples who drop by for a quick bite while shopping.

The popular drink choices for the set are the Fin milk tea and the Taiwan brown sugar milk. Both drinks include boba, and the Taiwan brown sugar milk uses boba pearls cooked in brown sugar. Depending on the type of drink you ordered, the sweetness and amount of boba can be adjusted too.

The fried chicken uses chicken breast from domestically raised chickens, and are cut into bite sized pieces perfect for a light snack. As a stick is provided, you can eat it without getting your hands dirty, which is a plus point as well. Together with the drink, you can enjoy an endless cycle of sweetness and saltiness!

From the word “kin” in the shop name, which means gold, to the red color of the package, the shop has colors considered auspicious in Chinese culture, which contributed to its popularity amongst Chinese tourists. English and Chinese menus are available too.

Mitsui Outlet Park Osaka Tsurumi is frequently visited by tourists from China, Taiwan, and other Asian countries. There are even people who come with large suitcases in tow! Asian tourists often come with empty suitcases, and fill it full with their buys to bring back home. Many popular items are well-received because of their functionality and usefulness. In these outlet stores, many more treasures are waiting to be found!

Text by: Niki Shigemi