Mitsui Outlet Park Shiga Ryuo Guide: Shopping, Food, a Direct Shuttle Bus from Kyoto Station, and More!

Next to Kyoto lies Shiga Prefecture, a land filled with wonderful sights to see, such as Lake Biwa and Hikone Castle.

Within its borders is Mitsui Outlet Park Shiga Ryuo, the outlet mall with the most shops in all of the Kansai region. You can get to it on a direct shuttle bus from Kyoto station on weekends, holidays, and certain weekdays.

Also present are popular cafes and an Omi Beef restaurant, representing one of Japan’s best three wagyu brands. The mall has appealing facilities for families, as well: Berry Garden, the outdoor park, a baby lounge for children, and free strollers.

1,000-yen coupons on the shuttle bus!

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.

Get up to 10% off!

Duty-free shopping

The above photo may not reflect the current shops in the mall.

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.

Aiming for bargain sales?

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.

1. Miki House Repro: Japan’s famous childrens clothing brand

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.

Rows of children’s shoes

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.

They use a special scale to measure foot sizes. The service is free

2. New Balance Factory Store: Boasting a wide variety of footwear

New Balance Factory Store has …

See More >>