A new outlet mall has opened in the Odaiba area of Tokyo. At last, a dream has finally been realized: an outlet mall in metropolitan Tokyo, rather than out in the sticks. In a surprising, yet ingenious move, the shopping mall Venus Fort in Odaiba, usually only remembered for its ceiling that mimics the sky from sunrise to sunset, has turned its entire third floor into an outlet for 49 shops. Its doors opened on Dec. 11, and while 49 is a paltry number compared to the behemoth malls that lie in the city outskirts, it should be enough to appease those insatiable city bargain-hungry shoppers.
Why build a small outlet mall in Tokyo when there are much bigger outlet malls in places like Saitama, Tochigi, and Ibaraki? According to these two news reports, the outlet mall is hoping to capitalize on the new wave of rich Chinese tourists who have been coming to Japan since visa restrictions were relaxed earlier this year.
Big-spending Chinese tourists are already coming to Tokyo and buying lots of expensive brand products. Few tour groups have the time to travel out into the suburbs to visit existing outlet malls. Odaiba is already a major tourist spot in Tokyo, so it is a fantastic location when one thinks of the "Asian money" that comes with the Chinese and their credit cards.
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