25 years of Premium Outlets

The Gotemba Premium Outlet is perhaps the most famous of the Premium Outlets. I believe it is also the most visited by international tourists. But the newest of the chain, by the outlet chain Mitsubishi Estate-Simon group, is Fukaya Hanazono which opened in 2022. It was the 10th branch of Premium Outlets to open. Gotemba Premium Outlet was the very first of the chain to open and they opened on this day in 2000. 

This year is the 25th anniversary of Premium Outlets. In 2020, for the 20th anniversary, Mitsubishi Estate-Simon group established "Premium Outlet Day". The date is not just the anniversary but also a pun on 10/10 which can be read "out (10) let (10)." In addition, it was a nod to the 20th anniversary of the opening as "10 + 10 = 20". Furthermore, October is a prime shopping month!

Most of the Premium Outlet share the same characteristics. They are mainly open-air malls, each have many stores, they are located near major highway interchanges, and they are often within 100 km of major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. In addition, many customers come to the store by private car so there a large parking lot is available. Some of them offer free shuttle buses from nearby stations or airports.

Have you been to one or more Premium Outlets? If more than one, which one did you prefer? You can find reviews and more information about the individual outlets on this site through the search function.