We visited Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza as part of our winter trip with two toddlers, and it ended up being a great half-day family outing. The open-air layout is scenic and relaxing, with beautiful mountain views and wide walking paths that made it easy to explore — even in winter. It’s just a short walk from Karuizawa Station, which makes it very convenient if you're staying nearby or arriving by train. After spending the morning at the Karuizawa Snow Park, this was a perfect change of pace.

The entire outlet is stroller-friendly and very walkable, with smooth paths and plenty of benches for rest breaks. Our toddlers loved the space — they got to stretch their legs and enjoy the fresh air between shopping stops. There’s a paid outdoor playground near the kids’ section where they played with our nanny while we squeezed in some shopping time — such a nice setup for families.

There’s a surprisingly good selection of children’s stores: Sanrio, Lego, Adidas Kids, Nike Kids, and BEAMS Kids (which had especially good deals during our visit). We also stopped for sweet treats at Karuizawa Gelato and Krispy Kreme — both were a hit with the kids and made the outing feel like a treat, not just a shopping trip.

The outlet is large, so I recommend visiting the Customer Service Center early on to grab a store directory. We used our arrival day to map out the must-visits for the next morning — it saved us a lot of time and aimless walking, especially with kids in tow.

Dining options are varied and casual — we picked up food from the food court and ate in one of the warm indoor lounges, which were clean and comfortable. It’s not gourmet dining, but it’s practical and kid-approved.

Overall, Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza is more than just an outlet — it’s a spacious, well-managed destination that works surprisingly well for families with young children. Between the stroller access, kid-friendly stores, snack stops, and scenic layout, it felt like a relaxing way to shop without the usual stress. Definitely worth including if you're spending a couple of days in Karuizawa.