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...
Read moreThe Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza is a large outlet mall located in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the largest outlet malls in Japan, with over 200 stores selling a wide variety of goods, including clothing, accessories, home goods, and food.
I recently visited the Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza, and I was very impressed. The mall is clean and well-organized, and the stores are well-stocked. I was able to find some great deals on clothes and accessories, and I also enjoyed browsing the home goods stores.
One of the things I liked most about the Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza is that it has a wide variety of stores to choose from. There are stores for all budgets and tastes, so there is something for everyone. I also liked the fact that the mall is located in a beautiful setting. The mall is surrounded by mountains and forests, and there are a number of restaurants and cafes where you can relax and enjoy the scenery.
Overall, I had a great experience at the Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza. It is a great place to find deals on a wide variety of goods, and it is also a nice place to spend a day browsing and shopping.
In Short: The Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza is a large and well-organized outlet mall with a wide variety of stores to choose from. It is a great place to find deals on a wide variety of goods, and it is also a nice place to spend a day browsing...
Read moreA lot of high-end brand names stores here. But very good prices. And if you're visiting here from another country, you'll save more money by showing your passport. 😏 The area is very nice and inviting. Very nice relaxed atmosphere and very clean and well kept. There is also a lot of food places to choose and eat from. From mid to high end and also for a good meal on a budget. 👌 A few steps away from the Karuizawa station. Very convenient. If you end up buying a lot of merchandise and you're wondering about how to get your items back, especially if you're just visiting Karuizawa and your main hotel is in Tokyo for example. I would recommend going to the information building (close to the eatery area) and you can get your items shipped by Yamato transport (black cat🐈⬛️) to your hotel for a small price. Excellent idea and it very helpful. Not to mention the staff at the information area will help you with all this. 👍 😀 👌 A great thanks to them for their help. 😊
If you like good brand name items, want to save a bit of money, and enjoy your day shopping at a really nice location, then I'd recommend this...
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