When visiting Japan, many people often purchase famous Japanese beauty products, miscellaneous goods, brand-name items, and local souvenirs.
After touring Ibaraki Prefecture, visitors heading towards destinations like Tokyo from Mito City, the prefectural capital, or those staying in Mito, here are six recommended shopping spots, including shopping malls, to explore.
Each spot is conveniently accessible, and shopping can be enjoyed in the evening and even at night. Furthermore, as each store carries different products, feel free to shop according to your preferences.

Excel Mito

Located directly connected to Mito Station, the station building consists of two six-story structures: Excel Main Building and Excel Minami, along with Excel Plum Street, a concourse within Mito Station featuring over 100 shops.

The Excel Main Building offers a diverse shopping experience, ranging from trendy fashion to miscellaneous goods and cosmetics. In addition to popular overseas specialty brands like MUJI and 100-yen shops, numerous restaurants and cafes are also available. You’ll also come across a supermarket on the first floor.

At IBARAKI Ajiwai Market in Excel Minami, you can find specialties from Ibaraki and Mito and souvenirs such as famous confectionery, sake, and processed foods. In addition, local brands like SAZA COFFEE’s cafe and Kiuchi Shuzo’s beer dining, and a ramen street all contribute to a distinctive Ibaraki shopping experience. The shopping center also houses Fashion Center Shimamura and Bic Camera, a large chain of electronics stores.

Excel Plum Street has a collection of restaurants and snack corners, and we recommend the Ibaraki Jizake Bar, which offers a wide selection of local sake from all over Ibaraki! Here, you can purchase sake on the spot, along with tastings of many local brews.

Some stores, such as Bic Camera and Kokumin drugstore, offer duty-free shopping.

Aeon Mall Mito Uchihara

It is one of the largest shopping malls in northern Kanto, with more than 200 stores.

With popular Japanese companies such as UNIQLO, MUJI, and the Daiso hundred-yen store, global companies such as GAP, H&M, and ZARA, as well as a restaurant area and food court, it is a place where visitors can enjoy all day long.

In addition, there is a kids’ indoor park and an amusement area with Gachapon, Purikura, and crane games where children and adults alike can have fun, so it is always bustling with families.

There are supermarkets, pharmacies, and duty-free shops available. This facility is perfect for those who would like to stroll through a Japanese shopping mall.

Don Quijote

Don Quijote is one of the largest comprehensive discount stores in Japan.

It offers a wide range of products, such as groceries, alcohol, miscellaneous goods, entertainment items, apparel, cosmetics, and electronics, all arranged in a maze-like interior that is always bustling with shoppers.

MEGA Don Quijote is a larger version of Don Quijote, it offers a range of fresh products and has a relatively spacious interior. It’s very popular among foreign tourists, and you can also do duty-free shopping here. The store is open until late, making it very convenient for shoppers.

Keisei Department Store

This department store has a history of over 100 years.

The store offers a vast selection of top international and domestic brands, including clothing, accessories, cosmetics, home goods and high-quality local products.

There is also a famous Japanese household goods retail chain, Loft. At Food & Groceries on the basement floor, you can enjoy so-called “depachika” (department basement) shopping, such as Ibaraki specialties, sweets, tea, and other products suitable as souvenirs, as well as luxury side dishes and bento boxes.

The restaurant area on the 9th floor features a wide range of dining options, including Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cuisine. It also includes popular local restaurants such as Tonkatsu Ajima and the pasta restaurant Groovy. Additionally, there are cafes available in the store, with the local coffee brand SAZA COFFEE highly recommended.

Matsumoto Kiyoshi Frespo Akatsuka Store

Matsumoto Kiyoshi is a subsidiary of MatsukiyoCocokara & Co., which operates over 3,400 drugstores and dispensing pharmacies nationwide.
It is a popular drugstore among overseas customers as a place to buy souvenirs, as it handles many products, including pharmaceuticals, beauty products, cosmetics, foods, daily necessities, and sundries.

Nearby the Matsumoto Kiyoshi, which is part of the Frespo Akatsuka shopping center, you will als find a supermarket, a 100 yen store, MUJI, and other daily necessities.

It is easily accessible by public transport, just a short walk from Akatsuka Station, one stop from Mito Station.

York Town Mito

This shopping center is a popular spot among the locals for everyday shopping. It is a hidden gem for shoppers featuring well-known Japanese companies, such as clothing brands Uniqlo and GU, shoe chain ABC Mart, miscellaneous goods store MUJI, drugstore Welcia, and 100-yen shop Daiso.

There is also Cainz, a popular home improvement center with quality private brand products, where you may find some bargains! The supermarket “York Benimaru” is also large-scale, where you can easily find snacks, food items, and seasonings commonly consumed in Japan.

If you want to experience a trip like a local, visiting a spot like this is highly recommended!