By: Atty. Marlo T. Cristobal
Our family left Osaka briefly yesterday and took a day trip to Kobe-Sanda Premium Outlets of the nearby city of Kobe. By train we passed through, for some 30 minutes, the trappings of a countryside, as we breezed through sceneries of forests, alternating open fields of grasses, flowers and small houses that looked captivatingly cute and dainty, and through what appeared to be a punctured mountain base to give passageway to the railway track of train cars, like the train we rode.
And while reveling this rustic sight, unfolded unanticipatedly some urban contrivances, the buzzing stores of internationally branded items called collectively the Kobe Sanda Premium Outlet built side by side the big Aeon Mall.
This Kobe Outlet is one hell of a monster in breadth and length. If l recall correctly all the outlets l have visited in many places abroad, Kobe Sanda Premium Outlet dwarfs them all, clearly in a position to taunt them, “you’re out of my league.” For here are housed many branded items that l have never seen before, on top of the traditional or regular branded items that are ubiquitous in outlets. Walking from one end to the other end of Kobe Outlet, lengthwise, is a tiresome affair. You can visualize its whopping area if you take into account the fact that in between the 2 outer columns of stores that constitute the length of the outlet, there is in the center one more column of back-to-back stores running through the entire length of the outlet to make in effect 4 long lines of outlet stores. Added to these are the big spaces between the columns of stores where patrons saunter and meander, nap and rest, drift and eat.
Note that these (expansive) play areas for patrons are used as parking areas of outlets abroad, but here in Kobe Outlet they are patrons’ exclusive playgrounds. Its parking areas are relegated outside of the outlet, on a separate ground with 4-tiered parking structure. All this should give you a pretty good idea that Kobe Sanda Premium Outlet asserts its dominance over, and daunting challenge to, other existing outlets in terms of quality and quantity.
How thought-provoking seeing a huge mall and a huge Outlet stand side by side in a boculic locality. That’s a typical Japanese business acumen for you.
To the wanderlusts who are compulsive shoppers, l pass on to you above information hoping l may serve you some inspiration (though may threaten instead your frugal spouse or partner with a nightmare).
