Buy Japanese goods without leaving Taiwan！These 3 Japanese department stores are coming to Taiwan — and you can even enjoy Blue Bottle Coffee

Reporter Tsai Wen-jun / Comprehensive report

Exquisite and design-forward Japanese products are highly favored by Taiwanese travelers. With an eye on Taiwan’s consumer market, many Japanese department stores are planning to set up shops in Taiwan. This article rounds up 3 upcoming Japanese department stores in Taiwan, allowing locals to purchase their favorite Japanese brands and gourmet foods without relying on overseas shopping agents or traveling abroad.

▲ Illustration of Breeze Taipei and ATRE. (Photo / Provided by Breeze)

1. Breeze Taipei “ATRE”
JR East Japan’s station-based retail complex “ATRE” (アトレ) recently announced that it will open its first overseas branch, “Breeze ATRE,” in Taipei’s Xinyi District. The location will be within the “Breeze Taipei” complex developed by the Breeze Group, covering an area of approximately 3,000 ping (about 9,900 sq m), with plans to introduce around 50 brands, over 70% of which will be making their Taiwan debut.

▲ Blue Bottle Coffee may come to Taiwan (Photo / From Blue Bottle Coffee Japan Facebook page)

ATRE is a station-integrated retail complex operated by JR East Japan, known for its mid-to-low price range. It currently has 43 branches in major JR stations across Japan, including well-known locations such as Ueno, Ebisu, Kichijoji, and Mitaka. The announcement of its first overseas branch in Taiwan means that consumers won’t have to travel all the way to Japan for Japanese goods. The lineup also includes U.S.-based Blue Bottle Coffee — dubbed the “Apple of the coffee world” — and Shake Shack, often referred to as the “Starbucks of hamburgers,” both of which are on the potential tenant list. This has become a hot topic among netizens, with the store expected to open in October 2018.

▲ Mitsui Outlet Park is set to open at Taichung Port. The photo shows the Kisarazu Mitsui Outlet Park in Japan. (Photo / By reporter Tsai Wen-jun)

2. Mitsui Outlet Park at Taichung Port
Following the one in Linkou, Japanese real estate giant Mitsui Fudosan is investing NT$2.5 billion to build another Mitsui Outlet Park at Taichung Port. This will be the largest outlet mall in central Taiwan. Construction began on August 21 and is expected to be completed and begin trial operations by the end of 2018.

The Mitsui Outlet Park at Taichung Port is planned to integrate with the surrounding development of Taichung Port, featuring seaside restaurants and shopping facilities. It will become Taiwan’s first harbor shopping center combining ocean tourism, fashion, and leisure entertainment.

▲ Reference image of LaLaport EXPOCITY. (Photo / Provided by Mitsui Fudosan Group)

3. Nangang LaLaport
In addition to the Mitsui Outlet Park at Taichung Port, Mitsui Fudosan Group also announced earlier this year that it will partner with CTBC Financial Holding (parent company of CTBC Bank) to develop another large-scale retail complex, “LaLaport,” in Nangang District, Taipei. The project is expected to open in 2021.

LaLaport is a chain of shopping malls under Mitsui Fudosan Group, primarily targeting families. The most well-known branch among Taiwanese travelers is the one near TeamLab Borderless in Toyosu, Tokyo — LaLaport Toyosu. Aside from shopping, it also offers a dedicated career experience camp for children aged 3 to 15, ensuring fun for both adults and kids.

Nangang LaLaport is scheduled to open in 2021, with a total floor area of about 50,000 ping (approximately 164,000 sq m), larger than the 42,500 ping (about 140,000 sq m) of the Linkou OUTLET. It is expected to house around 250 stores. The mall will be within a 5-minute walk from both Nangang Software Park Metro Station and Nangang Exhibition Center Metro Station, providing local residents with yet another leisure and shopping destination.