Osaka Shopping Secrets: 5 Best Shops at Rinku Premium Outlets – Near Kansai International Airport (KIX)!

Rinku Premium Outlets: A Shopping Spot Conveniently Close to International Airport

You can reach Rinku Premium Outlets in about 6 minutes on foot from Rinku Town Station, which is one stop away from Kansai International Airport. The “Sky Shuttle” bus goes between Kansai International Airport and the outlet mall every 30 minutes and attracts many customers form the airport.

The Sky Shuttle costs 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for children. It’s affordable and since it goes directly between the airport and mall, any extra items you purchase at the mall won’t be an issue to carry.

Get the Inbound Coupon with Your Passport

Rinku Premium Outlets has great sales 5 times a year. They have the Premium Outlet Bargain sale in January and August, the Spring Sale in March, Summer Sale in June, and Winter Sale in November. Items that already has a great deal gets a bigger discount.

Also we can’t forget about the Inbound Coupon for foreign visitors. This coupon can be used at over half the shops, excluding dining facilities. Some stores have restrictions but, you can receive a 5% to 20% discount. You can receive 1 coupon book per passport at the information center.

When going to and from the airport your luggage can get in the way, but don’t worry there are 7 locations with lockers. There are even lockers that are big enough for suitcases. At the Information Center they have support in English, Chines and Korean.

There is a money exchange machine and also if your luggage is too big or the lockers are full, they can hold on to your luggage (800 yen per luggage). There are some shops with staff that speak a foreign languages, but there is also a phone translation service throughout the mall, so everyone can conveniently shop.

Next we will cover 5 shops that you should stop by during your visit.

1. Great Deals at The Cosmetics Company Store!

A great place to get a deal on cosmetics is The Cosmetics Company Store! They have around 1,300 items from 5 cosmetics brand and one perfume brand, including MAC and Estee Launder. This store has great discounts and they also have special discount items that you should grab if you see it!

Even cosmetics that are trending tend to have big discounts too. Since the package and cosmetics are cute, many people find gifts here

Seasonal cosmetics tend to have large discount rates. If you find the item you want or a color you like, then you are in luck! If you get here at the right time, you can get department store limited items, kits, and Christmas coffret at a discount.

Many people purchase skin lotion and foundation for themselves and get cute looking discounted items as gifts.

2. Light and Functional LeSportsac

There are many color and pattern variations which provides a fun shopping experience

Shoulder bags are popular at LeSportsac, which offers functional bags. Here you can find past season designs. Compared to normal shops, they have many pattern and color variations. Discontinued items at normal shops can be found at outlets malls.

Limited items only in Japan are popular.

Limited items only in Japan are popular with overseas visitors. The special collaboration series with popular stylist Yumie Kazama from 2018. The Great Dane motif chic bag focuses on functionality and it has items such as inner bags for traveling and vanity.

3. SCOTCH GRAIN: The Power of Made in Japan

A place to find shoes made in Japan

The shoe brand SCOTCH GRAIN from Tokyo Sumida-ku. When manufacturing leather shoes, during the process the leather can have sections where it wrinkles, scars or blood vessel marks can show, and these items are sold exclusively at the outlet shop.

However these small scars are really hard to notice unless you are a professional. You can get shoes made in the same manner as normal shoes at a discount.

They use the Goodyear welt method that has a good fitting.

The sole of the shoes at SCOTCH GRAIN has three parts of, insole, sponge and outsole. The more you wear the shoe the leather starts to fit your feet and becomes comfortable.

Another reason for their popularity is that they offer repairs to the heel and sole area which adds to the longevity of the shoe. It’s always nice being able to buy shoes handmade by master craftsmen at an outlet price.

Playful shoes made by master craftsman “Panda Shoes” (41,040 yen tax included) can be ordered.

4. High-Quality Towels from Senshu Towel for Gifts

Full product assortment is possible because the store is directly managed by the union.

Hailing from the birthplace of Japanese towels, the Osaka Prefecture Senshu area, Senshu Towel is directly managed by the union. Since it is directly managed, it has a full assortment of products and offers new products relatively quickly.

The unique feature of Senshu Towel is the manufacturing process of atozarashi. They wash the towel once it is completed, which allows the towel to absorb moister from the start and people can use it as soon as they buy it.

Senshu Bijin bath towel, sports towel and face towel

The popular towel is the Senshu Bijin, it uses a special thread, which makes the towel light and absorbs moisture. The towel remains soft even after you wash it. There are 3 sizes. You can choose from 6 traditional Japanese colors such as willow and celadon, which makes a perfect gift.

It is located in the food court, and a little hard to find, however it has a great assortment of high quality Senshu Towel that is worth stopping by.

5. KitKat Gift Shop with the Best Assortment in Japan

You can find many types of KitKats, at the KitKat Gift Shop. The store has around 40 types of KitKats regularly and you can find standard KitKat, regional specials, KitKat Chocolatory made under the supervision of patissier, and limited time KitKat.

The shelves with colorful packages make it hard to resist buying! They don’t take up too much space and the affordable price makes them popular gifts.

Left “KitKat Mini Nihonshu Masuizumi”, right “KitKat Mini Umeshu Tsuru Ume”. If you purchase both you can get a 3% discount which totals to 1,467 yen (tax included)

The top two popular KitKats are the ones made with Japanese sake and umeshu (plum wine). They evaporate the liquid while keeping the fragrant, which gives the KitKat a really good smell.

Another popular series is the matcha, and there are many other flavors that will make you want to buy more for yourself.

The popular matcha corner

After shopping, it’s Time to Enjoy Some Good Food!

Don’t forget to enjoy the great restaurants offered here. At Rinku Premium Outlets there are two food courts, and various restaurants and cafes. It’s always nice not having to leave the mall to get food.

1. Tasty Burgers at KUA’AINA

The store interior is Hawaiian and very photogenic

The Hawaiian burger shop KUA’AINA is a popular shop that has people lined up before it opens. You can enjoy delicious burgers and sandwiches in a Hawaiian atmosphere. The most popular item on the menu is the hamburger. The juicy and large portion 100% beef patties are cooked on a grill with lava rocks.

The Chunky Cheddar Avocado Burger lunch set (1,493 yen tax included)

The most popular item on the menu is the Chunky Cheddar Avocado Burger, with thick cheddar and ripe avocado. If you order the lunch set, it comes with French fries and a drink. There is even an English and Chinese menu available. The menu has photos so you can just point at the pictures to order.

While shopping you can also get desserts such as pancakes or order French fries and drinks to have a snack and relax.

2. In the Mood for Japanese Food? Head to Mametora!

At Mametora you can enjoy Japanese food like tempura. They use Japanese rice and fresh ingredients. The restaurant is spacious and they have seats for children which is great for families. They also have menus in English, Chines and Korean.

The menu has photos so you can just point at the pictures to order. A unique feature of the shop is the beautiful display menu. At lunch time there is usually a line and many people take pictures of the display menu.

The food samples of the display menu is popular with foreign visitors.

Popular dishes with foreign visitors are unaju (eel rice box), tempura and beef menus such as sukiyaki and beef katsu.

The most popular dish is the Hamidashi Tendon (tempura rice bowl). Hamidashi means sticking out, and as the name implies the large tempura sticks out of the bowl.

The tendon includes nine types of tempura such as conger eel, whiting, squid and squash. It is a menu where you can enjoy seasonal seafood and vegetables.

The Hamidashi Tendon comes with a small dish and miso soup (1,380 tax excluded)

Rinku Premium Outlets offers great shopping and dining experience. Also it is close to the ocean and offers a great sunset view. While shopping, stop by the observation space where you can get a view of the Kansai International Airport.

Text by:Niki Shigemi