10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Chiba

LaLaport Tokyo-Bay has more than 400 shops, restaurants and entertainment venues, making it easy to spend the whole day at this complex. Shopping is divided into zones so you can easily find designer brands, high street fashion, beauty stores, and gift shops. Stop for lunch at the onsite food court or snack on scones in one of its many tearooms.

Families can take the kids to Harbour Street to ride a musical train, explore the Pokémon Center, play in a pirate-themed playground, or go rock climbing at Gravity Research. LaLaport Tokyo-Bay also has a huge cinema complex, TOHO Cinemas – 10 screens showcase the latest blockbusters. Visit on a weekend for family-friendly events and pop-up shops.

Aeon Mall Makuhari Shintoshin is one of the biggest Aeon malls in Japan. Its specialised pet section has an outdoor dog run, a pet pool, a dog-friendly café, and numerous pet stores. In the family section, kids can spend hours at Toys R Us or Bornelund, play in a games section, or burn off some energy at the outdoor 'sky park'.

Head to the active section for a small basketball court, football park and running station where you can try out your new gear. The main mall has bookshops, stationery, fashion and beauty stores, as well as a massive food court. Take a break from shopping at the cinema or ping-pong park on the top floor.

Mitsui Outlet Park Makuhari is a bustling outlet filled with bargain designer goods. Prominent international fashion brands include Michael Kors, Polo Ralph Lauren, Fred Perry, Hugo Boss, Coach, Kate Spade, Lanvin, and Italian brand Furla.

For food connoisseurs, there's a Le Creuset store packed with quality cooking equipment, and an Italian wine store called Enoteca. Take a break from shopping for gelato at Pique Cafe or grab a baked treat from Maison Kayser. Visit the Tax Exemption Counter to get a list of tax-free shops – Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armour and New Balance are on it.

Take a stroll around C•one to discover interesting Japanese wares and independent brands in Chiba. You can buy cute modern pieces at Natural Couture and authentic kimonos at Kimono Yamato. Ask the knowledgeable staff for advice if you're picking out a traditional outfit to take home.

The street has dozens of shops featuring stylish cutleries, interior décor, storage, and gifts. Some popular brands include Keisei Flower, CouCou and Verite. The food area has sweet shops and speciality coffee retailers, plus sushi, tonkatsu curry, tempura, a Sichuan restaurant, and a steakhouse.

Located within Tokyo Disney Resort, Ikspiari feels like a brief trip to Hollywood, complete with palm tree-shaded streets and brightly lit neon signs. Naturally, there's an enormous Disney store covering around 1,000 square metres. You'll find several unique limited-edition products, as well as a vast selection of toys, figurines, clothes, jewellery and art prints.

Other kids' favourites include speciality capsule toy store C-pla, and Copel's early-years toys and educational materials. Film buffs will enjoy Carta Scopio and its intriguing film memorabilia from the likes of Harry Potter and Indiana Jones. Cinema Ikspiari is the mall's dedicated movie theatre, where you can catch a film on one of its 16 screens.

Plena Makuhari is a sprawling shopping centre near the waterfront of Mihama Ward. Combining shopping with a wide range of fitness activities, it's home to a fitness club, yoga studio and cycling centre, as well as a golf club with a cutting-edge simulator. Have a go at indoor climbing at Green Arrow, which has walls suitable for all levels.

Chiba's professional baseball team, the Marines, has an official store in the mall. Restaurants run the gamut from steakhouses and sushi joints to Italian and Hawaiian eateries. Alternatively, grab a coffee and baked treat at St. Marc Cafe or try bubble tea at Sanchaya.

Ario Soga is a vibrant gourmet shopping centre that includes a sizeable supermarket and several specialist food stores. Japanese sweet store Okashi no Machioka sells lots of unique snacks, from green tea-flavoured chocolate to crispy roasted seaweed. There are sweets of every kind at Pastel and Kakiyasu Koufukudo, while specialist tea and coffee are available at Kaldi.

Ario Soga has a supermarket on the ground floor that’s worth a visit if you want to take home some regional snacks, bento boxes, or wine. Take a break at Tutu Banana for ice cream, crepes, and tapioca drinks. There's also a huge Muji store where you can browse minimalist and eco-friendly homewares.

Junnu is a slick modern retail complex in the centre of Chiba's busy shopping district. Spread across 5 floors are notable brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Research, American Holic and Francfranc. You could spend hours in the huge Uniqlo store, which takes up a big chunk of the basement level. You can shop for essential oils and natural cosmetics at Aroma Bloom.

Grab a coffee in Starbucks or Berry's Café and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi throughout the mall. If you can't get enough of shopping, it's a short walk from Junnu to the SOGO department store and C•one shopping street.

Head to Shapo Funabashi to shop with the locals at its dependable fishmongers and grocery stores. One of the mall's chief attractions is its excellent shops, including fresh fish at Kakujoe and salted dried fish at Okawa. Shop for fresh fruit and vegetables at Sawamitsu, or try some of Funabashiya's Japanese sweets.

You can browse a wide selection of novels and manga at popular bookshop Kumazawa, or hunt down cool modern homeware at Keyuka. The mall is easy to find, right next to Funabashi train station, so it's a breeze to get to.

Mio is a low-key mall that's great for a spot of relaxed shopping in Chiba. Many of its shops and brands are some of Japan's best-loved staples. Daiso has an eclectic collection of affordable crafts, food, homewares and gifts, while Honeys and Bay-B Club offer a great assortment of womenswear.

Shop for pretty floral cushions, tea sets, incense sticks, stationery and all kinds of cute paraphernalia at Bon Maison. Dining choices at Mio include ramen at Kintoun and seafood at Sushiya Ginzo, as well as familiar names like McDonald’s and KFC. Its onsite cinema, Keisei Rosa, has 10 screens and a convenient automated ticketing system.