AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu

This post is sponsored by AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu. All opinions expressed in this post are based on the personal views of the author.

AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu is one of the area’s biggest shopping malls and easily accessible from Hiroshima Station. The 3-storey shopping center has almost 280 stores, restaurants, cafes, a multiplex cinema and Hiroshima city’s only IMAX theater. Although shopaholics of all ages will find plenty to get excited about, AEON Mall Fuchu is particularly appealing to families with young children.

Whether you have kids or not, however, AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu is one of the region’s best shopping options. Locals will tell you that it is a great place to escape the heat in summer, warm up in winter, and stay dry at those times of the year when the rain just won’t seem to quit. It’s a great place for visitors looking to take a break from sightseeing and a good place to pick up souvenirs of gifts, especially if you hit one of the 30 or so shops that offer tax-free shopping.

 

The Big Hitters

UNIQLO was born in Hiroshima, so it is fitting that their recently refurbished and expanded store in AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu is the largest in the region. Their UT Graphic T-shirt range is given pride of place in a hall of mirrors with fancy neon tickers that welcome you to Hiroshima. UNIQLO’s sister store, faster fast fashion outlet GU, is also here.

Mu-jirushi ryohin A.K.A. MUJI with its signature no-brand clothing and stylishly simple stationery and lifestyle goods can be found on the same floor. Discount behemoth DAISO is on the first floor and FOREVER 21, ZARA and American Eagle Outfitters are among the overseas retail chains represented.

It’s hard not to find something to tickle your fancy at Danish shop of wonders Flying Tiger, and, in addition to a huge range of sporting and outdoor goods, Sports Authority has an excellent selection of Hiroshima Carp and Sanfrecce soccer merchandise, perfect for kitting yourself out for a game or for souvenirs.

 

Fashion

AEON MALL Hiroshima Fuchu is packed with Japanese fashion stores, some with spectacularly silly names (Rodeo Crowns Wide Bowl, Naughty Dog and huomenta! are some of my favorites). Graniph’s fun and unique designer T-shirts, particularly those with cool Japanese motifs, make for great gifts. Other popular domestic fashion stores are WEGO, URBAN RESEARCH DOORS, GLOBAL WORK and Comme Ca Ism, but fashion hunters will want to set aside extra time to explore the many other options.

 

Family Favorites

Much of the 3rd floor is tailored towards families, especially those with young children. As well as Toys R Us and Babies R Us, there are a host of Japanese kids clothing stores that will make your children fit for the catwalk.

Near the food court, there are baby feeding areas, kid-friendly seating and even some free play zones for little ones, as well as a Bornelund play area which parents can pay for by the hour. You’ll also find Baskin Robbins here – though, if you are asking for directions, be aware that it is more commonly known as “thirty-one” here, as in “31 Flavors!

Those looking for character goods, won’t be disappointed. Kitty Chan, Gudetama and friends can be found at Sanrio Gift Gate and Snoopy Town is also the 3rd Floor. Disney fans might like to check out the Disney Store on the first floor for Japan only products.

Slightly older kids will enjoy the NAMCO game center, which, as well as many Japanese video game favorites, has a huge “UFO Catcher” claw machine section and purikura booths in which you can kawaii-ify yourself. You might even be tempted to splash out on some their VR games.

Treat Yourself: A Food-tastic Day at AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu
Hiroshima Food Snob eats her way around AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu

 

Japanese culture; new, old and sub

Fans of gashapon will be in heaven at the aptly-named Gacha-gacha no mori (gashapon forest) which has over 600 capsule toy machines featuring sets of toys (priced at ¥100~¥500 each) on themes, many of which you would really have to try hard to think up!

On a more nostalgic tip, Dagashiya Charinko is a must visit.

Here, you will find a treasure trove of weird, wonderful and cheaply-priced Japanese candy and snacks that kids all over Japan used to pick up on their way home from school at mom-and-pop candy stores. There’s even a machine dispensing Coca Cola in old school bottles.

The stranger side of Japanese character and subculture can be explored at Village Vanguard.

 

Hobby Heaven

If you know anything about otaku culture, you’ll know that Japan takes its hobbies seriously, and the 3rd floor is the place to delve into some family-friendly hobby culture.

Train geeks will definitely want to check out Popondetta, a store that specializes in N scale model trains.

You can pay a few hundred yen to run the trains (including an original 0 Series Shinkansen) on the tracks that run through an incredibly detailed diorama.

At Hobby Zone, you can find a wide range of Japanese figurines and plastic model building kits, but those looking to keep a crafty kid occupied for a while should check out the Tamiya Mini 4WD (known as mini-yon-ku in Japanese) section.

You can race ready-made motorized cars around the special track, or buy your own kit to build at one of the in-store work benches. The enthusiasm of the staff will help bridge any language issues should you need help.

As you can tell, there is enough to keep you entertained at AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu for hours at a time. You are sure to work up an appetite with all this retail therapy, so be sure to check out our pick of some of the mall’s many dining options.

AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu is gradually building its foreign language web content, so keep an eye on the AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu’s English page for coupon deals and other news. As well as tax-free shopping options AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu has international ATMS and currency exchange machines.

Access:

Free shuttle bus
10-minute bus ride from in front of Hiroshima Sheraton Hotel North Exit.
Check the bus schedule https://hiroshimafuchu-aeonmall.com/static/detail/access-bus
¥100 one way (elementary school age and under free of charge)

Train
5-minute walk from JR Tenjingawa Station (1 stop east from Hiroshima Station on the Sanyo Main Line)
See illustrated English walking guide from JR Tenjingawa Station here https://hiroshimafuchu-aeonmall.com/static/detail/access-bus

Opening hours
Open 7 days a week
AEON MALL Specialty Stores 10:00-22:00
Food Court 10:00-22:00
Restaurant Area 11:00-23:00
AEON STYLE Food Section 07:00-23:00
AEON STYLE Other Sections 09:00-23:00
※The opening hours of some stores may differ.

Address: 2-chōme-1-1 Ōsu, Fuchu, Aki-gun, Hiroshima 735-0021
Address in Japanese: 〒735-0021 広島県安芸郡府中町大須２丁目１−1
Tel: 082-561-0001
URL: https://hiroshimafuchu-aeonmall.com/