Ario Ichihara

Ario Ichihara (アリオ市原) is a large-scale shopping center located in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It opened on November 28, 2013, and is operated by Create Link, a subsidiary of York Holdings. The mall is part of the Ario chain of shopping centers, which is anchored by Ito-Yokado supermarkets. The development was originally planned on a much larger scale, but rising material costs and the economic downturn following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake led to a significant reduction in size. The site is in the Goi district, about 1.5 km from Goi Station's east exit, and was developed as part of a land readjustment project. The mall features Ito-Yokado as its core store, along with approximately 150 to 200 specialty shops, a cinema complex (TOHO Cinemas Ichihara), and a large parking lot. It is the largest shopping center in Ichihara City. The opening marked the return of an Ito-Yokado-affiliated store to the Goi area after the closure of the previous Ito-Yokado Ichihara store in May 2010. The facility includes two floors of retail space, with a variety of tenants including Uniqlo, Muji, Loft, ABC-Mart, Daiso, and numerous restaurants and cafes. The cinema, TOHO Cinemas Ichihara, has 10 screens and 1,578 seats, including a TCX large-format screen. Ario Ichihara serves as a key retail destination for the region, benefiting from its proximity to major roads and public transportation.

The development of Ario Ichihara was part of a land readjustment project in the Goi district of Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture. The city planned a comprehensive park and two commercial facility areas adjacent to it. A public proposal process was held, and 11 companies, including Aeon, entered. As a result, Mall SC Development (later Seven & i Create Link, then Create Link) and Cainz were selected. The original plan envisioned a two-story facility with Ito-Yokado, Cainz Home, a cinema, and 150 to 200 specialty stores, on a site of approximately 215,000 square meters with 3,000 parking spaces. It was expected to be the largest Ario store in Japan, surpassing Ario Soga. The project was delayed due to rising material costs and the economic downturn. In February 2009, it was revealed that the originally planned April 2010 opening was difficult, as no tenants had been secured. In November 2009, Ito-Yokado announced it would close its existing Ito-Yokado Ichihara store in May 2010, and indicated it would abandon the shopping mall and cinema complex plan. Cainz opened its store on April 6, 2010, as planned. The Ario Ichihara opening plan was announced on October 29, 2013, and the mall opened on November 28, 2013, with a reduced scale from the original plan. The opening brought an Ito-Yokado-affiliated store back to the Goi area after about three and a half years. The mall is the largest shopping center in Ichihara City. The core store is Ito-Yokado, and the mall includes a TOHO Cinemas with 10 screens and 1,578 seats, featuring a TCX screen in its largest auditorium.

• 2013

  Ario Ichihara opening plan announced on October 29; mall opened on November 28.

• 2010

  Cainz opened on April 6.

• 2010

  Ito-Yokado Ichihara store closed on May 9.

• 2009

  In February, it was revealed that the planned April 2010 opening was difficult due to rising costs and lack of tenants.

• 2009

  In November, Ito-Yokado announced the closure of its existing Ichihara store and abandonment of the mall plan.

• 2007

  Land development began as part of a land readjustment project.

Large-scale regional shopping center anchored by Ito-Yokado, serving the Goi area of Ichihara City.

• Ito-Yokado supermarket

• TOHO Cinemas Ichihara (10 screens, 1,578 seats)

• Specialty stores (e.g., Uniqlo, Muji, Loft, ABC-Mart, Daiso)

• Restaurants and cafes (e.g., Saizeriya, Mr. Donut, Ootoya, Kaldi Coffee Farm)

1. 1Ario Ichihara - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org
2. 2Ario Ichihara - Wikidatawikidata.org