FeriE MinamiKusatsu

FeriE MinamiKusatsu (フェリエ南草津) is a mixed-use commercial complex located in Noro 1-chome, Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, directly in front of JR Minami-Kusatsu Station on the JR Biwako Line (Tokaido Main Line). It opened on July 18, 2002, and functions as a shopping center and community hub for the area around the station. The facility was built by UFJ Trust Bank using a land trust method on a 3,600-square-meter site, and trust dividends are paid to Kusatsu City through fiscal 2032. The building is organized into six floors, with retail, dining, services, public facilities, and fitness uses stacked vertically. Floors 1 through 4 are connected by an open atrium, and the escalators are skeleton type, allowing the machinery to be seen. The floor composition is themed. The first floor is the "Beauty Convenience & Foods" floor and also contains bus and taxi stands; tenants include Kentucky Fried Chicken, the drugstore Cocokara Fine, the ladies' apparel brand Honey's, and the bakery Coeur et Conserves. The second floor is the "Outdoor & Casual" floor, with tenants such as Montbell (outdoor goods), COLOR BOX (a furisode specialty store), Smartphone Repair Plus (phone repair and purikura), and Futaba Shobo (books, stationery, and miscellaneous goods). The third floor is the "Life Utility & Dining" floor and connects directly to JR Minami-Kusatsu Station via a pedestrian deck; tenants include the fresh pasta restaurant Hiyori, the tonkatsu restaurant Katsuya, the 100-yen shop Can Do, the ticket shop Ticket Life, the creative izakaya Morishita, and the cram school Mabuchi Kyoshitsu. The fourth floor is the "Beauty & Refresh" floor, with tenants including the relaxation chain Raffine, the comprehensive education institution ECC, the fortune-telling salon Seraphy, the matchmaking service Zwei, and the law office Adire. The fifth floor is the "Culture & Intelligence" floor and houses the Kusatsu City Civic Exchange Plaza and the Kusatsu City Minami-Kusatsu Library. The sixth floor is the "Wellness & Fitness" floor, occupied by Viva Sports Academy. Operating hours are generally 10:00 to 20:30 on floors 1 through 4, with some exceptions; the third-floor restaurant area operates from 11:00 to 23:00 (Morishita from 17:00 to 23:00, last order). Floors 5 and 6 vary by day and usage. Customers using the tenant stores or the library can receive preferential treatment at nearby Kusatsu City parking and bicycle parking facilities regardless of spending amount: parking is free for two hours when using floors 1–3 or the fifth-floor library, and free for four hours when using the fourth floor, the fifth-floor Civic Exchange Plaza, or the sixth floor; bicycle parking is free for one day regardless of floor. The center is positioned as a base for community development around Minami-Kusatsu Station in Kusatsu City, and it includes public facilities and a sports gym alongside commercial tenants. In recent years, the facility has faced intensifying competition from surrounding commercial facilities and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a decline in visitors and the appearance of vacant stores. As of April 2021, 7 of 40 stores were vacant. The official website promotes events and news, including seasonal activities such as Halloween wreath-making, egg-grabbing, digital stamp rallies, and a street piano available until January 31, 2027, as well as shop news such as the third-anniversary sale at Futaba Shobo Minami-Kusatsu and an ECC English conversation trial lesson campaign.

FeriE MinamiKusatsu opened on July 18, 2002, as a mixed-use commercial complex in front of JR Minami-Kusatsu Station in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture. It was developed by UFJ Trust Bank using a land trust method on a 3,600-square-meter site, with trust dividends paid to Kusatsu City through fiscal 2032. The facility was designed as a base for community development around the station, incorporating not only retail and dining but also public facilities such as the Kusatsu City Civic Exchange Plaza and the Kusatsu City Minami-Kusatsu Library, as well as a sports gym. The building has six floors, with an open atrium from the first to the fourth floor and skeleton-type escalators that expose the machinery. Over the years, the center has hosted a variety of tenants across its themed floors. The first floor focuses on beauty, convenience, and foods, with tenants such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Cocokara Fine, Honey's, and Coeur et Conserves. The second floor is themed around outdoor and casual goods, featuring Montbell, COLOR BOX, Smartphone Repair Plus, and Futaba Shobo. The third floor, which connects directly to JR Minami-Kusatsu Station via a pedestrian deck, is dedicated to life utility and dining, with tenants including Hiyori, Katsuya, Can Do, Ticket Life, Morishita, and Mabuchi Kyoshitsu. The fourth floor focuses on beauty and refreshment, with Raffine, ECC, Seraphy, Zwei, and Adire. The fifth floor houses the civic exchange plaza and library, while the sixth floor is occupied by Viva Sports Academy. In recent years, the facility has faced challenges. Intensifying competition from surrounding commercial facilities and the spread of COVID-19 led to a decline in visitors, and vacant stores began to appear. As of April 2021, 7 of 40 stores were vacant. Despite these challenges, the center continues to operate and promote events and community activities through its official website, including seasonal events, stamp rallies, and shop promotions. The street piano, available until January 31, 2027, is one example of its community-oriented offerings. The facility remains a key part of the Minami-Kusatsu Station area and a designated base for Kusatsu City's urban development.

• FeriE MinamiKusatsu opens as a mixed-use commercial complex in front of JR Minami-Kusatsu Station.

• 7 of 40 stores are vacant amid competition and COVID-19 impact.

• Full-building closure day, except third-floor restaurants opening from 17:00.

• Futaba Shobo Minami-Kusatsu store celebrates its third anniversary.

• Street piano available until this date (may be extended).

A station-front community shopping center and mixed-use hub serving Kusatsu City, combining retail, dining, public services, and fitness.

• Fast food

  Kentucky Fried Chicken

• Drugstore

  Cocokara Fine

• Ladies' apparel

  Honey's

• Bakery

  Coeur et Conserves

• Outdoor goods

  Montbell

• Furisode specialty store

  COLOR BOX

• Phone repair and purikura

  Smartphone Repair Plus

• Books, stationery, miscellaneous goods

  Futaba Shobo

• Fresh pasta restaurant

  Hiyori

• Tonkatsu restaurant

  Katsuya

• 100-yen shop

  Can Do

• Ticket shop

  Ticket Life

• Creative izakaya

  Morishita

• Cram school

  Mabuchi Kyoshitsu

• Relaxation

  Raffine

• Comprehensive education institution

  ECC

• Fortune-telling

  Seraphy

• Matchmaking service

  Zwei

• Legal services

  Adire Law Office

• Public facility

  Kusatsu City Civic Exchange Plaza

• Public library

  Kusatsu City Minami-Kusatsu Library

• Fitness

  Viva Sports Academy

1. 1FeriE南草津 official websiteferit.jp
2. 2フェリエ南草津 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
3. 3FeriE MinamiKusatsu - Wikidatawikidata.org