The presentation was held to introduce ideas that were born from the children's perspective for an event to be held in winter to promote the attractions of KISARAZU. A variety of project proposals were presented at the presentation, including a festival that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike with KISARAZU City's mascot character "Kisapon," a festival where people can learn about KISARAZU City's famous products while having fun, a puzzle game and stamp rally that will allow people to learn about the area's famous places, and a food truck event. The materials used in the presentations were also created by the children who made the presentations, and they even operated the computers themselves during the presentations, so they all worked together to fully demonstrate their abilities as PR ambassadors.

The presentation was also judged by SC employees, the school's principal, and the head of KISARAZU City's education department. The judges were amazed by the children's flexible ideas and dignified presentations, but also offered advice on how to make the plans even better. The children commented, "I thought that by thinking together, it would be a fun event. I want to plan something that the visitors to the event will enjoy," and "Thanks to the advice, I hope that this event will spread the appeal of KISARAZU and attract more people to live in KISARAZU."
The presentation gave the impression that the children will grow and have new opportunities to discover the charms of KISARAZU.

Based on this announcement, we are planning to hold events at each facility this winter. Details will be announced on the special website as soon as they are decided!

2025.6.5 Thu.

On June 5th, the second extracurricular lesson was held by AEON MALL and MITSUI OUTLET PARK SC employees for the fifth graders KISARAZU City Nishikiyo Elementary School, who are working on a SC learning project.

In this extracurricular lesson, the students came up with ideas for planning an event that would promote the attractions of KISARAZU from their own unique perspective, based on the facility tours and customer interviews they conducted at AEON Mall KISARAZU and MITSUI OUTLET PARK KISARAZU on May 28th.

The children who attended the class also learned about the thinking behind planning an event while reflecting on their experiences at each shopping center. The SC employees explained the series of marketing ideas, such as "for whom should we plan it?", "how should we plan it?", and "what content should we communicate?", and even elementary school students were given perspectives on how to think about actual events, such as what kind of event ideas would come up if they were to think about them while keeping the five senses in mind? Would it be easy to communicate to customers? It was very impressive to see the children listening intently to the lectures.
Towards the end of the lesson, the students carried out group work with support from SC employees. Various ideas were generated, such as "We want to convey the charm of KISARAZU 's beautiful sea" and "It would be great if we could convey its charm to tourists from overseas," and each team put together a plan for the event.

The ideas generated here will help liven up events to be held at each SC in the winter of 2025.

2025.5.28 Wed.

On May 28th, fifth grade students from KISARAZU City Nishikiyo Elementary School, who were appointed as "children's PR ambassadors" for the SC Learning Project, actually went to the SC and toured the facility. They had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the charms of KISARAZU and the close ties between the SC and the local community.
This time, class 5-1 is visiting AEON Mall KISARAZU, and class 5-2 is visiting MITSUI OUTLET PARK KISARAZU.

On this tour, the children were not only able to see the sales floor and common areas that they would normally be able to see, but also saw behind the scenes where the employees work. It was a rare experience for the children, and they were very interested in seeing the SC for the first time. They also saw the staff making the PA system, which is usually only audible, as well as the area where first aid is given to those who become ill, and the employee lounge. It was impressive to see them eagerly learning about the creation of a facility that takes into consideration not only the safety and security of customers who visit the SC, but also the environment for the people who work there.

In addition, at the KISARAZU CONCEPT STORE, a facility adjacent to the MITSUI OUTLET PARK KISARAZU, we learned about efforts to eliminate discarded products by selling in-stock and non-standard products from fashion stores at different mechanisms and prices.

After interviewing the store staff and those who work behind the scenes at the facility, the children also interviewed customers who came to shop. They collected opinions from local residents about the attractions of KISARAZU. They seemed nervous at first, asking questions such as "What is good about KISARAZU?" and "What would you like to see in KISARAZU?" But they gradually became more proactive and were able to talk to many customers and hear a variety of opinions. Customers said things about KISARAZU such as "It's a place rich in nature and the people are kind," and they even met someone who was visiting from Kawasaki, so it seems they were able to learn about the attractions of KISARAZU that each visitor has.

The children who toured the facility made some discoveries that could lead to ideas for spreading the appeal of KISARAZU as children's PR ambassadors, such as, "Hearing the customers' comments made me realize what great things KISARAZU has to offer," and "It was helpful to hear from people who wanted more facilities for children to play."

What the children learn through this experience will be put to good use in events to be held at AEON Mall KISARAZU and MITSUI OUTLET PARK KISARAZU this winter.

2025.5.9 Fri.

On May 9th, an extracurricular class was held by SC employees from AEON MALL and MITSUI OUTLET PARK for the fifth graders at KISARAZU City Nishikiyo Elementary School, who are working on a SC learning project. In this class, the students learned what kind of place SC is and what role SC plays in the local community, and considered how to spread the appeal of KISARAZU.
In the first class on May 9th, the students were explained about the wide-ranging roles of SCs, including not only shopping but also serving as places for local interaction, being prepared to serve as evacuation shelters in the event of a disaster, and their efforts in environmental conservation, and were told that they are indispensable to the community.

Ueda Mari, head of the school education division of KISARAZU city Board of Education, said, "Through the SC Learning Project, we hope that children will develop their ability to think for themselves, their willingness to take action, and their independence. I hope that children will learn to trust adults and be proactive in talking with them, and that this will help them develop their communication skills."

Children who attended the class commented, "My feelings towards SC have changed after taking the class," and "I learned that the SC is also focusing on disaster prevention in response to disasters. I think it's amazing that they're not just doing shopping, but also working to save lives."

Nakayama Seiya of the Marketing Department, Sales Management Division at AEON Mall, who conducted the class, said, "We would like to work hard together with MITSUI OUTLET PARK to help children think about the charms of KISARAZU from a child's perspective that adults might not think of." Nakano Sato Keiko, in charge of sales at AEON Mall KISARAZU, spoke of her desire to encourage the children to discover the charms of the SC, saying, "We want them to know that a SC is not just a place to shop, but a community place where everyone in the local area can gather."

Meanwhile, Kitahara Ryusuke of the Outlet Operations Headquarters of Mitsui Fudosan Commercial Management said, "Before the class, I was a little worried about how interested the children would be, but once the class started, their reactions were very good and it was clear they were really enjoying themselves, which was great." He said he felt warm about interacting with the children.
Additionally, Seki Shunpei, Deputy Director of MITSUI OUTLET PARK KISARAZU commented, "In class, the students asked questions honestly and straightforwardly, which made me want to answer them sincerely. I hope to continue to work hard in a way that will connect with your learning in the future."

This time, the children asked a lot of questions, and the lesson raised expectations for the PR ideas that will come out in the future.

2025.4.21 Mon.

On April 21, 2025, the "Children's PR Ambassador Appointment Ceremony" was held at KISARAZU City Hall to promote the "SC Learning Project to Nurture the Future of the Region."

The appointment ceremony was attended by KISARAZU Mayor Yoshikuni Watanabe, KISARAZU City Board of Education Superintendent Hirobe Masahiro, and from the SC, AEON Mall KISARAZU General Manager Kase Hiroshi, MITSUI OUTLET PARK KISARAZU Operations Center Director Fujii Yutaka, and KISARAZU Municipal Nishikiyo Elementary School Principal Ito Akio, where this project will be carried out.
At the press conference, an overview of the SC Learning Project was provided, along with the hope that communicating the charms of KISARAZU that will be discovered through children's eyes through this project will lead to the revitalization of the region and progressive urban development.

After the project overview was announced, two students representing the fifth grade of Nishikiyo Elementary School took to the stage and were handed their appointment letters by Mayor Watanabe. The students who ran for the appointment expressed their enthusiasm, saying, "We want everyone to know about the good things about KISARAZU."

Mayor Watanabe said, "One of the charms of KISARAZU is that it has a natural environment that connects the sea to the mountains, right in the metropolitan area. I hope that through SC learning, the children will discover things that they would not normally notice within their usual range of movement, and share this with many people."

Kase Hiroshi, general manager of AEON Mall KISARAZU said, "We believe that communication at a shopping center, where you have to interact with customers and think about them, is also useful for developing children's abilities," and added that he wants people to know about the back-of-house efforts that his company places importance on in running its shopping center.

Fujii Yutaka, director of MITSUI OUTLET PARK KISARAZU Operations Centre, said, "By letting the children see the way we treat and Services the many customers who visit our commercial space from their perspective, I think it will be an opportunity for us to learn together. I hope that the children will come to tour the facility and get a feel for what it feels like to be involved in running the facility through an experience they would not normally have." He also expressed his hopes for the project and the synergistic effects it will create for the SC.