Mobara Shopping Plaza Asmo

Mobara Shopping Plaza Asmo (茂原ショッピングプラザアスモ) is a large shopping center located in the central urban area of Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, along Chiba Prefectural Route 84 (Mobara-Chosei Line) near National Route 128. It opened on December 12, 1989, and is described as the largest large-scale shopping center in the Chosei region. The name "Asmo" carries the message "toward tomorrow's Mobara" (明日の茂原へ), and its catchphrase is "HAPPYがいっぱいアスモ♪" (Asmo, full of HAPPY). The facility is operated by ASMO co.,ltd., and its official website is asmo-sc.com. The center has evolved through several anchor tenants and attractions. A skating rink once occupied the second floor; after it closed, the cinema "Asmo Theater Cinema Sunshine Mobara" (6 screens, 889 seats) opened on July 12, 1997, and operated until September 2, 2012. The space was then reconfigured into the Asmo Theater, the sports club Aruku, and an indoor amusement facility called "US.LUND." US.LUND closed in 2016 and Aruku expanded. In 2022, the food supermarket Food Plaza Hayashi closed on July 31, ending the Hayashi supermarket business entirely; Landrome Food Market opened on October 6, 2022. On March 21, 2025, the Mobara City Library relocated into the center from the sixth floor of the Nanso Sunvert Plaza near Mobara Station, with Asmo bearing interior and shelving costs. On December 31, 2025, the long-time core home center DCM (formerly Keiyo Home Center, then Keiyo D2) closed. Keiyo Denki's Mobara store subsequently opened in that vacated space, relocating from its Mobara main store and opening on June 11, 2026. Today the center hosts tenants such as Landrome Food Market, Can Do, Curves, Baskin-Robbins (Thirty-One Ice Cream), Dippin' Dots, Dom Dom Hamburger, and Keiyo Denki's Mobara store. Opening hours are generally from 10:00, with most stores closing at 20:00 and some at 21:00. The nearest station is Mobara Station, and the nearest bus stop is Mobara High School Entrance. The center also runs the Asmo Theater, cultural classes, and event programming, and maintains official X (Twitter) and Facebook accounts.

Mobara Shopping Plaza Asmo opened on December 12, 1989, in the central urban area of Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture, along Chiba Prefectural Route 84 (Mobara-Chosei Line) near National Route 128. It was positioned as the largest large-scale shopping center in the Chosei region. The name "Asmo" was chosen to convey the message "toward tomorrow's Mobara" (明日の茂原へ), and the center adopted the catchphrase "HAPPYがいっぱいアスモ♪." The facility is operated by ASMO co.,ltd. In its early years the second floor housed a skating rink. After the rink closed, the cinema "Asmo Theater Cinema Sunshine Mobara" opened on July 12, 1997, with six screens and 889 seats, becoming a major entertainment draw. The cinema operated until September 2, 2012. Following its closure, the space was redeveloped into the Asmo Theater, the sports club Aruku, and an indoor amusement facility called "US.LUND." In 2016 US.LUND closed and Aruku expanded into the vacated area. On the food-retail side, Food Plaza Hayashi opened an Asmo store in July 2005. Hayashi had already been closing other stores by transferring them to competitors, and when its Asmo store closed on July 31, 2022, the company withdrew from the supermarket business entirely. Landrome Food Market opened on October 6, 2022, taking over the food anchor role. In October 2019 the center was hit by record heavy rainfall that caused large-scale flooding. On that day the entire facility closed abruptly at 16:00, and it remained temporarily closed until November 2 for recovery work, reopening on November 3, 2019. In 2025 the center deepened its community role when the Mobara City Library relocated from the sixth floor of Nanso Sunvert Plaza near Mobara Station and opened inside Asmo on March 21, 2025. Asmo bore the cost of interior finishing and shelving, while Mobara City budgeted moving costs and restoration of the old library in a supplementary general account budget. Later that year, on December 31, 2025, the home center DCM (formerly Keiyo Home Center, then Keiyo D2), a core tenant since the center's opening, closed. Keiyo Denki's Mobara store subsequently opened in the former DCM space, relocating from its Mobara main store (inside Mobara Central Mall, which closed June 9, 2026) and opening on June 11, 2026. Over its history the center has hosted tenants including Sanwa Store (food supermarket), Food Plaza Hayashi Asmo store, Cinema Sunshine, Sunbird Nagasakiya, and DCM Mobara Takashi store. Current tenants include Landrome Food Market, Can Do, Curves, Baskin-Robbins (Thirty-One Ice Cream), Dippin' Dots, Dom Dom Hamburger, and Keiyo Denki's Mobara store. Opening time is 10:00; closing time is basically 20:00, with some stores closing one hour later at 21:00. The nearest station is Mobara Station, the nearest interchanges are Mobara-Kita IC on the Ken-O Expressway and Katsura IC on the Chiba Gaibo Toll Road, and the nearest bus stop is Mobara High School Entrance. The center also operates the Asmo Theater and cultural classes, and maintains official X (Twitter) and Facebook accounts.

• Mobara Shopping Plaza Asmo opens.

• Asmo Theater Cinema Sunshine Mobara opens (6 screens, 889 seats).

• Food Plaza Hayashi Asmo store opens.

• Asmo Theater Cinema Sunshine Mobara closes; Asmo Theater, sports club Aruku, and indoor amusement facility US.LUND open.

• US.LUND closes and Aruku expands.

• Record heavy rainfall causes large-scale flooding; the entire facility closes at 16:00 and remains temporarily closed until November 2.

• Operations resume.

• Food Plaza Hayashi withdraws; Hayashi exits the supermarket business.

• Landrome Food Market opens.

• Mobara City Library relocates and opens inside Asmo.

• Core tenant DCM closes.

• Keiyo Denki Mobara store opens in the former DCM space after relocating from its Mobara main store.

The largest large-scale shopping center in the Chosei region, serving as a community retail and cultural hub in central Mobara.

• Landrome Food Market

• Can Do

• Curves

• Baskin-Robbins (Thirty-One Ice Cream)

• Dippin' Dots

• Dom Dom Hamburger

• Keiyo Denki Mobara store

1. 1茂原ショッピングプラザアスモ 公式サイトasmo-sc.com
2. 2茂原ショッピングプラザアスモ - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
3. 3茂原阿斯莫購物廣場 - Wikidatawikidata.org