Otaru pins revival hopes on mega-mall complex> Staff writer

OTARU -- It isn't just a big new mall. Mycal Otaru is being touted as a "town" that will revive this port city, which was once the financial and commercial center of Hokkaido.

The shopping-entertainment complex, created by the Mycal group and the city of Otaru, opened in March with total floor space of 340,000 sq. meters.