OSAKA -- A total of 126 vendors from the Tongdaemun apparel market in Seoul, said to be Asia's largest fashion mart, started operations Saturday at the Asia and Pacific Trade Center (ATC) in Osaka's Suminoe Ward.
ATC, a trade promotion body owned jointly by the Osaka city government and major Japanese companies such as Itochu Corp., has allocated 2,600 sq. meters to the shops, which sell a range of products from women's casual clothing to accessories.
Shoppers can bargain with South Korean shop keepers as they do at Tongdaemun, according to shop owners.
The Seoul market draws a large number of Japanese hoping to buy low-priced clothes. Tongdaemun officials were approached by an Osaka company to set up shop at ATC, which is anticipating annual sales of about 2.4 billion yen.