Japanese real estate giant Mitsui Fudosan will open the first Lalaport shopping mall outside of Japan in Shanghai on April 28.

It marks the beginning of an international expansion for Lalaport, which has 18 locations around Japan, that will also encompass two properties in Taiwan and one in Kuala Lumpur in the near future.

The Lalaport Shanghai Jinqiao, will be located in a middle class eastern suburb of Pudong District, and will have about 220 stores, including 13 Japanese restaurants, in a total shopping area of some 60,000 square metres. Some of the stores will feature Japanese lifestyle brands that have, until now, not had a physical presence in the China market.

Another draw, Mitsui Fudosan hopes, will be an 18-metre-tall statue of anime robot soldier Gundam outside its Shanghai outlet, a likely favourite for selfies with shoppers once the mall opens later this month.