Western Japan’s Akiba: Den Den Town

The Beginning of Den Den Town

If you’re familiar with Tokyo’s Akihabara, Osaka has a very similar location. Starting from 1792 and 1872, Osaka’s government used to refer to this town as Nagamachi but changed it to Nipponbashi. However, after World War II, the area became filled with electronics, and appliances, giving it the name Den Den Town which many since then have been calling this small part of Osaka.

Den Den Town, coming from the town name Denki no Machi (electric town), truly lives up to its vibrant reputation. During the Meiji period this shopping street was mostly known for second-hand bookstores, Den Den Town quickly took over the electronic consumer shop scene with affordable products.

Full of pop culture and many things to entertain oneself with, this city is popular with younger generations, retro electronic enthusiasts, frequent karaoke goers, plastic model collectors, and so many others.

For Osaka travelers who find Tokyo’s Akihabara a bit too far to visit, Den Den Town is smaller and less crowded. This town has almost if not everything Tokyo’s electric town has to offer!

Vintage/Second-Hand Item Shops

If arcades come later on your bucket list, Den Den Town is full of shops for purchasing cheap older electronics, CDs, records, and retro games. From second-hand flat-screen televisions to retro Nintendo games, this town has it all for a sweet deal.

Second-Hand Electronics

For cheaper electronics, many stores sell discounted second-hand phones, computers, televisions. Something unique to Osaka’s electric town is that you can try your luck at negotiating, but you may not need to as the products here try to remain fairly affordable from the start.

Music

Do you have a music player? Den Den Town has a store for that. With selections lined along the walls and crowding the floor, record shops that also sell CDs and DVDs are scattered all across the area. From jazz, hip-hop, rock, and pop music, there are plenty of selections of music that contain a certain nostalgia that cannot be found by using digital music streaming today. So, bust out those dusty record players, or CD/DVD players, and give them some new media.

If singing is more your style, some stores sell home karaoke machines for you to enjoy belting out all your favorite songs solo or with your friends and family.

Cameras

Just like Akihabara, Den Den Town has stores for photographers who want a more vintage/retro look to their work. With quality lenses and bodies from well-known brands like Nikon and Canon, or various retro film cameras still in excellent condition, the camera stores in the area have a little something for everybody.

Nintendo Games

Nintendo is still without question alive and well, but tourists should make a trip to one of Den Den town’s retro Nintendo game stores. Even if just browsing, it’s still bound to make a memorable and fun experience as you get to see, touch, and even try playing games from a beloved company cherished by fans for years. Additionally, even if one doesn’t have that much experience playing older Nintendo consoles, many stores still sell them in the area, giving many a chance to connect or reconnect to one of the first created Nintendo consoles. A popular store that meets these criteria is Den Den Town’s “Super Potato Retro Kan”, a store stocked full of rare consoles and games to bring back that old nostalgia.

Super Potato Retro Kan Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SnW81EwaNoAGMxPi9

Entertainment

Want to spend your day in Den Den Town playing some games or purchasing some figures? If you stay on a road called Otaku Road, or Ota Road for short, many stores full of entertainment opportunities await!

Game Centers

There’s no question that many visitors are eager to see Japan’s electric towns for their bright and colorful game centers. Whether it’s to try their luck at bringing home a huge plush toy of a popular Pokemon or a figure from their favorite anime, game centers are worth visiting!

At Den Den Town, entire buildings of arcades exist for people to browse and get rid of their accumulating yen coins. From Taiko no Tatsujin games to classic UFO crane games, areas like Taito Station have everything an arcade enjoyer could want.

However, if modern games are not your interest, certain areas within Den Den Town let you play retro video games. Just by stepping in, the popular Zarigani Arcade Center immediately looks like one time traveled back to the 80s. With colorful lighting, this game center has retro gaming machines lined up along the walls with low, small bench seating – giving it that extra touch.

No matter how modern or retro a game center one is looking for, Den Den Town does an excellent job at combining both into the area, giving multiple generations something to do on their trip.

Zarigani Arcade Center Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zAu59JGCuVH8UAba7

Plastic Model Stores

If collecting figures is more up your alley, make sure to make some room in your suitcase for the trip back! At a store called Jungle in Den Den Town, there are categories upon categories of figure types. Whether you prefer the technical building process of a Gundam, a simple 2-3 piece character figure from your favorite anime, or vintage figurines, Jungle has it all!

The best thing about this store is while you may need to make some room to bring back your purchases, you won’t have to worry about emptying your wallet. With regular figures from prices around 1000 yen (unlike most plastic model stores), Jungle provides affordable opportunities to bring home your favorite character.

The store is constantly getting new products – including plastic models from you favorite trending anime. With multiple figures from hit animes such as One Piece or Spy x Family, there’s something for everyone. On the other hand, if you’re a retro anime fan, they even have figures for Astro Boy.

Jungle Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PnYnpZrKWpD8td5S6

Gacha Stores

Like most places in Japan, gachapon machines are practically at every corner. That especially applies to places such as Osaka’s Electric Town. Whether you go along storefronts of game/hobby stores, there are typically rows of machines lined up, containing tiny figures, replicas of ordinary daily objects, or interactive toys.

At stores like Yellow Submarine, a hub for hobby-based products and goods, figures, and of course gacha, you can get your fix. At Yellow Submarine, in particular, you can directly purchase the gacha you want rather than trying your odds in a machine. This lets you play without the risk of getting repeated or simply a character or item you didn’t want. Yes, this beats the whole point of a system. However, this idea attracts many shoppers to try their luck at finding a rare gacha they’ve been wanting.

Yellow Submarine Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hMXQm3CCAGMiFNa87

Food

Hungry after some second-hand shopping or picking up a new figure project? If you look between all of the flashy game centers and stores, Den Den Town holds quite a few unique places to either give you a quick snack, try some authentic Japanese sake, or visit a market.

Pudding

Within the multiple bright lights and shopping opportunities within Den Den Town, this quaint little pudding store may be easy to miss. If you do happen to fit it into your plans or simply come across it, the soft, and not too overly sweet pudding would be a shame to not buy and taste some.

Mattari-Purin has flavors of custard, milk, and caramel to enjoy that mattari (rich) flavor.

While small, this pudding store has gained some popularity, appearing in newspapers, TV shows, and so forth. It goes without saying that the proof quite literally lies in the pudding, being so critically appreciated by those living in Osaka, and of course by travelers!

Mattari-Purin Dotombori Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yLT3aEuCSQ3aEVkH6

Ramen

Need something more filling? Take a break at Ramen Kazuya and enjoy some hot noodles and broth after your shopping spree. Find popular and familiar flavors at Kazuya, with plentiful toppings of pork and egg. If you need a little something extra, you can order sides of gyoza and fried chicken to top off your meal. Additionally, Ramen Kazuya allows you to order extra toppings of pork for as cheap as 200 yen for 3 pieces, along with seasoned egg, nori, and bamboo shoots.

Ramen Kazuya Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fVSZ9QtJ6rrjZq8F8

Kuromon Market

Not in the mood to sit down and eat somewhere just yet? If the shopping urge still hasn’t left you from Den Den Town’s many stores and arcades, you can visit a market full of seafood, meat, and fresh produce to purchase at your leisure.

If you are hungry though, many booths at this market can cook and serve the seafood you choose so that you can enjoy something to eat while browsing. However, due to the number of stalls in this market, it is advised you take a good stroll around first before deciding on one stall’s food, as a lot of the same products have varying prices.

Kuromon Market Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kkeABDoaKcr41iFR7

Cosplay Event

Looking for activities to do in Den Den Town? Due to its size, there is only one well-known festival that occurs in this district, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t popular.

Every March, a huge cosplay festival occurs in the streets of Denki no Machi, the event being called “Nipponbashi Street Festa”. Whether you like to cosplay, or just want to walk around the festival, anyone can participate. Other events also happen alongside the cosplay festival, so there is always an activity. However, with how seriously dedicated the cosplay community is in this section of Osaka, even just passing through the event will be an experience, as you may get to see amazing cosplays from your favorite series in real life.

At the end of the event, hundreds of cosplayers gather to participate in the final cosplay parade, which goes down Sakaisuji Street, making it an amazing sight to see so many cosplayers together crowding the streets- or to be a part of that crowd if you wish to participate!

Will You Make the Trip?

In this article, I introduced several opportunities within Den Den Town that cater to those who love retro games, music, and cameras. These spots provide a look into Japan’s 70s-80s retro gaming scene! If you prefer game centers, anime, plastic models, stores with multiple floors of figurines, crane games, and gachapon let you take an hour or so to walk through each floor or browse each machine and play a few games.

For cosplay enjoyers, Den Den Town holds an annual cosplay festival where you can join the huge Osaka cosplay community in this crowded street parade. Even if neither of those interests you, Osaka’s own Akihabara-like area has fun opportunities for when you get hungry, such as a visit to an old pudding shop, a delicious ramen restaurant, or a wide seafood market to take a stroll while you eat. No matter what interests you, just walking around and experiencing this tucked-away part of Osaka’s culture can be a fun experience.

Featured Photo Credit: matcha.jp

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