Den Den Town: The Best Japan Fun in Osaka

In Japan, fun comes in many forms.

In this case it can be found in South Osaka and is called Den Den Town. Also known asNipponbashi, it is Osaka's answer to Tokyo's Akihabara.

Or in other words...

Geek Heaven.

Would you like:

A: Japanese Electronics

B: Cool Manga from BookOff

C: Awesome Anime

D: Japanese Video Games

E: Japanese Godzilla Toys (And any other cool anime toy you can think of)

F: All of the above

If you answered F: All of the above, then you are in for a fantastic time.

Basically whatever you can imagine in terms of Japanese consumer electronics you'll be able to find in Den Den Town. And while bargaining for a deal is not unheard of (unlike in the rest of Japan), don't expect everything to be super cheap.

But if it's variety you're looking for, including everything from "Japanese symbol dictionary" (Japanese electronic dictionaries are awesome by the way) to well, probably anything you can think of, then there's a great chance you'll find it.

Besides numerous smaller, new and second hand electronic stores, there are also retailers such as Sofmap and the Japanese electronics giant Joshin who's huge multi-story buildings make it almost impossible to resist entering.

Many of the stores are duty free, so don't forget to have your passport in hand.

Remember however that almost all of the electronics in Japan have been designed for domestic use only and don't have English manuals, menus, labels, etc.

If that doesn't stop you though, a little searching on the Internet often turns up an English manual of the Japanese product in question (usually from its exported version).

While Nipponbashi is still a gadget lovers dream town, it is also the place to go in Osaka for anime and games.

Japan Fun in all its glory.

Keep in mind though that everything is in Japanese. DVDs don't usually have English subtitles or dubs.

Having said that, if you are into toys, models and collectables of the Japanese variety, you're in for a treat. Like electronics, there's probably nothing you won't be able to find and probably heaps of stuff you never knew existed.

As far as manga goes, definitely check out "Book Off" the popular second hand Japanese book store. Although BookOff is pretty much everywhere in Japan, Nipponbashi has several branches. If you are learning "Japanese symbol writing" i.e. you want to "learn to write in Japanese" and have fun, this is where you should get your manga or Japanese literature from.

Why pay full price when you can get you favorite titles anywhere from half the price to 105yen and almost always in great condition.

Depending on your love of everything that Den Den Town has to offer, plan on spending anywhere from half a day to a couple of days (if you really want to take your time) searching not only the main street but all the back streets as well.

If you are going with kids be aware that there are a few adult related stores and anime isn't only for children.

As long as you use the old "Hey Johnny, look! It's a giant Gundam statue!" you should be ok.

After all, it's Japan fun!