One of the major attractions in the Namba area of Osaka is Dotonbori. While Dotonbori shares a similar atmosphere with Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon, if Cheonggyecheon exudes a calm and quiet ambiance, Dotonbori is more dynamic, akin to a lively tourist destination. At the heart of Dotonbori, you’ll find a large general store commonly seen in Japan, known as “Don Quijote.” Unlike ...
When you ascend to the 6th floor of PARCO Department Store, located in the heart of Osaka’s Shinsaibashi district, you’ll discover various character shops. Among them, you can also find the representation of Japan’s iconic monster character, “Godzilla.” “Godzilla, a Japanese Monster Film Released in 1954” Godzilla is a Japanese monster film released in 1954. While known as “Gojira (ゴジラ)” ...
America-mura in Osaka carries a vibrant atmosphere reminiscent of Seoul’s Hongdae and Itaewon in South Korea. Among its attractions, the shopping mall “Big Step” stands out as a landmark in America-mura. The mall hosts unique and distinctive stores, and one of the last shops I explored at Big Step was “Kemari87.” “Osaka America-mura Soccer Equipment Specialty Store” Compared to the ...
America-mura in Osaka is a place that combines the atmosphere of Seoul’s Hongdae and Itaewon in South Korea. Among the establishments, there is a shopping mall called “Big Step,” which is also a landmark in America-mura. At Big Step, you can find an arcade, but it’s not like typical arcades with various gaming machines. Instead, there is an arcade exclusively ...
Osaka’s America-mura emanates a lively atmosphere, reminiscent of a blend of Seoul’s Hongdae and Itaewon in South Korea. Amidst this vibrant scene, the shopping mall “Big Step” stands out as a landmark in America-mura. The mall hosts a variety of unique stores, with King Kong being one of its distinctive features. “Vinyl Record Store in America-mura’s Big Step” King Kong ...
After finishing lunch near Osaka Namba Station, we headed towards one of Osaka’s major tourist attractions, “Dotonbori,” just a short walk north from Namba Station. While leisurely exploring the area from Namba Station, we noticed an eye-catching store. It was a caricature shop located in the Ebisubashi Shopping Street. This shop specializes in drawing people with distinctive features, creating illustrations ...
There are various stores selling Apple products, such as Apple Store, Ace Store, A-Shop, Freezbee, and Willis. While Apple Store, operated directly by Apple, boasts the largest and cleanest stores, it’s regrettable that they are only found in Seoul in South Korea. Outside Seoul, one must purchase Apple products through reseller stores. Representative reseller stores include ‘Willis,’ ‘Freezbee,’ and ‘A-Shop.’ ...
Recently, unmanned operated stores can be found in various places. Especially near university campuses, these types of stores are easily accessible. The younger generation, accustomed to doing things themselves, tends to naturally gravitate towards places where prices are lower, even if it involves a bit of effort. “Seoul Yonsei-dong Self-Service Print Shop, Print Cafe 24” You can find such unmanned ...
Hanyang University, situated in Wangsimni, Seoul, is one of the prestigious universities in South Korea. Generally, in the field of humanities, it is considered a prestigious institution, following the order of Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea University, Sungkyunkwan University, Sogang University, and Hanyang University. Notably, Hanyang University is the only campus with a subway station within its premises. This ...
After completing the departure inspection at Narita Airport, we entered the duty-free area, marking the final leg of our journey. During a previous Tokyo trip, we departed from Terminal 3. Terminal 3, at that time, was relatively quiet, with only about 5-6 stores in the duty-free area, giving it a somewhat empty feeling. However, we managed to purchase some commemorative ...
In Akihabara, the hub of Japanese subculture, you can discover various general stores. Many of these stores primarily sell character goods related to manga, animation, and figures. Sofmap is one such store, and what sets it apart from other general stores is its offering of a diverse range of products, including books. “Sofmap Merged with Bic Camera” Sofmap was absorbed ...
Akihabara in Tokyo is a haven for Japanese subculture, featuring numerous stores selling various subculture products. Among these stores, “Kotobukiya” is recognized as one of the prominent ones. “Japanese Model Maker, Kotobukiya (コトブキヤ)” Kotobukiya is one of the Japanese model maker companies. Starting as a company primarily focused on figures, it is currently the second-largest figure company in Japan, following ...