Nipponbashi Den Den Town (otaku district)

Nipponbashi Den Den Town is the Osaka equivalent of the famous Akihabara in Tokyo: a district dedicated to the world of anime, manga, video games, collectible figures and electronics, concentrated mainly on Nipponbashi street and its surroundings, south of Osaka Castle. Originally it was a consumer-electronics district that from the 1990s gradually transformed towards otaku culture. Today you will find shops such as Animate (official anime merchandise), Mandarake (second-hand manga and figures), the huge Joshin that combines electronics with pop culture, Volks (articulated figures and model kits), and dozens of shops specialising in Gundam, Dragon Ball, retro video games and more. There are also maid cafés and themed establishments. Unlike Akihabara, Den Den Town has a quieter atmosphere and the second-hand prices can be very attractive. To get there, take the subway to Nipponbashi (Sennichimae and Sakaisuji lines) and walk south down Nipponbashi street. Most shops open at 11:00 and close between 19:00 and 20:00.