Stores, Malls or Markets in Osaka

The entire street is full of shops where you can buy stuff to start a restaurant. From pots and pans , saucers and cups to tables, chairs, menus, ovens or advertising signs.
It is a nice street to look around and sometimes you can find the perfect souvenir. Some lovely colored shopsticks, a nice bowl or a cloth to hang in your kitchen.

There are a few bookstores that have English books/magazines but prepared to pay more than double the price for them. Paperbacks run about 1600yen. That`s not a typo. Don`t even let me get into hardcover. You can find books on many subjects but mostly fiction & Japan travel. Magazines are about the same cost (although if you go to Tower Records theirs are cheaper). You can find a lot of women`s fashion & men`s sports magazines. English language Japanese newspapers are the cheapest at 120-150yen.
So here`s the list:
1. Kinokuniya Bookstore. Downstairs from Hankyu Umeda Station. They have a really great selection of books (fiction, nonfiction, travel, children`s, Japanese authors, etc), magazines, & newspapers. Tip: Use the side door on the east side to avoid the crowds!! 06-6372-5821
2. Junkudo Bookstore. In Dojima area. From JR Osaka Station cross the street & go south on Yotsubashi-suji street, near Osaka Hilton. It`s in a huge building on the left. 3rd floor. Excellent selection as well. 064-799-1090
3. Maruzen Bookstore. Shinsaibashi. Several blocks north of Nagahori-dori street. 2nd floor. Good selection with some French & German books as well. 066-251-2700.
(These are just a few of the bookstores that offer English books, but I chose these for you as they are the most convenient for travellers).

The Americamura shopping district is an American product dream for many young Japanese.
The Japanese culture is constantly changing, following thousands of years of closed doors, to now have major social, technological, cultural, language and other differences, thrown at them.
There is a heavy retro-look to the Japanese youth - I'm aware that the 1990s Japanese held a fasincation with 1950s American culture, but now it seems to have caught up in time to the present.

What to buy: Lots of trendy shops & cafes to choose from... some will seem familiar to the American tourist, some will seem awfully schlocky... and some will find customers trying to chat with you to practice their English, and to ask if you know Brad Pitt or Harrison Ford... :>

Well, I don't care for cold coffee, and after one purchase, decided I would NEVER care for cold coffee...
As for the Pocari Sweat, it is apparently an energy drink - but frankly, I didn't want to try any unless I'd checked Mr. Pocari's hygiene!

I always love visiting The Loft. You want to buy a birthday card? There are hundreds here. Want to buy jewelry? There`s a wide assortment to choose from. How about home goods? There`s lots to choose from.
Whatever you need to buy, you can probably find it here.

What to buy: Jewelry, posters, seasonal goods, Japanese fans, pottery, makeup, stationary, CDs, electronics, furniture, incense, travel goods, pillows/sheets/towels, etc.
Located in The Loft is also the chain store MUJI RUSHI & an Italian restaurant Capricciosa.

Japanese people being notorious for being in love with character goods, I knew I shouldn`t have been surprised when I saw an ad for this shop.
I had a Raggedy Ann doll & night light when I was a child. She was one of my favorite dolls & when I heard of this shop I knew that I had to go.
This shop is located in Mino city. It`s a small shop, but they sell all kinds of Raggedy Ann & Andy goods. Dolls of all sizes, stickers, postcards, bowls, cups, magnets, buttons, wooden plaques, etc.

What to pay: The prices are steep but it`s difficult to find Raggedy Ann goods so I think the prices reflect that.

There's a Yodabashi just in front of the JR Osaka station. You will not miss it. It is a huge stall, where we spent 2 hours in it only looking at the camera, and PDA section. Interesting stall to explore. Not that cheap though. I can get those digital cameras at a lower price else where.

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Since 2008.12.10 a small railway goods shop has opened at the Kintetsu Tsuruhashi station.

What to buy: Here you can buy small model trains for N-gauge (1:160) or train souvenirs like station sign key holders.