We arrived in Osaka on our first morning in May 2018 and headed straight to buy a Nintendo Switch in Denden Town.
Our 8:50 flight landed, and after immigration and baggage claim we rode the Nankai Namba line, reaching Namba Station around 10:30.
My husband and I stood in front of Namba Station, already starting to memorize the streets. Namba Parks connects to Nankai Namba Station, and our hotel for the three nights, Il Cuore Namba, was right in front of the station. It was affordable, clean, and in a great spot.
Check-in was at 3, so we left our bags. The luggage sitting outside belonged to guests checking out; checked-in bags go into a safe.
Finding Denden Town was tricky at first because a mansion shares the name, and we wandered in the blazing sun before realizing it is near Namba Parks. If you see the Game Station building, you have found Denden Town.
It is like Yongsan Electronics Market in Korea: computers, game consoles, figures, anime — a dreamland for otaku.
My husband had heard a Nintendo Switch in Denden Town would be cheap, so we hunted one down and got it. With the weak yen, it was about 70,000 won cheaper than in Korea.
My husband ended up buying it. We had not exchanged much cash, so we paid by credit card. Almost every card worked in Japan, which was convenient. Online posts had warned that many cards would be declined, but every card we tried worked.
So the mission to buy a Nintendo Switch in Denden Town succeeded. Hunting through Denden Town drained us, so we rested at a Brooklyn coffee shop.
We were oddly tired from day one.
Prices, hours and details in this post are from our visit in May 2018 and may have changed, so check the latest information before you go.