11 March 2012
Den Den Town
The Osaka version of Tokyos Akihabara is called Den Den Town. As well as the shops selling new electronics, they have the usual porn stores, maid cafes and karaoke lounges.
However, they also have a huge number of stores selling second hand stuff, which is new to me in Japan. Especially interesting to all your people nerdier than me will be the old second hand console games shops. I took some photos.
A lot of shops selling weird old computer and phone parts were shut by the time I got there, so I might have to go again tomorrow.
Despite that there were an awful lot of uber nerds hanging around with high pants and extra large glasses. It seems to be the universal style, if you are excited by a graphing calculator, no matter where you come from you will look like Bill Gates.
The other thing are the 1990s era Hondas with air brushed manga homages, I couldnt quite capture a photo of one. Some had tentacles and small girls.
The main street in Den Den Town, this is where most of the shops selling second hand computer and electronics are, mostly shut. Go one street back on either side and the newer youth oriented shops were open.
Some of these game consoles were never released in Australia, also I might not be old enough to have appreciated them!
The Sega Saturn for example, never came to oz.
At some point, the cool colors were a kind of brown and cream.
This is one of the most amazing stores I have ever been in. All they sell is headphones, parts for headphones, headphone amps, cables etc. Like most Japanese stores they let you try them all, even in ear monitors (can you get ear aids?). They even have a sizeable second hand section. I was tempted by some Beyers but would be worried they would get smashed in my suitcase.
This is the outside of the hot new mall in Osaka, Namba Parks.
Redundant photo. It was damn freezing now, many locals were running from door to door of outside areas.
I however saw there was a roof garden, and headed for the roof, had the whole place to myself.
Time for a long exposure, I tried to stand in the frame and be a ghost but instead I am invisible.
After my big lunch I didnt really want any dinner, so I decided to have half a small beef bowl from Yoshinoya. Its cheap and hot, and beefy.