Geektrails: Japan on GeekTrails: Japan

[UNKNOWN]

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ikayaki - prepared by people in the Kansai region of Japan by cutting up squid and mixing it with flour to make a chunky pancake.

Mentioned on @whatthepato Youtube short: https://youtube.com/shorts/fbuvlRDUrUU?si=rI0_bVl3RXJMmXLF

% ARABICA Kyoto Arashiyama

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

This boutique % ARABICA coffee outlet offers Japanese speciality coffee in it’s clean and minimalist-styled outlet in the serene setting on the banks of the Katsura River near the Togetsukyo Bridge. It’s a few minutes walk from the Arashiyama train station, on the way to the Monkey Park on the other side of the river, or on the start of a riverside walk.

Founded by Kenneth Shoji in 2013 % ARABICA coffee is an international chain with their headquarters in Kyoto, and Arashiyama is one of three outlets in the city. The branch in Higashiyama is the company’s flagship store.

551 Horai

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A chain of small Chinese eateries famous for their pork buns. There’s 6 of them clustered in Osaka’s main train station in Umeda alone.

Youtube shorts video by @whatthepato: https://youtube.com/shorts/UOxs3Jl1xAI?si=mmctciHsngRSJlK_

GIGO Namba-Avion

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A block away from the Taito Station and sounds very similar in terms of what’s on each floor, and GIGO appear to have actual arcade cabinets. For example Street Fighter IV.

Previously known as Sega Namba Avion and Hi-Tech Land Sega Avion.

Kasuga Gorkujo in Shinsekai, Osaka

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hidden away amongst the katsu restaurants of Janjan Yokocho alleyway is the retro arcade Kasuga Gorakujo. In business since 1959.

They have arcade cabinets for playing: Street Fighter II, Tekken 5, Yie Ar Kung-Fu, Renegade, Metal Slug 3, Ghouls ’n Ghosts, Castlevania, Darius Gaiden, Gradius II, Arkanoid, Puyo Puyo and Tetris.

Pay per play ¥50 or ¥100.

Third on Kumagumi’s Top 5 Best Arcades in Osaka.

kyabetuyaki.com

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kebazaki - a savoury pancake dish made from flour, egg and a whole lot of cabbage. Served hot and is the perfect snack to eat on-the-go. Love the mix of savoury pancakes and sweet okolomiyaki sauce.

Mentioned on @whatthepato Youtube short: https://youtube.com/shorts/fbuvlRDUrUU?si=VSQihMnUQfFjjfTc

Nipponbashi Denden Town

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mostly following Nipponbashi Shopping Mall on Sakaisuji avenue, and spilling over into Ota Road which runs parallel, DenDen Town is densely packed with anime, manga, figurines, video games, trading card and retro vintage video games. Interspersed with street food stalls. A mini version of Akihibara, but more relaxed and chilled. “DenDen” is a shorterning of “Denki no Machi” (“Electric Town”).

It does get very busy on weekends, it’s better to set aside a few hours on a weekday to amble through the many shops and stalls.

Retro TV Game Revival

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

On the southern edge of Denden in Nippombashi, heading towards Tsutenkaku tower. Retro TV Revival is one of the last retro game speciality shop in Denden Town.

Cash-only. An independent gaming store, small but jam-packed with retro-games over two floors, with slightly better prices than the nearby big chain stores like Surugaya and Super Potato. Has games, consoles and cables of all major distributors. Also accessories like soundtracks, books and peripherals.

Retro-gaming in Japan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Retro-gaming in Osaka

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Recently Osaka retro-gaming culture has taken a big hit with the loss of Retro Games Zarigani, which caught fire and was destroyed in January 2025. This was home to many legendary game cabinets, an iconic venue a stone-throws away from the Tsutenkaku tower in downtown Osaka. Lets hope the owners can salvage enough cabinets, rebuild and re-open.

Retro-gaming shopping

It may be more difficult to find good deals on retro gaming stuff. Local retrogamers are voicing concerns that the stampede of retrogame hunters from the US and Europe have plucked retrogaming stores clean, leaving very little behind. Which means the gold rush of cheap hidden gems and rare games have been mined out. Of course, with retro-gaming having high demand and limited supply, sought-after titles can be pricey.

Royal Game Center

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Opened in 1981, the Royal Game Center features rare, vintage arcade games/cabinets from the late 80s and 90s. It’s a hidden retro-gaming gem in Osaka, and makes Kumagumi’s Top 5 list of the best arcades in Osaka.

Some of the arcade cabinets available: R-Type, Gradius IV, Pang, Metal Slug, Street Fighter II, Dig Dug(!), Galaga, Pengu, Virtua Striker 2, Elevator Action. I think I caught sight of Taito’s Renegade cab (the original Japanese version: Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun with high-school delinquents instead of gangster tough-guys) in video footage.

Stationery shops

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Junkudo Bookstore
- Has 5 floors worth of space in Chaska Chayamachi, big selection of English books and stationery

Taito Station, Namba

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A giant arcade in the middle of Namba offering modern video gaming. Though there are 3 floors dedicated to just claw/crane games.

Unfortunately it doesn’t have any of the classic Taito arcade cabinets made famous through conversions released on 8-bit and 16-bit computers.

On the 4th floor there’s a sit-down Pong table, and a handful of sit-down racing cabinets, including a 4-seater Mario Kart. And rounded off by drumming-based games and frentic whack-a-crockodile games. The games can use a save-game card, this floor has a dispenser.

Geektrails: Japan on GeekTrails: Japan

[UNKNOWN]

% ARABICA Kyoto Arashiyama

551 Horai

GIGO Namba-Avion

Kasuga Gorkujo in Shinsekai, Osaka

kyabetuyaki.com

Nipponbashi Denden Town

Retro TV Game Revival

Retro-gaming in Japan

Further reading

Retro-gaming in Osaka

Retro-gaming shopping

Royal Game Center

Stationery shops

Taito Station, Namba