Model Railway Shops in Osaka
To make the guesswork easier, here's a list of terms that should help you on your never-ending-search-to-find-model-trains. To translate things, use Google Translate. To convert from Romaji, Hiragana, Katakana or Kanji use J-Talk's Kanji Converter
English | Romaji | Hiragana | Kanji |
---|---|---|---|
Train | resshya | れっしゃ | 列車 |
Electric Train | denshya | でんしゃ | 電車 |
Steam Train | kishya | きしゃ | 汽車 |
Diesel Train | kidoushya | きどうしゃ | 気動車 |
Model | mokei | もけい | 模型 |
Model Train | mokei resshya | もけい れっしゃ | 模型列車 |
Railway Model | tetsudou mokei | てつどう もけい | 鉄道模型 |
Gauge | geeji | ゲージ | -- |
Shop | shoppu/mise | ショップ/みせ | 店 |
?-Shop | ?-ya | や | ?-屋 |
Den Den Town, Osaka
One of the most well-known Osaka hobby shops. A place you simply must visit. Has everything.
(Note that their Tsurumi shop is closed!)
Super Kids Land (スーパーキッズランド本店)
A large toy department store with a floor dedicated to model railways. A good selection of HO-scale too!
A cute little shop with a good selection of consists. Also a good bargain-bin for second-hand items. Note that they will be graded from A-D where D is quite broken!
Volks Osaka Showroom(ボークス 大阪ショールーム)
Another toy department store; you'll find the trains on level 6.
Shinsekai
Rail Workshop Higeshin (レール工房ひげしん)
A small store on the north-west corner of Shinsekai. I walked in and couldn't communicate, but there's glass cabinets of nice stock, both N and HO. The owner is usually there building models as well. Seems to have a 'club' atmosphere with regulars often hanging around to chat to the owner.
Note that Shinsekai is a relic of Osaka, planned/built as the 'suburb of the future' back from 1903.
Address: 大阪市浪速区恵美須東1-22-1
Uehommachi (East Osaka)
There's a good story behind this shop. I visited it in 2010 with a friend from university; her uncle actually works there. Back then the shop was south-east of Kintetsu Osakauehonmachi Station and it was a confusing walk from the station to get to it. The shop was small, full of glass cabinets and cutting boards. It had a great selection of N-scale and HO, specialising in paper kits. I remember that there were a lot of full N-scale sets, some 'custom made' and painted to prototypical awesomeness. I bought a DE10 and a set of passenger cars, beautifully detailed.
The shop has now moved here and, although I haven't been back since it moved, it seems to be a bigger and better presence with full layouts for demonstrations. It also seems a lot easier to get to!
Umeda
Haven't been to this one, but can only imagine it's just like its brother in Den Den Town.
Another department store... trains are on B2. I always end up going here since it's so close to Osaka Station and I can send my friends to other levels if they don't want to check out trains.
This shop actually seems to be pronounced ma-ha mokei; but for some reason they've translated that to 'mach'.
Minamikata
Someone go and check this place out!
Awaza
Review to come....
Hanakawa (North-East)
Haven't been to this one, but can only imagine it's just like its brothers.
Toyonaka (North)
Review to come....
Takastuki
Recycle Shop (Ryouhin Kaikan) (HobbyDo!)
I accidently stumbled across this shop. I'd bought a bike for my 4-week stay in Shinosaka and had been riding east towards Kyoto. The Tokaido main line and Shinkansen are both out that way and can be seen up quite close. Anyway, this shop is walking distance from JR Takatsuki Station, but closer to Hankyu Takatsuki-shi Station. Head due-east from either and then north-east along 国道171号線 (Japan National Route 171).
The shop has a great selection of new and second hand goods. I especially loved rummaging through the box of B-Train Shorty odds-and-ends. It seems that they had many split up boxes of B-Trains and each component is individually priced. Just remember, when you get to the counter things always add up!
Matsubara
Mokei-ya (Model Shop) (もけいや松原)
From the website, this place seems to have a lot of stock. Has anyone been!?
Kobe
(This used to be in Amagasaki, but that closed)
庫県神戸市東灘区青木1-2-34 サンシャインワーフ神戸1F
Haven't been to this one, but can only imagine it's just like its brothers in Den Den Town and Umeda.
2 Chome Sannomiyacho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
September 30th, 2016 - 13:59
Thanks for these informations.
I will soon go to Osaka (Chuo Ward) and I intend to bring some “souvenirs”. Without seeking specific model, where can I find the best price? In dedicated shops or on the shelves of department stores?
Thanks again
September 30th, 2016 - 16:36
Morbus,
If you want brand new, then the price is usually the same in all stores. Sometimes you can get a discount at department stores.
If you want second-hand (where the quality is usually 100% anyway), then check out Poppondetta and Hobby Land Pochi. Den Den Town is still my favourite area!
October 2nd, 2016 - 06:19
Thanks for your advice !
June 1st, 2017 - 22:44
Yodobashi Umeda – toys/trains are on B2 as of 2 Jun 2017. Thanks! Good to have found this site/article
May 6th, 2018 - 19:27
‘their’ not ‘there’
May 7th, 2018 - 20:39
Thanks :)
April 6th, 2019 - 23:29
This was a really helpful list. My husband was desperate to get a model of the latest N700 and we had just this evening in Osaka, before flying home in the morning. Dashed across to Yodobashi Umeda, and down in B2 found a replica.
August 23rd, 2024 - 08:09
Note that Department Stores (e.g., Yodobashi) and the larger hobby stores like Joshin Super Kids Land and Models Imon participates in Duty Free shopping. Show them your passport (with stamp on entry into Japan) and they will take off or not charge you the 10% VAT tax.
Popondetta unfortunately does not participate. Don’t know about Tam Tam or Volks.
August 23rd, 2024 - 08:24
Thank you for note! I recently happily used Duty Free at Yodobashi Camera and it was as-simple-as handing over my passport at the register. Just make sure you don’t open anything you buy whilst still in Japan!
I also realise my embedded map is broken… something to fix on the weekend. Actually, this whole post needs updating as I’m sure some of the stores have closed.
October 7th, 2024 - 09:55
Yes, that thing about not opening duty-free purchases…the guys at Yodobashi/Bic have started saying that this year; they never did before. You’re hardly likely to run a train in Japan anyway but you can open the box, take it out, do what you want. You just can’t “consume” the product and have to carry it out with you. I suspect this new “don’t open it” stuff is a response to all the Apple Store cheating.