Retro Game Store Reviews: Osaka Edition – Namba Furuichi

The last two months have been pretty hectic for me and it’s been hard to find the time to update my blog. Now that things are starting to settle down, I hope I can get back into the routine of posting my picks of good retro game shops in Japan. Today I continue my look at the Namba area of Osaka, a nerdy mecca in western Japan where you can find anime figures, trading cards, and of course retro games.

Namba (Nipponbashi) Furuichi

I talked about another Furuichi a few months back when I visited Nagoya, so I was excited when I saw they had another branch in downtown Osaka. The store is a mix of various hobbies, with the main one being trading cards and anime things, but the usually have a good inventory of retro games as well so they are always worth checking out if you see one of these stores.

The Selection

Furuichi might not be as well stocked as other shops in the area with retro games, but when you factor in their large modern game selection from the PS4, PS5, and Switch you have a one stop shop for all your gaming needs. I felt that the selection of each section of games was healthy, allowing you to mostly find what you were looking for, but it might be harder to find rarer games there. There were a lot of complete in box items in good condition as well, which is good news for a collector. The only inventory I felt lacking was their consoles and handhelds. Aside from their Switches, PS4s, and PS5s, what you see above in the pictures is the extent of their retro console selection in this branch.

The Pricing

This is one of the reasons why I wanted to feature this store on my blog. Most people will go into big cities like Tokyo or Osaka looking for deals on retro games and they’ll be let down. The vast majority of stores in or near big cities have adapted tourism pricing, which means they know tourists will pay more money and have changed their prices to reflect that. Even Hard Offs and Book Offs, which are usually cheaper outside of big cities, have adapted this practice within cities.

Thankfully Furuichi prices are still very fair. They aren’t super cheap like stores you’d find out in the countryside or off the beaten path, but their prices at this Namba store will usually beat their competitors nearby like Super Potato, Mandarake, or the other local Osaka retro game shops. If you’re going to be shopping in the area, be sure to stop by this place to compare their prices to the other stores you shop at. I personally have only bought newer games at this chain of stores since they tend to have good sales during the holidays, but I still thought their prices were good here.

Access

Just like the Namba Surugaya store I talked about in my previous article, the Furuichi store is very close to all of the Namba area stations in Osaka, regardless of which one you go to. You can get there on the subway line, or the Nankai line depending on where you come from. Whichever you arrive at, it should take you less than 10 minutes to get there on foot. Another benefit of its location is that it is close to many other retro game shops in the area, which makes it worth your time to check out.

The Verdict

A good location, fair prices, and a decent selection make this store worth a look. If you go to the other stores in the area first and are outraged by how much they want for games and consoles, the Furuichi Nippombashi store in Namba will be a breath of fresh air. Before you make your final purchase in downtown Osaka, you’ll definitely want to stop by here (and Surugaya for that matter) to see who has the best price.

• Selection: 3.5/5
• Pricing: 3.5/5
• Ease of Access: 4.5/5

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