Inside retro video game arcades in Osaka, Japan
In Japan, video games are a big part of entertainment culture. Although arcades have gradually disappeared over the decades on a global scale, they remain prevalent in Japan. When I was in Osaka City, I came across two retro arcades and got to take a look inside.
The first arcade is in Den Den Town, which is a part of Osaka that is known for its variety of electronics and Japanese media.
This is the front of the arcade. I couldn’t find the arcade’s exact address, but I do know that it is right next to a store called Japan Culture & Character Shop Guf Osaka Nippombashi. (You can see the shop sign in the background.) If you search up this shop and follow the directions there, you will find the arcade.
When you walk further back into the arcade, you are immersed in retro style blue lighting and surrounded by Candy Cabinets. A “Candy Cab” is a name that is used for Japanese sit-down arcade cabinets as pictured above.
My favorite game I played was 1942, a vertically scrolling shooter game made by Capcom. Overall, this arcade had so many different types of games on the candy cabs alone, so chances are high that you’d be able to find something you have fun playing.
The second arcade I came across is called Retro Videogames Zarigani in an old Osaka neighborhood known as Shinsekai. After tracking it down online, the exact address is 3-Chome-4-5 Ebisuhigashi, Nanina Ward, Osaka, 556-0002, Japan.
Just like the first arcade, this one has a clean retro aesthetic with vibrant lighting and lots of candy cabs. As you can see, this arcade also had next to nobody in it.
Since I had already played games at the first arcade, I decided to just get pictures here. There were actually a couple other people taking pictures here too. It’s one of those places that is a photographic spot for aesthetic pictures.
Overall, these two spots are firsthand evidence that arcades are still fully alive and well in Osaka and Japan altogether. Whether you’re looking to get some aesthetic pictures or you’re just looking to kill some time (or both), the arcades in Japan are definitely worth checking out. When you find yourself in Osaka with some extra yen coins, be sure to stop in to these arcades and any other ones you may find along the way.