# Den Den Town & Akihabara: Electronics and Retro Games URL: https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/electronics-retro-games-osaka-den-den-town/ Idioma: en > Electronics and retro games in Japan: Den Den Town in Osaka, Akihabara shops such as Super Potato, plus voltage, plug and region tips. [Private guide](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/) · [Otaku Japan](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/otaku-japan-private-guide/) # Electronics and retro games: Den Den Town and Akihabara Updated November 3, 2026 · by Mario, private guide in Japan (Shelves of retro video games in a Tokyo game shop) Shelves of retro video games in a Tokyo game shop Photo: [iqremix](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AAkihabara_-_Super_Potato_Retro_Game_Shop.jpg) · CC BY-SA 2.0 案内人 マリオ The short answer Japan’s two great electronics and retro game districts are Den Den Town in Osaka’s Nipponbashi and Akihabara in Tokyo, where shops such as Super Potato sell classic consoles and cartridges. Before buying, check voltage (Japan uses 100 V), plug type, and whether games and consoles will work with your systems at home. Mario, an electronics and gaming enthusiast, guides both. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582. Quick facts Topic Electronics and retro games Guide Mario, private English-speaking guide (also speaks Spanish); four years guiding Rates Half day ¥45,600 · full day ¥69,600 · long day trips from ¥84,000 (per private party) Book [WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) ## Den Den Town, Osaka Den Den Town grew up along Sakaisuji avenue in Nipponbashi, south of Namba, as Osaka’s electronics street. Today it mixes electronics stores and parts shops with anime, figure, card and retro game shops, and the parallel back street often called Ota Road. It is more compact and relaxed than Akihabara, and easy to combine with Namba, Dotonbori and Kuromon Market, all within walking distance. - **Electronics and parts:** components, cables, tools and PC parts for builders. - **Retro games:** several shops sell boxed and loose cartridges, consoles and accessories, with Japanese condition notes. - **Cards and figures:** card shops for singles and sealed products, and figure shops new and used. ## Akihabara, Tokyo Akihabara still has its electronics roots: big stores for computers and cameras, and tiny stalls under the railway tracks selling parts and cables. For retro games, Super Potato is the best-known name, with shelves of cartridges and consoles from many generations and a floor of classic arcade cabinets. Other specialist shops on the side streets sell retro games and PC hardware. Go mid-morning; many shops open at 10:00 or 11:00. ## Will it work at home? Voltage, plugs and regions - **Voltage:** Japan uses 100 V, at 50 Hz in eastern Japan (Tokyo) and 60 Hz in western Japan (Osaka, Kyoto). - **Plugs:** type A, two flat pins, the same shape as in the United States. Visitors from the UK, Australia and New Zealand need an adapter. - **Modern chargers** for phones, laptops and camera batteries are usually rated 100–240 V and work worldwide; check the label. - **Older devices built for 100 V only** often run on US 120 V outlets, but a step-down transformer is the safe choice; on 230–240 V (UK, Australia, New Zealand) a step-down transformer is essential. Item What to check Older consoles (8-bit to early 2000s) Japanese models use NTSC-J video and 100 V power supplies; you may need a step-down transformer and a compatible display or converter Cartridges Some Japanese cartridges do not fit Western consoles without an adapter (for example Famicom versus NES) Discs Some older disc systems are region-locked; check your console before buying Japanese discs Modern consoles Many current systems are region-free for games, but check the specific model, warranty and account region Laptops and PCs Japanese keyboards have a different layout; operating systems usually let you change the language ## Buying used: condition notes Retro game shops grade items carefully: boxed or loose, with or without manual, scratches, yellowing and whether the item has been tested. These notes are written in Japanese on the tag. Mario reads them for you and asks staff to test consoles where the shop allows it. ## Tax-free shopping Visitors can shop tax-free on purchases of ¥5,000 or more (before tax) per store per day at participating shops; bring your passport, not a photocopy. Japan has been moving its tax-free system to a refund model from November 2026, in which tax is charged at the till and refunded after customs confirms the goods leave Japan with you. Ask each store how it handles tax-free sales, and keep tax-free purchases unopened and with you until departure. ## A sample day in Osaka - **10:30** Hotel lobby pick-up; Kuromon Market for a late breakfast of grilled seafood and fruit. - **11:30** Den Den Town: retro games, electronics parts, figures and card shops along Sakaisuji and the back streets. - **13:30** Lunch in Namba. - **14:30** More shops, or Umeda’s large electronics stores for new hardware. - **17:00** Dotonbori as the neon lights come on. ## Packing your finds - Bring bubble wrap or ask shops for extra packing for consoles. - Keep cartridges and small electronics in hand luggage; lithium batteries must travel in the cabin. - For large purchases, ask about shipping from the store or the post office. ## Why go with Mario Mario is an enthusiast of computers, electronics and games, as well as a professional private guide. He knows where the good shops are, reads the condition tags, and thinks through compatibility with you before you pay. He is based in Kansai, so a Den Den Town day carries no guide travel cost; for Akihabara, his train fare (and hotel if overnight) is added at cost. Half day ¥45,600, full day ¥69,600, per private party. 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Yes: Mario guides Den Den Town in Nipponbashi and Akihabara, and checks voltage and region compatibility with you. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; message him on WhatsApp at +81 70 8996 8582. Is Den Den Town as good as Akihabara? It is smaller but excellent, and more relaxed. For electronics, retro games, figures and cards in Osaka, it is the place to go. Will Japanese retro consoles work in the US, UK or Australia? Often, with care: they use 100 V power and NTSC-J video, so you may need a step-down transformer and a compatible display or converter, especially on 230–240 V. Where is Super Potato? Super Potato’s best-known store is in Akihabara, Tokyo, with retro games on several floors and classic arcade cabinets. (Mario, private English-speaking tour guide in Japan) **Mario** · private English-speaking guide in Japan. Four years of guiding, fluent Spanish too, and the logistics of someone based in Kansai who married into a Japanese family. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20read%20%22Electronics%20and%20retro%20games%3A%20Den%20Den%20Town%20and%20Akihabara%22.%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) Plan ahead ## Read next Read next - [Otaku Japan with a private guide who is one of you](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/otaku-japan-private-guide/) - [Camera shopping in Japan: where to buy and what to check](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/camera-shopping-japan-guide/) - [Where to buy Pokémon cards in Japan](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/pokemon-cards-japan-where-to-buy/) - [Private guide: Kyoto](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/kyoto/) See all (6) - [Private guide: Tokyo](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/tokyo/) - [Private guide: Osaka & Nara](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/osaka-nara/) Continue? ## Let Mario plan your Japan Send your dates, the size of your party and where you are staying. Mario replies with a plan, and every reservation is made for you, in Japanese. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20read%20%22Electronics%20and%20retro%20games%3A%20Den%20Den%20Town%20and%20Akihabara%22.%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20)[See prices](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/#prices)