Visited about 20 Pokemon card shops in Osaka. Here’s how to speed run it and save money

If you're heading to Osaka and wondering where to buy Pokémon cards, Nipponbashi is the spot.
It's basically Osaka's answer to Akihabara. A bit grungier, but packed with card shops in every alley, stairwell, and arcade. I spent two days hitting over 20 shops and figured I’d share some notes and store picks.

Quick rundown of the best shops I found:

C-Labo
Bulk bins, singles, and decent prices across modern to older sets. If you like digging through ¥100 holos and filling binders, you’ll spend hours here.

Magi
Feels more like a boutique than a card shop. Modern cards, latest Japanese sets, and clean displays. Not the cheapest but easy to browse.

Dragon Star
Massive. Floor to ceiling cards. Prices are all over the place. Great for variety, but I’d double-check prices elsewhere before dropping big cash.

Support Chance
Probably my favorite sleeper pick. Hidden upstairs, smaller store, and insane bargains if you’re into older holos and random finds. Their oripa packs are cheaper than the big stores too.

Clove
Premium slabs and vintage grails. Pricey but they grade everything in-house. If you’re picky about condition, this is where you shop.

Stuff I learned the hard way:

• Yellow stickers mean “damage” but most are fine for binders. You’ll save 20–40% easy.
• Don’t buy the first card you see. I saw the same card swing ¥3,000 store to store.
• Budget bulk boxes are always worth a dig. I pulled GXs and old holos for ¥200.
• Oripa (mystery packs) are everywhere. Hit rates are rough, but fun if you’re into the gamble.
• Clove had the cleanest vintage stock, but yeah, you’ll pay for it.

Where to go?

• Stick to Ota Road in Nipponbashi.
• If you see Bee Honpo or the Pokémon Center, you’re in the right zone.
• Don’t sleep on upper floors. Some of the best stores are tucked away on level 2, 4, or even 6.

Overall, I found Osaka’s card scene to be a bit more “collector’s playground” than Tokyo.
Less polished, more chances to find weird cards and deals.
If you’re a binder collector, you’ll love it.
If you’re after clean slabs or vintage, Clove and Dragon Star are your spots but compare prices.

Would recommend setting aside a full day (minimum) to do it properly. It’s easy to get lost in it all.

Hope this helps anyone planning the trip.
Happy to answer questions or swap store picks if anyone’s been recently.