Although Osaka is perhaps best known for its vibrant food culture, its shopping scene is an underrated draw. Here, major labels’ flagship stores dot bustling streets, where you’ll find everything from home-grown and international designer goods to regional specialities. Look out for the many chic zakka – boutiques that sell quirky knick-knacks and homewares – and small independent craft shops that have been selling the same handmade wares for decades. Fun fact: Osaka natives are savvy bargain hunters – an indicator that shopping in the city will not disappoint in terms of variety and prices. 

1. Hankyu Department Store Umeda Main Store 

Hankyu is one of the largest retailers in Japan and sells everything under the sun, but visit its Umeda flagship if only for its basement food halls, where fresh seafood and meat can be bought alongside limited-edition goodies from beloved Japanese food brands.  

Fans of the milky soda Calpis will find an exclusive jelly drink with different flavours and seasonal drinks at a bar attached to the brand’s shop, Calpis Parlor. Pick up a few bags at Grand Calbee, a luxury offshoot of the potato crisp brand, selling limited-edition seasonal flavours such as honey and blue cheese, and porcini and cream – perfect for filling the snack cupboard back at home or in your office. 

2. Hirakata T-Site 

A 30-minute train ride from central Osaka, Hirakata is the birthplace of the famed Tsutaya bookshop chain. The nine-storey Hirakata T-Site , opened in 2016 at the place where the brand’s story began, features a pair of show-stopping floor-to-ceiling bookcases that have become a famous photo backdrop for many book-loving Instagrammers. Elsewhere in the shop, you’ll find an impressive range of books and magazines, as well as an extensive film library with titles available for rent or purchase, an art space, and several restaurants and cafés. 

3. Japanese furniture and home accessories 

Bring home a slice of minimalist Japanese design at Karimoku 60 . Located at the Grand Front Osaka shopping complex, this wood furniture specialist’s classic designs are a testament to the “less is more” ethos. Also, check out Truck , an Osaka-based furniture brand with a showroom in the quaint Shinmori neighbourhood. Here, you’ll find the label’s sleek, rustic furniture and a collection of fashion accessories and clothing made from scrap material on display. Before you go, enjoy some refreshments at Bird, a laid-back on-site café where you can relax into a Truck-crafted chair or sofa. 

4. Rinku Premium Outlets

Just one train stop away from Kansai International Airport, this Osaka outlet complex is the largest shopping complex of its kind in western Japan, featuring about 250 shops and restaurants. Here, you’ll find all your favourite international and Japanese brands displaying their goods at a discounted price – perfect for that last-minute shopping spree right before your flight. Don’t miss the official Kit Kat Store, where you can snatch up seasonal and limited-edition flavours of the chocolate bar that are only available in Japan. 

5. Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide 

Seventy-year-old knife-maker Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide is located on Doguyasuji, an entire street dedicated to kitchenware. Inside the shop, you’ll find 2,000 types of knives, all made from different materials and for different purposes, from everyday kitchen choppers to single-bevel blades made for precise slicing of sashimi. Want to personalise your blade? Ichimonji offers complimentary engraving services with any knife purchase. 

6. Zakka shops

Selling everything that brings delight and sparks a smile, zakka shops can be found throughout Osaka. Fans of vintage fashion and design should head to Green Pepe , located in the eclectic Nakazakicho neighbourhood near Osaka Station. The 1970s theme runs throughout the colourful selection of clothing, accessories and tableware on display. And near the Osaka Tenmangu there’s Kaico Café , which has a vintage homeware shop on the first floor and a coffee shop on the second. This zen boutique is the perfect place to while away an afternoon.