Above Osaka (and second-hand camera stores)

At the top of the Umeda Sky Building. I'm not sure if the security guard realised that I was taking photographs of him, but he very obligingly stayed still.

Since one of the most frequently-visited posts on this blog is the one I wrote about a second-hand camera store in Kobe, I figure that there may be some use to somebody in reporting on the second-hand camera stores I went to in Osaka. If you're a photographer and you find yourself in Kobe wanting to buy some equipment, you should really head to Osaka since there's a much wider selection.

Yodobashi Camera across the street from JR Umeda station needs no introduction from me, but they don't sell second-hand equipment (even so, you should pay a visit if you haven't been to a really big Japanese camera store before). Fortunately there are at least three used camera stores in the vicinity. Across the street from Yodobashi Camera there are branches of the two main Osaka camera store chains, Camera no Kitamura and Camera no Naniwa. They're practically next to each other and both of them are on the second floor of the buildings they're located in (look for their names in Japanese, キタムラ and ナニワ). Right next to JR Umeda station itself is Yaotomi Camera, which is the biggest of the three and has a very large selection of second-hand equipment on display. Unfortunately a map isn't much help finding it since it's in the basement of a building next to the station, but you can get to it if you go the station's South Building and then follow signs for the subway Midosuji Line. Take the stairs down to the basement, Yaotomi Camera will be on your left.

I also went down to Nanba, and ended up finding a Nikon FE2 at what seemed like a reasonable price at the Camera no Kitamura in the basement of the Nanba City building. Once again the map is a bit misleading, assuming you took the Midosuji Line down from Umeda, when you get off you'll find yourself in front of the north entrance to JR Namba station. Walk around to the east side of the station and then walk south until you find the Nanba City building on your right (なんばCITY). It's split in two by a road, go into the South Building and go down to the basement and you'll find the store. It isn't really that different from the one in Umeda, but since I found the camera I was looking for there cheaper than elsewhere (12,000 yen) I may as well mention it.