The Pokemon Center Store Was Everything I Hoped It’d Be

Sometimes, when you get excited about a location or concept, it’s possible to build them up in your mind. Put a person or an attraction on a pedestal? Absolutely. I’ve always wanted to visit a Pokemon Center store in Japan, even though I know I could pretty easily order some items online. I got the chance to finally do so when stopping by the Pokemon Center Osaka DX and Pokemon Cafe in Osaka, Japan, and it was everything I wanted it to be… for better or worse. 

The first thing I expected was something of a spectacle, and the Pokemon Center Osaka DX store and Pokemon Cafe delivered on that. There are three different statue installations present. The most eye-catching are the three legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. However, to the left of them is a display with the Scarlet and Violet starters Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly accompanied by a Pikachu and Meowth. (When I visited, they were dressed up for the holidays.) On the right, in front of the restaurant, are two statues of two Pikachu dressed up as chefs. (Naturally, you can buy plush versions of each of them.) They’re massive displays, and I was honestly surprised more people weren’t using them for selfie photo ops. Rather, people seemed more respectful about the situation and instead were standing back and taking photos from a distance. Given the crowds, I was pleasantly surprised by just how easy it was for me to take my pictures!

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I expected a wealth of merchandise at a Pokemon Center store, and that held true too. The Pokemon Cafe was more limited and featured items that were often more practical in nature. Affordable silverware with the restaurant’s logo at the top was plentiful. There was a Pawmi glass I almost purchased, but feared wouldn’t survive the flights home due to how delicate it seemed. Every Pikachu chef plush, both standard and keychain-sized, appeared. But the Pokemon Center DX proper offered so much that it was nearly overwhelming. Plush were everywhere, with so many Sitting Cutie varieties giving even characters who aren’t as prominent as Pikachu or starters their moment. The new sleeping line of characters appeared in their own section. There were accessories and items tied to the games. People could buy tickets for the new 2024 Pokemon Collection Kuji: Welcome to the Pokemon House. A whole region of the store was dedicated to the Pokemon Trading Card Game. You could sample Pokemon Frienda and play on one of two machines. It was a lot.

Admittedly, I went in figuring things would be this plentiful. But I also didn’t expect to see one of my favorite types of tourist kiosks. The Pokemon Center Osaka DX store featured a penny press machine. Well, here it was billed as a Medalief souvenir coin machine. For ¥200 yen, you could get one of three designs. One featured the three Pokemon Scarlet and Violet starters together. The other paired up Eevee and Sylveon. The third showed two Pikachu above the Pokemon Center Osaka DX logo. (Naturally, I grabbed all three.) I was so surprised and happy to see that even someone with some spare change could get a memorable trophy that wasn’t available anywhere else. 

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Of course, not every expectation met was a good one. Things I was concerned about were proved true too. The Pokemon Center Osaka DX and Pokemon Cafe was absolutely mobbed. Now, I did visit on November 21, 2024, which was two days ahead of Labor Thanksgiving Day. So the volume of people I saw there could have been due to that public holiday. However, both areas in the Shinsaibashi Daimaru were absolutely filled with people. The line in the cafe storefront, which was the shorter of the two, took me 15 minutes to get through. I didn’t see anyone make it through the line for possible Pokemon Cafe visits if you didn’t have a reservation in the 40-odd minutes I spent checking out the location. It is a tourist hot spot, and you need to take that into account if you visit.

I also expected an actual Pokemon Center store to be expensive. Again, true! Given the current exchange rate between the US dollar and yen, it wasn’t too bad. But the range of products available and possibilities mean that it could prove to be a very expensive experience if someone goes in with a big wishlist. Especially if they do make reservations for the Pokemon Cafe ahead of time and will have that added expense. I didn’t come away with too much, given I only picked up one of the exclusive Chef Pikachu plush toys, a Pokemon Cafe Pikachu spoon, and three of the crushed medals with Pokemon characters on it. But I could absolutely see someone get carried away in the moment.

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Visiting the Pokemon Center DX store and Pokemon Cafe in Osaka will always be something I remember. Not only because I could cross getting there off my bucket list! It’s more due to it being the exact experience I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be a moment. I wanted it to stand out and leave an impression. I wanted to come away with a special Pikachu that I couldn’t get anywhere else. Yes, it also meant dealing with huge crowds and missing out on eating at the Pokemon Cafe as a result. But it was wonderful to learn that it truly is one of those places that is worth the trip.

The Pokemon Center Osaka DX store and Pokemon Cafe restaurant can be found on the ninth floor of the Shinsaibashi Daimaru at 1-7-1, Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi in Osaka, Japan.

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