Ginza Karen Shinsaibashi Maruwa Station — Local services in Osaka

My luggage was damaged during the trip, so I decided to look for a front-opening suitcase (instead of the traditional clamshell design) like the Lojel Cubo Fit or Echolac. While Lojel was widely available, including at Loft, I couldn’t find any Echolac options.

I realized that Lojel is only about 7% cheaper in Japan compared to Singapore (assuming no special offers in either country). In Japan, you might also need to pay your hotel to dispose of damaged luggage. My hotel, for example, charges ¥2,000 (~$18) for luggage disposal.

I remembered that a friend had purchased his luggage from Ginza Karen in Osaka, so I decided to check it out. I was assisted by MoMo, who spoke good English and wasn’t pushy at all.

Ginza Karen doesn’t sell Lojel, so I ended up comparing their in-house brand with another brand called MAXBOX. I eventually settled on the MAXBOX for S$270 (100/110 liters). Although it’s made in China, it’s of Japanese quality. The luggage comes with a 1-year warranty, valid only in Japan, which didn’t bother me.

Why I Chose MAXBOX: • Lockable Wheels: This was the key reason for my choice, as it’s essential when traveling on the Shinkansen. • Lighter Weight: It weighs 4.9 kg compared to 5.4 kg for the in-house brand. • Better Material: They claim it’s more durable and of higher quality.

Thank you, Ginza Karen and MoMo, for the...

We visited on 10/21/2025. We worked with Suneha (sp?). She was SO wonderful. She offered us great customer service. Very kind, knowledgeable, and honest. She speaks Nepalese, Hindi, Japanese, Chinese, AND English. The store owner should give her a promotion or at least a raise, as she represents the company well and leaves a great impression on customers.

From what we could tell, there are two types of Ginza Karen branded lines. The more economical option is made in China, but decent quality. It’ll last a few years, but probably not a decades worth.

The higher-end Ginza Karen line is Made in Japan. It says it has YKK zippers (though e didn’t see the YKK branding) and comes with a 3 year limited warranty. Not a Samsonite, but good quality.

We ended up buying the higher-end large 95L branded suitcase, which set us back ¥28K. A steep price for what it is but still cheaper and better quality than comparable items we could find at Hands or Don Quixote’s higher end. At the end of the day, we were in a pinch and Ginza Karen came through.

They sell other brands lower as higher-end including American Tourister. There is something for...

Their customer service was great the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable! The staff explained the differences with the prices it came with. Momo that helped us definitely didn’t push for us to purchase for the more expensive one, instead, just more so for what our needs were. I almost went for an extra large size, but the staff said that it might not be the common large size the airlines would take, so it might become an issue. So I trusted their advice. Their prices were definitely cheaper than the places we went to, even from Donki. I am glad I held back and looked around some more and didn’t buy instantly from Donki! Thankful I stumble upon this store. Saving this place in my bookmarks for the future when I...