MARUZEN & JUNKUDO Umeda — Local services in Osaka

They have some really interesting products, but I would advise visitors to double-check the tax-free policy. While signs said it applied from 5,000 yen and above, I wasn’t informed that the final requirement was actually 5,500 yen until after I paid. I found it frustrating that this detail wasn’t made clear earlier.

When I asked if I could purchase something else to reach the correct amount, the staff member told me I couldn’t add anything because the transaction was already completed. I felt this could have been handled with more flexibility and kindness.

To be honest, since arriving in Japan, I’ve occasionally felt a lack of warmth or willingness to help tourists in certain places. This experience today left me disappointed. I had a very high opinion of Japanese politeness and customer service, so moments like this feel...

I really enjoy going to this book store. It is a five or six stories book store (maybe more, I'm not sure actually), and each floor is huge (and obviously Packt with books). It is the only book store in Osaka where I found good books in English, most of them novels and not specialized books, but really up to date. If you can read Japanese this is an amazing place to find a book for, I guess, any topic. If you're looking for a particular book, there are some computers where you can search for its location. Also, there are some places to sit and relax while reading a book (you don't actually need to buy it). And in some floors there are other type of things other from books, like cups and notebooks that you can buy. It is close to a Starbucks, so you can buy a good book and walk some meters to enjoy a coffee...

Most likely the largest bookstore in the Kansai area. They have a bunch of foreign books (English, French, Korean, Chinese) on the 6th floor at the time of my visit (May 2019). There are some English Manga as well. However, the selection of English books wasn't as great as I was hoping. If you're looking for Japanese learning books to prepare for your JLPT or just to improve your language skills, this is a good place to visit. You can sit down and read for a while if you like, no food & drinks...