Hard Off…

Sounds naughty, doesn’t it. But you have to think more deeply. As in “You might be hard off, living in hard times.”

It’s an op shop. One of Japan’s only second-hand shops, and its a push to call it an op shop. Because they buy things you bring to them, they really only accept the best. They charge those kind of prices too.

I left Osaka central and took a train out to the suburbs. There I found Hard Off, Hobby Off and House Off.

Hard Off is like the umbrella name for it all. House off is clothes, shoes, glasses, cutlery, accessories, and all that you would normally find in an op shop.

Hobby Off is what it is special about Japan. Its got all the things you could find in a department store. Statues, figurines, toys, consoles, games, puzzles, stereos, tv’s, musical instruments, everything. I went through the game section. They have lots of great old console and gaming things. Nintendo especially, from the oldest of consoles to the latest. Even a 2nd hand PS5.

I enjoyed my time browsing, unfortunately I couldn’t buy anything game wise as there are restrictions on country areas. But, I bought a few earrings in House Off.

I planned to go to another op shop after that. The railway forgotten market. Like its name suggests, it is a place to buy things lost on the train. So, lots of coats, gloves, and other loose items like that. Also much smaller than I expected, so I was pretty disappointed.

Still, I enjoyed my break from the city.