Anime, gaming, and character fans heading to Japan may want to add Osaka’s newest shopping hotspot to their itinerary. LUCUA SOUTH officially opened in April 2026, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the city’s biggest destinations for pop culture lovers.

The new building is part of the larger LUCUA Osaka complex, but what makes LUCUA SOUTH especially exciting for travelers is its huge focus on Japanese character culture. Its biggest attraction is “LUCUA Characters World,” which is being developed into one of the largest character shopping zones in Japan.

Spread across floors 10 to 13, the area already includes major fan-favorite stores like Pokémon Center Osaka, Nintendo Osaka, and the ONE PIECE Mugiwara Store, but this is only the beginning. A second phase scheduled for autumn 2026 will bring another 29 character stores into the building.

Some of the newly announced additions include a Sanrio store filled with Hello Kitty and Kuromi merchandise, an official Square Enix merchandise shop featuring series like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, and “Everything Minecraft,” dedicated to merchandise from the globally popular game. Fans of cute Japanese characters will also find stores themed around Shirotan and illustrator Nishimura Yuji’s Studio UG characters.

The complex is also expanding Osaka Station’s food scene. Floors 14 to 16 have become “LUCUA SOUTH DINING,” with more than 35 restaurants planned by 2027.

For more information, keep your eyes on the official website here.