getting to one place from a nearby station

Public transportation in Japan is easy to use, and there are tons of info about it. However, from my first trip to Japan, I found it hard to get to a specific location from a nearby station. Let's take Johnny's shop in Osaka as an example. The direction said 6 minute walk from JR Osaka station's Midosuji south exit, but it took me almost an hour to get to the shop because I did not know which street, which turn to take after that exit. Google Map did not help either.

I'm going to Japan again soon, and I already did my research, and printed out detailed directions to some popular places. I'm unable to obtain such detailed info for lesser known one. The most I can get is the station name. Is there any advice how to get to one place from nearby station? Is there any map app that works better in Japan? Taxi is an (expensive) option ^^; Thank you.

What you have experienced from your first trip in JP is exactly what Japanese native people facing.
Not all street have it name. Only some large or selected streets have it name.
Even though Japanese native people(visitors) ask local people where you want to go to. That is normal.
You would probably need to study Japanese language which may help you a lot.
But also, Tokyo or Osaka, include some large city's people may not know the place you are looking for. This is because they are also visitors there. It happens quite often.

Activate your smartphone in Japan, or rent a pocket WiFi and use the Google Map. Open the map and it will show where you are, and if you marked your destination you can see how to get there. Or, some people use the turn-by-turn voice navigation.

Learn how to use googles maps properly. If you were to use google maps properly, then you shouldn't be having any issues as exampled.

Yes, hakata14-san, I was able to quickly find Johnny's in Osaka, plus see the route and what the building looks like in Street View. Further, there were plenty of other links and maps to Johnny's. I always use Google Maps & Street View to find my way around before arriving. I frequently find other places of interest nearby, just by looking at the maps. I honestly can't remember the last time I was looking for somewhere and couldn't find it using Google & Google maps.

I think maybe OP doesn't realize that shops and other locations in Japan each have an ADDRESS. You cut and paste that address into Google Maps at home, then mark that location with a star. Then when you get out of the nearest station, you just follow the map app to get to your destination. Alternatively you can print out the map from your home computer and use the paper map when you get out of the station.

@Susan: I was there when Johnny's shop in Osaka was moved to a different location couple months ago, near Osaka station instead of Shisaibashi station. The links only pointed to Shisaibashi one.

As I said, I could find popular landmarks in big cities, but the problem I had was less known places that were not mentioned on travel sites. Yes, I do use Google Map a lot back home. It still bugged me why GM worked fine for most of you, and not me. A search showed me this

http://www.animenewsnetwork.cc/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4946639
In that sense, GPS navigation systems such as google maps or Apple's maps, though in theory they shouldn't have a hard time, due to the incredibly complex road system in Japan, they are often wrong or not precise enough to differentiate two (or more) streets.

chronos02 was in same situation as I was. Since there's no alternate option, I will still use GM. Nevertheless, I will enjoy my trip.

Other than the suggestions posted, you can show the address to a passer-by, or a koban (police booth), or a random shop to ask for directions (which way to turn at which corner, etc.). Present them a pen and paper so that they can draw the direction for you. In particular, real estate agencies and convenience stores always have maps. Or if there is no language barrier, you can contact the place you wish to go to and ask directions. These are the traditional ways of getting from one place to another. You can also often find maps like these in front of stations.
https://4travel.jp/travelogue/11145060

I think maybe OP doesn't realize that shops and other locations in Japan each have an ADDRESS. You cut and paste that address into Google Maps at home, then mark that location with a star. Then when you get out of the nearest station, you just follow the map app to get to your destination. Alternatively you can print out the map from your home computer and use the paper map when you get out of the station.
This is a great example of how to use google maps correctly.

You can also do it on a mobile cell phone and screen shot the map and use that map pic at a later time. Then there isn't a requirement for internet data connection.

To be fair, I had a similar situation in June 2017 with the Dormy in Nagano. Every time I did a Google search I got a Dormy elsewhere in Nagano-ken and Google didn't seem to know about the new one right across from Nagano Station. I'd look at the pictures on the hotel website to give me some idea where it was located, but when I got to Nagano, I couldn't find it. I spent about 5 minutes looking around and.. went to the Nagano Tourist Authority. They happily showed me where to go and I felt like a moron since the hotel was incredibly close to the station. However, they gave me the impression this is a popular question, as the hotel didn't appear on Google Maps correctly. The problem is now fixed, so if you look now, you will see the correct location. It's possible if the Johnny's moved from Shinsaibashi to the Osaka station area, Google just hadn't updated yet.

However, OP, I would have done a search for more exacting fan directions to the new store or gone to ask for help from one of the information desks inside Osaka Station. While Johnnys isn't a huge tourist attraction like Osaka Castle and the Aquarium, Johnny's has a large fandom. I would have done a few searches before I went home for a video guide or a photo guide to the new location because I am 100% sure unless the store opened the day before you went there, that there is fan information out there. Fans are very good about updating their info to find things.