Shinsekai & Tsutenkaku

新世界与通天阁

A downtown district with a Showa-era feel. Under the Tsutenkaku tower, you'll find kushikatsu shops, giant puffer fish lanterns and oversized signs, showing Osaka's everyday old and new side.

Shinsekai was planned in 1912 in the style of Paris and New York as an entertainment district. Its centerpiece, Tsutenkaku, was first built in 1912 and rebuilt in 1956 at 103 m tall, and it is a Showa-era landmark of Osaka. The weather forecast neon at the top and Billiken, the “god of fortune” statue on the fifth floor (rubbing its soles is said to bring wishes), are widely known. Tickets to the observation deck cost about 1,000 yen (free with the Osaka Amazing Pass). In 2022, the TOWER SLIDER, a slide from the observation deck to the ground (about 1,000 yen), and the open-air Tenbo Bridge were added. The district itself is Shinsekai's biggest attraction. Janjan Yokocho, on the south side of Tsutenkaku, and the surrounding alleys are full of kushikatsu shops, where meat, vegetables and seafood are coated in batter, deep-fried and dipped in sauce. The rule here is “no double-dipping.” Daruma is the original shop. There are also fried puffer fish, dotemayaki, a shogi club, and retro arcades, with giant puffer fish lanterns, lucky cats and exaggerated signs creating a unique visual atmosphere. Nearby are Tennoji Zoo, Tennoji Park (Chausuyama), Shitennoji (Japan's oldest official temple, founded by Prince Shotoku in 593), Abeno Harukas and the SPA WORLD hot spring. Getting there: Ebisucho Station on the Sakaisuji Line is a 3-minute walk, Dobutsuen-mae Station on the Midosuji Line is a 5-minute walk, and Shin-Imamiya Station on JR is a 10-minute walk. From Namba, it's about 5 minutes by subway. Recommended to visit in the late afternoon, climb Tsutenkaku to watch the sunset, and then have kushikatsu. Note: The Nishinari ward area west of Shinsekai (the Airin district) is relatively unsafe at night, so avoid deserted back alleys. Kushikatsu shops have queues during peak hours.

Shinsekai & Tsutenkaku

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