Located around Namba Station, Minami (南, "South") is one of Osaka's two major city centers. It is the city's most famous entertainment district and offers a lot of dining and shopping choices.
Dotonbori: this street runs parallel to the Dotonbori canal. At night it is lit by hundreds of neon lights and mechanized signs, including the famous Glico Running Man sign and Kani Doraku crab sign. Some restaurants are open for 24 hours. Instead of eating crab meat here you may do it at nearby Kuromon Ichiba Market, where you will meet the locals.
Shinsaibashisuji 心斎橋筋商店街 and Ebisubashi-suji Shopping Arcades: Nearly 600 metres long the arcade Shinsaibashisuji is Osakas shopping center number one, a mix of chain retail stores, trendy boutiques, expensive department stores and many fashion labels. Open from around 10-11 am until around 18.30-21 pm. Read more on the official website. It has a long history. In the mid-18th century, when kimono shop Matsuya (currently Daimaru department store) opened, it was already a shopping district, with shops dealing in furniture, used books, musical instruments, etc. At Dotombori, Shinsaibashi-suji becomes Ebisubashi-suji. Read also: likeafishinwater.com.
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Picture by jpellgenDaimaru
Picture by marhasSanrio Gallery Shinsaibashi
Picture by marhasGlico Man
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Picture by marhasAmerikamura アメリカ村, locally known as Amemura: This is the city's best known center of youth fashion and contains hundreds of small, inexpensive boutiques. During the 70s, warehouses in Amerikamura were renovated to sell imported goods including vintage clothes, jeans, second-hand records and many other items from the West Coast of the United States. Because of the uniqueness of the area, TV and media introduced the place nationwide and "Amemura" (Amerikamura) became a birthplace of the latest fashion trends. It is a good place to see teenage fashion. Read more on official website.
Hozenji Yochocho 호젠지 요코초 and Hozenji temple: At Hozenji Yochocho, a narrow, stone-paved lane next to Dotombori Street, you get an impression of the Osaka of the old days. It is ined with small food shops and cafes. Japanese people know Hozenji Yokocho from Sakunosuke Oda's novel "Meoto Zenzai" (Sweet Bean Broth for Two). It is also famous for the moss-covered Fudo-myo statue, known as Mizukake Fudo.
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Picture by Zac DaviesMoss covered Buddha Mizukake Fudo at Hozenji temple
Den Den Town でんでんタウン / Nipponbashi 日本橋: Den Den Town or Denki no machi (電気の町) is an alternate name for Nipponbashi 日本橋. This place is Osakas electronic shopping paradise, packed with discount stores, a place where the dreams of video game and tech geeks come true, especially in Otaku Road. Otaku is the japanese word for people with obsessive interests, commonly it is used for anime and manga fans. Den Den Town has numerous shops of manga and anime retailers and other otaku-related goods such as Mandarake, Tora no Ana, and Osaka Gundams — a two-story all-Gundam outlet. Nipponbashi also features numerous maid cafes and cosplay cafes. Read Groovy Osaka: Nipponbashi and Nipponbashi: An Otaku-town in Kansai. You find as well maid-staffed massage and beautician services. Read Maidreamin Maid Cafe Osaka
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Picture by mia.judkinsCosplay at the Nipponbashi Street Fiesta
Picture by Ryo FUKAsawaMaidreamin Maid Cafe
Namba Parks なんばパークス: Built to resemble a natural canyon it features a 120 tenant shopping mall including a cinema, amphitheater, and a rooftop garden. The 6th floor has restaurants including some Korean, Italian, and Vietnamese places. The rooftop park crosses multiple blocks while gradually ascending eight levels.
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Picture by Amanda PetersonDoguya-suji near Namba Station is Osaka's shopping destination for professional and amateur chefs. This short arcade sells all kinds of cooking accessories, from restaurant grade stove tops to staff uniforms to pots, pans and dishes.
National Bunraku Theater: Bunraku performances are usually held in three week runs in January, April, June, July/August and November. Bunraku is similar to kabuki but performed using meter tall puppets. The National Bunraku Theater is considered the nation's most prestigious, and in addition to shows offers free seminars throughout the year. English earphones are available.
Shochikuza Theater: Kabuki performances are usually held in five runs per year, each lasting between three to four weeks. Ticket prices vary by performance but typically range from 4000 to 15000 yen. The Shochikuza Theater is the prime location to see kabuki performances in Osaka. It is a Western style theater that opened in 1923 and has a seating capacity of just over 1000.
Hozenji Yokocho Alley Admission to the temple is free. Restaurant hours vary. With Hozenji Temple at one end and with more than 60 traditional restaurants and izakaya along it's narrow path, this alley retains an old time atmosphere reminiscent of Kyoto's Pontocho. Be sure to visit Hozenji Temple where local merchants and visitors alike pour water over the temple's statues for luck.
Nightlife in Namba: "Osaka Insider" has a Minami Bar Guide.
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