The entrance to Janjan-Yokocho is marked by a distinctive low, covered arcade lined with narrow, weathered shopfronts that seem to hold their breath against the bustle of modern Osaka. This narrow alleyway was once the primary path for…
Shinsekai Showa Retro Walk
Walk through the nostalgic, gritty backstreets of Shinsekai to discover classic game parlors, legendary deep-fried skewers, and post-war neon landmarks.
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1. Janjan-Yokocho (Nanyo-dori Shopping Street)
2. Kasuga Gorakujo
The Kasuga Gorakujo building stands out for its faded, mustard-yellow exterior and a facade covered in dense, tangled power lines that seem to pull the structure toward the street. Built in the late nineteen fifties, it served as a lively…
3. Smartball New Star
The Smartball New Star features a facade covered in old-fashioned, colorful neon signs that flicker against the dark wood of the arcade entrance. Inside, rows of manual pinball machines line the floor, where players use a single lever to…
4. Billiken Shrine
The Billiken Shrine in the Tsutenkaku tower contains a wooden statue of a smiling, pointed-headed deity with crossed legs. An American art teacher named Florence Pretz designed the character after seeing it in a dream in nineteen oh eight.…
5. Asahi Theater
The Asahi Theater holds a distinct profile in the Naniwa district with its weathered facade and the bold, vertical signage marking its entrance. It operates today as a hub for Taishu Engeki, a style of popular theater featuring elaborate…
6. Kushikatsu Daruma
The giant, scowling fiberglass chef looming over the storefront holds a skewer of fried meat with both hands. This is the Shinsekai headquarters of Kushikatsu Daruma. It opened in nineteen twenty-nine, when a local man named Sadakichi…
7. Tsutenkaku
The Tsutenkaku tower rises as a steel lattice structure topped by a glowing, circular clock face that changes color to forecast the next day's weather. Originally built in nineteen twelve, the tower was designed to resemble the Eiffel…