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Shinsekai / Tsutenkaku

Landmarks of a bygone era

Located in the southern part of Osaka, the Shinsekai commercial district is considered one of the city's landmarks, with a 103-meter-tall Tsutenkaku towering at its center. The streets of Shinsekai are still maintained in the same style as they were in the last century, and the restaurants in the district mainly serve local cuisine such as fried chicken skewers.

In 1912, a 64-meter tower was erected in the southern part of Osaka City, which was considered a skyscraper at the time, hence the name Tsutenkaku 通天閣 (the Sky-reaching Tower). The upper part of Tsutenkaku was modeled after the Eiffel Tower in Paris, while the lower part modeled after the Arc de Triomphe. In 1943, it was demolished after a fire.

In 1956, the 103-meter-tall second-generation Tsutenkaku stood up again in the same place and became the symbol and pride of Osaka again. A bustling commercial district also emerged at the foot of the Tsutenkakun, and it is Shinsekai 新世界 (New World) .

Osaka Landmark Tsutenkaku

Manywhere Trivia:
One of the largest slum in Japan, the Kamagasaki (釜ヶ崎), is located to the south of the Shinsekai district across the street.

Decades have passed and Osaka has changed drastically, but the Shinsekai seems to have frozen in time, and still remains the same as it was then. The World is still moving forward, but the New is long gone, and the seemingly prosperous streets witness the vicissitudes of time. Of course, if you look at it from another angle, this is also the best place to trace the old Osaka.

There are many restaurants of all sizes in Shinsekai, serving local specialties: Chicken Skewers, Takoyaki, the Octopus Balls and Fugu, the Puffer Fish. BBQ Skewers are arguably the king of New World snacks, and almost all restaurants offer different flavors of BBQ Skewers. Fresh meat or vegetables are wrapped in a coating and fried until golden brown, making them irresistible to both the eye and the palate.

Manywhere Tips:
There is an unwritten rule in Japanese snack shops that you can only dip the skewer once in the sauce before eating, otherwise the shop owner would give you an angry look.

Billiken, a golden statue of a squinty-eyed boy, sits in front of every store in the Shinsekai. Billiken was born in the United States in 1908, after it was introduced to Japan in 1912, it was quickly accepted by the people of Osaka and also regarded as Idol of Fortune of Osaka.