OSAKA: Eat and shop at Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi & Kuromon Market

2:30 AM

You can spend an entire day just exploring, eating and shopping in the Minami area of Osaka. Taste the flavors of Osaka at Dotonbori & at the Kuromon market. Then you can shop from high end to affordable items at the Shinsaibashi Shopping Street, Midosuji Boulevard, and Dotonbori. 


DOTONBORI 

No trip to Osaka would be complete without a visit to Dotonbori - a perfect spot to fill your senses and your tummy.  It’s a great place to taste Osaka’s flavors.

The Dotonbori Canal divde the north and south side. The northern side has restaurants and bars including M Dotonbori and Ichiran Ramen. There is also a 24hour Don Quijote.

On the south side, you can see the iconic Glico Man of Osaka. There are usually numerous people taking photos on the Ebisu bridge. A good place to take a photo is on the walkway on the sides of the Dotonbori Canal.








Here Dotonbori street is lined with restaurants and stalls serving seafood, street foods and other Japanese favorites. The street is adorned with colorful signages including a mechanized crab in front of Kani Doraku.










Among the must eat foods in Osaka are the takoyaki (Octopus Balls), and Okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes). Creo –ku is popular for its takoyaki and will usually have a line. Watch as they make takoyaki balls in front. There are also other takoyaki flavors to choose from but it is traditionally made with octopus. As you bite into its gooey oozy center, you can spot pieces of octopus.







One of my favorites is Osaka Osho’s gyozas. On the street level is a take out counter and you can watch as they form the yummy dumplings. You can order gyoza and their other menu items on the 2nd floor where there are a few tables available. There are giant gyoza on the side of the building.
 


If you’re in the mood for Matsusaka beef, M has several restaurants in the Dotonbori area. You can enjoy Matsusaka beef teppanyaki style, shabu shabu, and many more. Matsusaka beef is grown in Matsusaka between the Kumozu and Miyagawa rivers. It is said that it has a beefier taste compared to the widely popular Kobe beef.

While in Dotonbori, you can also go shopping with Shinsaibashi Shopping Street and Midosuji Boulevard is just across the Dotonbori Canal.

Website: http://www.dotonbori.or.jp/en/ 
Nearest Train Station: Namba


SHINSAIBASHI SHOPPING STREET & MIDOSUJI BOULEVARD



Shinsaibashi Shopping Street in Minami is about 8-block long covered shopping haven. On one end you can find Tokyu Hands (7 floors of lifestyle items) and clothing giants Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo. Take Exit 10 of the Shinsaibashi Station to reach this end. On the Namba end is the Dotonbori Canal and Dotonbori Street, which also flanks two H&M stores beside the water. 










There are many stores along the street including a Sanrio and Disney Store, ABC Mart (rubber shoes), 2nd hand designer stores like Brand Off, and many clothes and shoes stores. There are 2 Pablo cheesecake stores on Shinsaibashi – one in the middle of the street by Suomachi Dori and near Dotonbori on Soemoncho Dori.







There are also two Kansai Tourist Information Centers on Shinsaibashi. One is in Daimaru and the other is on the 2nd floor of Tommy Hillfiger.


The shopping street is parallel to Midosuji Boulevard, which is sometimes considered as the Champs de Elysee of Asia. It is a high-end shopping street with designer stores like Louis Vuitton and big brands such as Apple & Puma. On Midosuji Boulevard also stands the Daimaru department store a high-end department store. Try visiting the supermarket in the basement for many food items available. Take Exit 5 or 6 of the Shinsaibashi Station to exit nearest to Daimaru. This gingko tree lined street is beautiful in autumn when the leaves turn yellow.


Don Quijote on the riverwalk is a 24-hour department store with many affordable items including pharmacy, electronics, clothes, luggages, groceries, and other souvenir items. Tax-free shopping is available here.




Website: http://www.shinsaibashi.or.jp/lang/e 
Nearest train station: Shinsaibashi Stn.


KUROMON MARKET 

Similar to Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, Kuromon Market is also called “Osaka’s Kitchen”. Opened in 1822, Kuromon Ichiba started as a fish market in Nippombashi. As the years passed, more items were sold and now is packed with about 150 shops selling raw fish, fruits, clothes, shoes , Japanese goodies, etc. 

This 580 m long is a good place to sample Japanese produce and snacks. Frequented by tourists, it is a nice market to get a glimpse of fresh produce and Japanese goodies. Prices here aren’t as cheap as before.

There are also affordable fresh sushi places or you can also buy from the stalls and enjoy oysters, urchin, and other fresh seafood. Try the Tako Tamago or quail egg wrapped around an octopus and seasonal fruits and food available.


Website: http://kuromon.com/
Entrance Fee: Free

Nearest Train Station: Nippombashi Station, Exit 10 

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