Shinsekai & Tennōji — Retro-Osaka

Shinsekai (新世界, "New World") is Osaka's most dazzling and quirky district — a retro entertainment area from the 1910s that today feels like a time warp into a vibrant post-war Japan. Giant neon signs in red, yellow, and green, kitschy pufferfish lanterns, pachinko noise-filled arcades, and the Tsūtenkaku Tower (通天閣) as its landmark.

The Tsūtenkaku (108 m) was built in 1956 as a replica of the original demolished in 1943 — the latter was inspired by the Eiffel Tower. The observation deck (¥900) offers panoramic views over Osaka. At the base of the tower stands Billiken, a deity of luck with pointed ears, whose feet you rub for good fortune. In the "Tower Slider" opened in 2022, you can slide from the 3rd floor to the ground floor (¥1,000).

Shinsekai is especially the Kingdom of Kushikatsu. Dozens of restaurants serve fried skewers — from Daruma (since 1929, the classic) to nameless corner pubs. The ritual: Cross off the menu, order skewers, dip them in the communal sauce (once!), enjoy, repeat. A plate with 10 skewers costs ¥800–1,200.

Right next door is Tennōji with the Shitennō-ji (四天王寺) — Japan's oldest Buddhist temple, founded in 593 by Prince Shōtoku. The current structure is a reconstruction, but the complex conveys 1,400 years of history. The adjacent Tennōji Park houses the beautiful Japanese garden Keitakuen (¥150, hidden gem) and the Abeno Harukas — at 300 meters, Japan's tallest building. The observation deck "Harukas 300" (¥1,500) offers views to the sea and the mountains of Nara on clear days.