Shinsekai

Shinsekai - new world - was laid out in 1912 on the site of a national exposition, with the southern half planned on Coney Island's amusement model and the northern half on Paris, radiating from a tower modelled loosely on the Eiffel. That first Tsutenkaku was dismantled during the war; the present one, 103 metres, went up in 1956 and has an observation deck and a small gold statue of Billiken, a good-luck figure imported from America in 1908 whose feet visitors rub. The district declined for decades and its reputation with it, and what it is now is neon signs of enormous pufferfish and gorillas, kushikatsu restaurants where you dip skewers in a communal sauce that must not be double-dipped, and standing bars. The area around Shin-Imamiya to the south is one of Japan's poorest and visitors should be straightforward about that rather than treating it as scenery.

History

At the start of the 20th century the district flourished as a local attraction showing off the city's modern image, and in the late 1940s it entertained the workers rebuilding Osaka (Wikipedia, Shinsekai).

What you'll find

• A 1912 plan - Paris in the north half and Coney Island in the south, radiating from a tower.
• Tsutenkaku - the 1956 tower, 103 metres, with Billiken's feet rubbed for luck.
• Kushikatsu - fried skewers with a communal sauce and a strict no-double-dipping rule.
• Neon excess - oversized pufferfish and animal signs down the main streets.

When to go

All year; after dark for the neon. Half a day.

Things to know

The neighbourhood south of here is genuinely poor and a place people live, not an attraction. Some restaurants tout aggressively. The tower queues and the deck is dated. Cash is still king in many of the older bars.

Nearby

Tennoji and Abeno Harukas are east; Dotonbori is north.

Key facts