Osaka III: Shinsekai

Bridge in Tennoji Park with the Tsutenkaku Tower in the background

Our Third Trip to Osaka

It's our last trip of the year! From Osaka Station we walked to Shitennoji (四天王寺). Originally constructed in the year 593, it's one of Japan's oldest temples. It has been reconstructed several times and its original design has been maintained. You can walk around the outer area for free, while the inside area requires you to pay a small fee. While exploring the inner area, we were able to go inside a pagoda for the first time. It was five stories tall and we had to remove our shoes to go inside. From Shitennoji Temple we walked towards Tennoji Park. Tennnoji Park has restaurants, shops, a zoo, and the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts. There was even a temporary ice skating rink set up for the winter season.

                                          

Heading west from the park, we came to Shinsekai (新世界), an district modeled  partly after New York City and Paris. The area has many restaurants and shops. There are several fugu (blowfish) restaurants and many restaurants specializing in kushikatsu (meat, vegetables, and other foods that have been deep-fried and skewered). Both dishes are considered specialties of Osaka and the Kansai Region. We decided to eat at a kushikatsu restaurant and ordered many kinds of kushikatsu. Once we had our fill of kushikatsu, we headed to Tsutenkaku Tower. Tsutenkaku Tower was originally inspired by the Eiffel Tower, but after the war it was rebuilt with a new design and today occupies a unique place in Shinsekai's identity. The tower has LED lights that change colors with the seasons and also give the weather forecast for the next day. Osaka has many wonderful things to see and do. This was our third visit to Osaka and each time we've gone we've seen a new area. It's a great city to explore if you have the chance.