[Japan tour 2026] Tenjinbashisuji shopping arcade ~ street foods and izakaya

中文版請按此

Date: 14th January 2026 (Wednesday)

After all, I had just spent nearly 20 hours on planes. After settling our luggage at the hotel, we took a short rest – at the very least, a shower to freshen up and wake myself up properly – before heading out. 　 This trip to Osaka was purely a stopover. We did not plan to go sightseeing on purpose. After resting, we set off for a walk around Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Arcade (天神橋筋商店街), where we could stroll around and eat at the same time. We took the Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line, which had just usede earlier, and got off at Ôgimachi station (扇町駅). 　 ▲ Kitahama station (Osaka Metro platform) 　 ▲ Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line train (Hankyu fleet Series 8300) 　 After exiting Ôgimachi station via Exit 1 and turning left, the shopping arcade comes into view immediately. In terms of international fame, Tenjinbashisuji shopping arcade is certainly not as well known as Shinsaibashi (心斎橋), as the two serve very different purposes. Shinsaibashi is geared towards international tourists, with brand-name shops, department stores, and large drugstores, while Tenjinbashi focuses much more on the daily lives of local residents. Most shops here are small, including eateries, standing bars, cooked food stalls, chemists, household goods shops, and small drugstores. Having just landed, there was no need to squeeze into Shinsaibashi. Besides, since we had never been to Tenjinbashi before, taking it easy here – eating and browsing at a relaxed pace – sounded just right. 　 Tenjinbashisuji is the longest shopping arcade in Japan, stretching about 2.6 kilometres, roughly one and a half times the length of Shinsaibashisuji. It runs from Tenjinbashi 1-chôme to 7-chôme and, like many shopping arcades in Japan, most sections are covered. There are around 600 to 800 shops in total. By the time we arrived, lunch hours were already over and dinner was still some way off – the perfect excuse to combine lunch and dinner, sampling local snacks or having a few small dishes and a drink at an izakaya (居酒屋, Japanese pub). If we got hungry later at night, the hotel even provided a free late-night snack – Yonaki Soba (夜鳴そば). 　 ▲ Ôgimachi station Exit 1 　 ▲ Turn left at the exit and the arcade appears straight away 　 Upon arriving at Tenjinbashi, we planned to start with takoyaki at Takoyaki Hiroko (たこ焼 寬子), as Google Maps showed its closing time as 17:00 (though opening and closing times are said to be irregular), so we headed there straight away. Unfortunately, it really was closed when we arrived. We then switched to another place – Takoyaki Umaiya (たこ焼 うまい屋). Both are small shops loved by locals. The shops are very simple and full of nostaglic Shôwa-era charm. Hiroko doesn't offer eat-in seating, while Umaiya has a small number of seats where you can sit down and eat. 　 Nowadays, trendy takoyaki shops offer all sorts of flavours – mentaiko, mayonnaise, onsen egg, spring onions, and so on. But these old-fashioned places only sell the most traditional, classic version. Each table has a bottle of plain sauce. When the owner serves the freshly cooked takoyaki, you brush the sauce onto the balls yourself before eating. The takoyaki are small, but packed with filling. I normally don't like pickled ginger very much, but here it really adds the perfect finishing touch. As for the price, it was JP¥540 for 8-piece and JP¥810 for 12. 　 ▲ Takoyaki 　 ▲ Inside the shop 　 Like Hiroko, Tenma Market also has uncertain opening hours, so after finishing the takoyaki, we went over to have a look. The names 'Tenma'  and 'Tenjinbashi' both come from the shrine, Osaka Tenmangû (大阪天満宮), which enshrines SUGAWARA no Michizane (菅原 道真), a Heian-period scholar and statesman worshipped as the deity of learning. Tenma Market originally began as a market in front of the shrine's approach, and gradually developed into a local fresh food market used by nearby residents. In 2005, it was redeveloped into a multi-storey complex, with the market and shops at the lower levels and residential units above. 　 The market itself occupies only the basement and ground floor. The basement mainly sells fruit and vegetables and also has a food grocery called Promart. The ground floor focuses on fresh fish, meat, and dried goods. The second floor has nothing to do with tourism and mainly provides everyday community services for local residents. As it is a neighbourhood market, it is unlike Kuromon Market (黒門市場), where you can buy and eat at the same time. Besides, by the time we arrived, most of the shops were already closed. Behind Tenma Market is a small alley known as Ura-Tenma Chôchin Street (裏天満ちょうちん街), with lanterns (chôchin) hanging from the covered roof. It has become something of a photo spot. 　 ▲ Tenma Market 　 ▲ Arcade 　 Between the shopping arcade and Tenma Market is a 'drinking street' (飲み屋街), filled with all kinds of izakaya, standing bars, and small taverns. It is a popular place of Osaka office workers to relax after work. The drinking street is somewhat similar to Spanish tapas culture – instead of eating and drinking everything in one place, people have a small drink and one or two small dishes at each bar before moving on. Each stop usually lasts no more than half an hour, so there is no need to feel awkward about ordering only a little. The shop owners are more than used to it. 　 After leaving Tenma Market, we randomly picked an izakaya – Johnny's Karaage Tenma Branch (ジョニーのからあげ 天満店), a fried chicken spcialist from Oita Prefecture, Kyûshû. We ordered a few small dishes, and of course their boneless fried chicken made with thigh meat. The fried chicken was genuinely excellent – crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and incredibly tender. It truly lived up to its reputation as a fried chicken specialist. While looking at the menu, we had planned to order some braised quail eggs, but they ended up being included in the table charge starter instead. As for drinks, I ordered a highball, while Todd chose a Kyohô grape sour. 　 ▲ My Highball, along with the table charge starts: glass noodle salad and braised quail eggs 　 ▲ Deep-fried aubergine soaked in stock 　 ▲ Shredded squid tempura 　 ▲ Boneless fried chicken thigh 　 ▲ Clams steamed in sake (Japanese rice wine) 　 ▲ Flying fish stock egg fried rice 　 ▲ Osaka Metro Midôsuji Line train (Osaka Municpial Subway fleet Series 21) 　 After finishing our meal at the izakaya, Todd wanted to find some tattoo covers at Don Don Donki, so we headed to the Donki (Don Quijote) inside JR Tenma station. However, after searching the shop thoroughly, we could not find any. We eventually asked a member of staff, who told us that this branch didn't sell them at all. There were no other Donki branches nearby, so we decided to hop on the train and head to Dôtonbori instead – and in the end, we really did find them. But... (we still had to come back again the next day!)

Article Menu LAST: [Japan tour 2026] Manchester – Hong Kong – Osaka ~ Cathay Pacific flight CX216 & CX596 HERE: [Japan tour 2026] Tenjinbashisuji shopping arcade ~ street foods and izakaya NEXT: [Japan tour 2026] Onyado Nono Osaka Odoyabashi ~ Japanese modern style hotel brand by Dormy Inn

Please following my Instagram: