The level of the main street is second to none in Tobita Shinchi…Inbound visitors are also eager to visit…A Thorough Guide to Matsushima Shinchi, Osaka

Walking through Matsushima Shinchi in the evening, the second “ryotei district” after Tobita Shinchi

Osaka’s “Chon-no-Ma” district is hot right now. As the “Osaka-Kansai Expo,” which will be held for about six months from next April, approaches, the number of inbound tourists to Osaka City is increasing. The internationalization of Tobita-shinchi, “Japan’s No. 1 ryotei district,” is well known, but Matsushima-shinchi, the second largest “densely populated area” after Tobita-shinchi, is also attracting foreign visitors.

We visited Matsushima Shinchi at around 18:00 on the evening of Wednesday, June 12. The nearest stations are Kujo Station on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line or Kujo Station on the Hanshin Namba Line. The closest station is Exit 6 of Kujo Station on the Chuo Line, which is about a 2- to 3-minute walk from the station. From Kujo Station on the Hanshin Namba Line, take Exit 1 or 2, and it is a 5-minute walk.

The main street has two lanes and is wide enough to allow oncoming cars to pass by. In addition, the ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants) are large, and the number of stores and customers is small, so the entire town is relaxed. Tobita Shinchi is crowded with tourists, making it uncomfortable, but Matsushima Shinchi is not as crowded as Tobita Shinchi and has a more relaxed atmosphere, so you can take your time to enjoy the area. The distance between stores is not too dense, and it is not crowded and hectic like Tobita Shinchi.

There are a few foreign customers here and there. A group of four young Koreans, a group of four Chinese men and two companions. There was also a blonde-haired Caucasian. A middle-aged man with glasses resembling Kent Gilbert and a middle-aged man with long hair tied back in a “chonmage” style resembling Kevin Costner. Both of these men were walking around the Shinchi area alone. It is not so much that there are few foreign customers, but rather that there are few customers themselves. Tobita Shinchi is unique in that there are so many visitors from early morning to late at night that it is a “festival every day.