I had just about a little more than a half day in Osaka and so I decided to visit Shinsekai.

Time stopped at Shinsekai after the reconstruction period post WWII. Meaning “New World,” Shinsekai was once a beacon of hope for Osaka. The area developed following the success of the 1903 National Industrial Expo, which drew 5 million people to this neighborhood. Shinsekai was meant to be where businesses and industry would flourish.

After WWII, the area lies, perhaps not in ruins, but certainly in a constant state of stagnation. Its retro vibes retained their original character of the early-to-mid 20^th century to this day, nostalgic in its grand display of the Ganbatte spirit.

The most significant landmark that stands testament to its history is the Tsutenkaku Tower, the construction of which began in 1912. The construction stopped during WWII and began again in 1956. Modeled after the Eiffel Tower of Paris, the Tsutenkaku Tower offers an observation deck, where tourists can see the sprawling cityscape of Osaka. This part of Shinsekai was meant to be a mini version of Paris in the north and Coney Island in New York in the south.

Besides the Tsutenkaku Tower, the stores of Shinsekai feature all kinds of unlikely characters. Needless to say, most of the establishments are restaurants. And then there are the mix and match of arcade types of gaming store with arrow shooting and shuriken throwing.

The day was bright with the generous sunshine of the morning illuminating the caricature signs that populate this area of Osaka. It was not too crowded in the morning, so I strolled leisurely. At every point that I raised my head, I saw enormous signs featuring all sorts of commercial artwork. They seem to typify a certain Japanese sentiment, where enlarged wordings and exaggerated images speak loud and right in your face.

This part of Osaka presents a fish eye’s view of an aged neighborhood. The loud signages and an occasional tattered homeless man create a somewhat bloated vision of Japan that tourists don’t usually see. Shinsekai is on the edge of the largest slum in Osaka. Tourists are advised to be particularly mindful of their safety if they happen upon this area in night time. An estimated 4,000 homeless men congregate in this small area of just a few city blocks. Not far away lies Japan’s largest red light district as well.

Finally, watch out for the Billikens. They are all over in Shinsekai, and if you rub their feet, it will bring you good luck. The Billiken is a creature of American teacher and illustrator Florence Pretz of Kansas City. The Billiken came to Japan around 1910. It is believed that they represent “things as they should be.”

The Kushikatsu — Distinctly Osakan Food

The Kushikatsu is a type of cheap workmen’s food in Osaka. They are basically skewers deep fried in breaded batter, consisting of meats and vegetables. I thought I should have some, since I was at the home of kushikatsu in Shinsekai. Every restaurant in Shinsekai serves this kind of food.

It is said that the Daruma Restaurant is the first restaurant that prepared the Kushikatsu cuisine in 1929. But I randomly walked in Oyajino Kushiya Honten, which is a restaurant that comes with plenty of retro vibes. A classic Volkswagen van sits inside the restaurant and the atmosphere was hip. Besides the kushikatsu, I also had some sushi and an udon. While I would not say that I liked the food very much, it was a special experience.

I took one last look at this microcosm of a make-belief world in Osaka, satisfied that I had traveled through a forgotten time in a bygone community. And there goes a perfect conclusion to my first trip in Japan.

Sources

Insides Osaka on Shinsekai: A Guide to Osaka’s “New World” District.

Japan Travel on Tsutenkaku Tower.

Intrepid Scout on What to Do in Shinsekai Osaka.

Japanguide.com on Shisekai — Nostalgia Evoking District Around Tsutekaku.

I had concluded my journey in Kyoto after five full days touring numerous temples for Momiji. It came time for Nara, and I headed out on the slow Nara train in the morning. I arrived into a Nara that was slightly overcast and notably colder than Kyoto. Soon enough, I found my way from the train station to the Japanese homestay called Guesthouse Tamura.

A Brief History of Nara

Nara is a good day trip if you plan on spending a bit of time in Kyoto or in the general Kansai region. The foremost significance of Nara is its being the capital of Japan before Emperor Kanmu moved the imperial seat of government to Kyoto in 794 A.D. With this move marked the beginning of the Heian period.

Before Nara, the capital of Japan was in Fujiwara-kyo. Between 710 A.D. and 794 A.D., Nara was the capital of Japan, as such this time was known as the Nara period. The capital was named Heijo at the time.

The main reason why Emperor Kanmu moved the capital away from Nara was that the Nara Buddhists were becoming too powerful. They engaged in power struggles with the aristocrats in Nara. The Emperor wanted to detach from the influence of both the Nara Buddhists and the Fujiwara clan in Nara. He moved the capital to Kyoto, and began the Heian period there. He had hopes that the new capital will be a place where he can introduce reforms in the government.

As a capital of the country, Nara was built with features that modeled after Chang’an (now Xi’an) of China, the capital of the Tang dynasty, primarily, in the way that the city streets were laid out in an extensive grid. The seat of the Emperor stands in the northern part of the city. The main axis divides the rest of the capital into the left and the right. Unlike the Tang dynasty capital, however, there were no city walls in Nara.

Nara thrived in its decades of being the capital of Japan. There was a strong merchant presence, from all over Asia, to do trade in the city. This had brought forth an international and culturally vibrant character of the city.

Nara is important historically as the former capital of Japan, but tourists are actually more drawn to the free roaming deer at Nara Park.

The Nara deer, although wild, do greet tourists, especially those who would feed them. There are stalls selling deer crackers to tourists. Please only feed the deer with those kinds of food.

I chose to stay at Guesthouse Tamura because it is at a location that is walkable to the Nara Park. I went by some really nice waterfront sceneries. Particularly worthy of mention is the Ukimido Pavilion. That was where I encountered the first Nara deer.

The Deer of Nara Park

In Japanese, deer is called sika. For a very long time the Japanese people revered the deer of Nara as sacred. Legend has it that Takemikazuchi, one of the four gods of Kasuga Grand Shrine, rode a white deer and appeared on Mount Mikasa. The sika deer was so sacred that killing them was a capital offense until 1637.

Although the status of the sika deer has ceased being divine since WWII, they are still protected. Please respect nature and do not taunt the deer when you feed them. The deer could be aggressive if you tease them.

Surely, there are other wild animals that inhabit this large, 660-hectare reserved park area, including wild boars, raccoon dogs, Japanese giant flying squirrel, squirrels and others.

Accommodation in Nara

I had only one evening in Nara and I chose a Japanese homestay as my accommodation. I had never slept on a tatami before, and it was certainly a novelty that I welcomed. As it turned out, I slept the best in this homey environment as well, out of my week-long stay in Japan.

The homestay is well known for its traditional Nara breakfast, but I would be rushing back to Osaka for my flight the next day. I thus declined the landlady’s kind offer to cook me breakfast.

Sources

The Wikipedia on Heijo-kyo.

The Wikipedia on Nara Park.