The Local Gourmet in Colorful Town of Osaka

Shinsekai District

(Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture)

【Kushikatsu（串カツ）】is a soul food in Osaka. It is deep-fried skewers with small piece of various ingredient such as beef, port, fish and veggies. It is a simple and unpretentious dish, with a light, crispy batter that isn’t greasy, making it a perfect match for beer.

Shinsekai, known as the town of Kushikatsu, is one of Osaka’s most unique districts, where the retro atmosphere of the Showa era is still alive. Small shops, vintage game arcades, and local restaurants create a vibrant and nostalgic streetscape. Restaurants hang gigantic, colorful and three-dimensional signs on the walls.

In 1920, the first Kushikatsu restaurant of this district opened. Kushikatsu quickly became popular among local workers for being affordable and easy to eat. One important rule was also established – “No double dipping.” In a typical restaurant, there is a stainless steel container filled with special sauce. You can dip your skewer once, but dipping it a second time is not allowed because the container is shared to everybody.

This rule applies to everyone – even the Prime Minister of Japan. When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a Kushikatsu restaurant in Shinsekai, the owner reminded him not to double dip. If you find it hard to resist from the second dip, there’s a simple trick. You can use a piece of cabbage, served as a palate cleanser, to scoop up the sauce and pour it over your skewer. Unfortunately, after Covid-19, some restaurants stopped this practice and switched to individual sauce bottles.

Kushikatsu was originally a local delicacy. In the 2000s, a TV personality and former professional boxer promoted Kushikatsu with its “No double dipping” rule on TV shows, highlighting it as his favorite food from his hometown. This helped popularize Kushikatsu and its unique dining etiquette across Japan. Today, Kushikatsu restaurants are filled not only with locals but also with tourists, with long lines often forming outside popular restaurants.

Shinsekai is also known for Tsutenkaku Tower and Billiken. Tsutenkaku Tower, standing at 108 meters, is an iconic landmark of Osaka while the Billiken statue serves as a symbol of the district. The tower was designed by Naito Tachu, who also designed many other towers across Japan, including Tokyo Tower, Nagoya TV Tower, and Sapporo TV Tower. Due to his extensive work in designing towers, he is often referred to as “Dr. Tower.”

The Billiken was originally designed by an art teacher, Florence Pretz of Kansas City, Missouri in the United States in 1908 and eventually spread across the world. It even became the mascot of Saint Louis University. Somehow, the Billiken made its way to Shinsekai, where it became a beloved local icon and a symbol of good fortune. It is said that if you rub the soles of Billiken’s feet, your wish will come true.