OFF THE BEATEN PATH OSAKA| JANJAN YOKOCHO ALLEY #osaka #Japan
Janjan Yokocho can be found in Shinsekai (New World), a district where Tsutenkaku, the symbolic tower of Osaka, rises. It is named Janjan Yokocho because customers were lured into the street's stores through the clanging (“janjan” in Japanese) sounds of the shamisen (three-stringed lute). Its official name is Nanyodori Shotengai. It is about 180m long and 2.5m wide and has rows of shops, such as kushiyaki (deep-fried meat, vegetables and other ingredients on a skewer) restaurants, tachinomiya (standing bars), old-fashioned coffee shops and other establishments. There are also amusement centers where you can enjoy target shooting, shogi (Japanese chess) halls, and other facilities that are mixed in with eateries and bars. Come to this alley and soak in the working-class vibe!