What is Billiken? Simply, it's just a statue, but it's a famous symbol of Osaka and is known as "the god of the way things should be". When you visit Osaka, you'll see Billiken all around but he's most prominent in the Shinsekai district. Here you'll find the iconic 103 meter high Tsutenkakun Tower, the most prominent landmark and symbolic heart of Shinsekai. The first public statue of Billiken in Japan was erected at the top of Tsutenkakun Tower in 1912. No one knows why Billiken became so popular, but be sure to rub his feet for good luck!

Source: tsutenkaku Official facebook

Shinsekai is also a famous area for kushikatsu- traditionally, deep fried cuts of meat, veggies or seafood on a skewer and served stick by stick until you're full! But these days, it's popular to go to kushikatsu buffets where you can select ingredients and deep fry them yourself. One rule to never forget while dining in Japan- NEVER double dip into the sauce jar! It's a big taboo, and it's also very unhygienic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many kushikatsu shops have stopped using dipping jars altogether and offer sauce bottles or packets instead.

Kushikatsu Daikichi Shinsekai Store

This shop is a very popular choice for tourists to experience authentic kushikatsu! They offer a variety of courses that are available during lunch and dinner like the 90 minutes all-you-can-eat skwer course (1,815JPY) that includes 39 types of skewers such as meat, vegetables and seafood. It is also possible to add all-you-can-drink to it, either alcohol(+1,100JPY) or soft drinks (+550JPY).

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by 新世界串かつ大吉 (@kushi.daikichi)

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by @rururusan.3

Kushikatsu Daikichi Shinsekai Store is a few minutes aways from both JR Shin-Imamiya Station and Dobutsuen-mae Station. It is also on the way to Tsutenkaku tower from either stations.

Fujiyama

Fujiyama has a more local kushikatsu feeling to it. Unlike most kushikatsu restaurants, this one does not have any course menu and instead offers a large menu with many different options that already comes fully cooked such as meat, vegetables, seafood (starting from 88JPY). They also have popular menu items like yakisoba with pork (748JPY) and beef teppanyaki (638JPY).

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by @bethbetheone

Fujiyama is about a 3 minute walk from Dobutsuen-mae Station and a 5 minute walk from Ebisucho Station. It is also around 5 minutes away from Tsutenkaku tower

Tsurikichi

Tsurikichi is a unique seafood izakaya where you can literally fish for your meal. Inside the restaurant there are two large pools with all kinds of fish swimming in them and if you choose to, the staff will guide you on how to catch your desired fish with a fishing rod or fishing net. This is available to both adults and kids and is surely a unique experience to remember. The prices will change depending on the fish such as Sea bream (2,840JPY) and Olive flounder (3,340JPY) and you can choose 2 cooking methods for them like sashimi and salt-grilled. There are some options that come with an extra cost such as sushi (+500JPY).

Source: tsuri-kichi

Tsurikichi is about a 5 minute walk from the following stations; Shin-Imamiya Station, Dobutsuen-mae Station and Ebisucho Station.

NOTE: Due to the on-going COVID-19 Pandemic, the business hours of the shops above may differ from the hours listed on OpenRice JP. Please confirm with the shop directly before your visit.