【GTTニッポンの歩き方 大阪天王寺編】ミナミのミナミ 上町台地の天王寺界愛を歩きました 新世界や西成も探索します
Hello everyone, this is GK. This time we will start from Shin-Osaka Station. Take the Tokaido Line and change to the Osaka Loop Line at Osaka Station. It doesn’t matter if it’s “Rapid” or “Normal”. The destination is Osaka’s third terminal, Tennoji Station.
If your ticket to Osaka is not a ticket to Osaka City, the Midosuji Line of the Osaka Metro is convenient. Speaking of Osaka, you may be familiar with “Kita” and Minami. In the old days, Osaka didn’t have Kita (Umeda) or Minami.
It was only found in a highland area called Uemachidaichi. This time I walked around the area. The number of railway users in the Tennoji area ranks third after Kita and Minami. When you exit Tennoji Station, there is a circular pedestrian bridge. It is called Abeno Pedestrian Bridge.
Looking at the road below, Tennoji is on the left and Abeno is on the right. Tennoji has a commercial facility called Tennoji Mio. On the Abeno side is Abenobashi Station on the Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line, which connects Minami-Osaka and the Nara-Yoshino region.
Next to it is Abeno Harukas, which houses the department store Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store and the Osaka Marriott Hotel.
Abeno Harukas will be completed in March 2024. With a floor area of 353,000 square meters and a height of 300 meters, it became the tallest building in Japan, surpassing Yokohama Landmark Tower, which was 296 meters high at the time.
“Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store” has sales of 119.7 billion yen in 2022, ranking 10th in Japan. The sales floor area is approximately 100,000 square meters, making it the third largest store in Japan.
Azabdai Hills in Tokyo was completed in 2023, and with a height of 330 meters, it has ceded its position as Japan’s tallest. However, in western Japan, it still holds the position of being the tallest building in Japan.
Once you cross the pedestrian bridge, you will find a commercial facility called “Abeno Q’s Mall.” You can also go underground from Tennoji Station. This area has been densely populated with wooden houses since before the Pacific War, and redevelopment plans began in the 1970s.
It took more than 40 years to complete until 2018. The main one is Abeno Q’s Mall. There are 320 stores including “Shibuya 109,” “Bic Camera,” “Uniqlo,” and “Ito-Yokado.” Abeno has a strong image of being a town for ordinary people, but there are many young people and it is very lively.
The road right in front of you is “Abenosuji”, and the tram running on it is the Hankai Electric Railway.The last stop is “Tennoji Ekimae” station, which you can see on the left, and then turn around and head towards Sakai City.
It takes about 30 minutes to go to “Oshoji” in the center of Sakai City for 230 yen. As for the Nankai Electric Railway Group, the number of users has decreased and they are receiving government subsidies. Along the way, you will meet up with Hankai Electric Railway Uemachisen.
Abeno Q’s Mall has 66 restaurants alone. Let’s have lunch here. If there are too many, it will be difficult to choose. For some reason, when I see this from Live House Rock Town Abeno, I feel like eating meat. When I looked around, I found Oudou, which serves yakiniku lunch and all-you-can-eat yakiniku.
Take a look at the lunch menu. I choose the “Manzoku Course” for 2,880 yen. We also include an all-you-can-drink option for 1,080 yen. We will start grilling the beef tongue. We also grill plum kelp tongue, thick-sliced skirt steak, ribs, pork belly, loin, chicken thighs, and offal.
There are also grilled vegetables, kimchi, salted cabbage, rolled vegetables, and salads. All-you-can-eat rice, bibimbap, and udon noodles are also available. All-you-can-eat soup and cuppa are also available. We also have chorizo and sausage. You can also choose beer, highball, or makgeolli for the all-you-can-drink option. Finish with cold noodles. There is only one dessert.
This price is quite a bargain with this quality. Thank you for the meal. Once you’re full, board the Hankai Line train. Get off at “Sumiyoshi”. You can see the torii gate of “Sumiyoshi Taisha” nearby.
This is an old shrine that has been worshiped since the time of Empress Jingu in the 1st century AD, located at the southernmost tip of Uemachidaichi. It is said that there was once a sea to the west and south of this area, and that envoys to China departed from here.
The “Sumiyoshi Sanjin” that also appears in “Nihon Shoki” are enshrined here. Although it was destroyed by fire during the Sengoku period, the four shrine buildings rebuilt by Hideyori Toyotomi have been designated as national treasures. The stone stage has been designated as a national important cultural property.
The “Sorihashi Bridge”, also known as “Taikobashi”, is mentioned in documents from the Kamakura period, but the current bridge dates from the Showa period. However, the piers and needles were donated by Hideyori Toyotomi or his mother, Yodogimi.
There is a rice field called Onta on the south side of the shrine, and a rice planting ceremony is held every June 14th. It is said that this has been going on since the time of Empress Jingu.
Returning to the north, near Tamatsukuri Station, there are the ruins of Sanadamaru, famous for the Osaka no Jin. In 1600, the military commanders who supported Toyotomi who were defeated at the Battle of Sekigahara lost their jobs and became prisoners.
Aiming to restore Toyotomi, the ronin gathered in Osaka and faced off against the Tokugawa army. In November 1614, the Osaka Winter Campaign began with the Battle of Kizugawaguchi. Sanada Nobushige, who joined Hideyori Toyotomi, built a fort at the southernmost tip of Osaka Castle to welcome the Tokugawa army.
In the battles of “Kizugawaguchi”, “Sigino”, “Imafuku”, and “Noda”, Toyotomi’s army was outnumbered and confined to Osaka Castle. Among them, Sanada Nobushige fights hard at this fortress, Sanadamaru. This Sanadamaru, which takes advantage of the terrain of Uemachidaichi, is sturdy and will give trouble to the Tokugawa army.
Around this area, there are schools, houses, temples, etc. on land carved out of the plateau. In one corner is Sanko Jinja. Below the shrine is a bronze statue of Nobushige Sanada. It was made based on the drawing on the Kuroda folding screen.
It was made in 1987, and the stone on the pedestal is said to be from Nobushige Sanada’s family temple in his hometown of Ueda, Nagano Prefecture.
What you can see to the left of the statue is a loophole that is said to have been dug by Nobushige, and is said to lead to Osaka Castle. However, recent research suggests that the Tokugawa army’s Maeda Toshitsune had them dig it.
The Tokugawa army, temporarily outnumbered by the gunfire of the Toyotomi army, fired a British-made cannon into Osaka Castle. The Toyotomi army realized this and accepted the peace agreement from the Tokugawa army, and the Osaka Winter Siege came to an end.
Now, we return to Tennouji Station and head to the approach to “Shitennouji,” which is the origin of the word Tennouji. Shitennouji was built in 593 by Prince Shotoku. It is said to be the oldest temple in Japan along with Asuka Temple in Nara Prefecture, but no buildings from that time remain.
The five-storied pagoda was rebuilt many times due to fires, and some from the Edo period remained until modern times. It is arranged in a straight line from the middle gate to the auditorium, and is called the “Tennoji-style” arrangement, which is unusual.
All buildings were destroyed by the Muroto typhoon in 1934 and the Osaka air raid in 1945. After the end of the war, reconstruction began, and in 1963, the eight-generation five-storied pagoda and other structures were completed using reinforced concrete. It is said that the appearance follows the one from the Asuka period.
The stage, which was built from wood in the 1600s, was rebuilt as a stone stage in 1808. It is said that gagaku music will be performed on this stage on April 22nd, the anniversary of Prince Shotoku’s death.
This stage is designated as a national important cultural property, and the gagaku music is designated as a national important intangible folk cultural property. It is said to be one of the three stages in Japan, along with the aforementioned stone stage at Sumiyoshi Taisha and the board stage at Itsukushima Jinja in Hiroshima.
After leaving Shitennouji, cross Tanimachisuji Street. You can see Abeno Harukas. When you enter the alley, it becomes a slope. It is called “Tenjin Zaka” or “Yasui Zaka.” After the Osaka Winter Siege, a peace agreement was reached, but the conflict between the two armies did not end.
The following year, in April of 1615, he provoked the Tokugawa army with battles such as “Yamatoko Oriyama,” and in May, battles such as “Doumyoji” and “Yao Wakae” took place.
Sanada Nobushige plays an active role in the final battle of Tennouji. They fought on equal terms with the Tokugawa army’s Matsudai Rata Danao and Honda Tada Tomo. However, the Toyotomi army, which was inferior in military strength, was gradually cornered and fled to Osaka Castle.
Sanada no Bishige was killed by Matsudai Rata Danao while resting in Yasuijinja. It is said that this happened while he was treating an injured person. Sanada Nobushige is said to have taken his last breath in May 1615 at Sanada Matsu.
This brought an end to the period of war that had continued since before the Sengoku period. It was the beginning of a world of peace and peace until the end of the Edo period. Sanada no Bishige has many fans, and many people come from all over the country to pay his respects.
By the way, the name “Sanaday Yukimura” appeared in military records a little later, and Nobushige never used the name himself. There is a large temple when you cross National Route 25. There is a modern Ni-sama in a modern Sanmon gate.
The funeral of Ieyasu’s 8th son, “Isshinji”, whose army was based during the Osaka Winter Siege, was held here. There is a connection between the priest “Honyo Seongmu,” who rebuilt this temple, who was from the same Mikawa province as Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Honda Tadatomo, the son of Honda Tadakatsu, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa, played an active role in the Battle of Sekigahara and was recognized by Tokugawa Eyasu. After that, during the Osaka Winter Siege, he was defeated due to drinking too much alcohol and was scolded by Tokugawa Eyasu.
At the Summer Campaign in Osaka, where he vowed to restore his reputation, he served as the vanguard and rushed into the Mouri corps of Toyotomi’s army, where he was killed in action. Apparently he was 34 years old.
He is buried here because he fought in the hope that he would not be destroyed by alcohol. After this, return to Tennoji Station. At the entrance to Tennoji Park, you can see the signboard for “Tensiba”. There are several shops around the large lawn area, which is often visited by families.
By the early 2000s, there were many karaoke stalls catering to the residents of the neighboring “Kamagasaki” district. It was reborn after being semi-forcibly removed as part of the Osaka Olympic bid campaign that was taking place at the time.
People who were born and raised in Osaka have probably visited the Tennoji Zoo inside the park at least once. There is a quiet and quaint promenade nearby. Is the long white wall a mansion somewhere? Although it is close to Tennoji Station, there is plenty of greenery and it is relaxing.
It’s called “Keitaquen”. The garden was once owned by the Sumitomo family, a wealthy Osaka merchant, and was donated to the city of Osaka. It is now open to the public. Admission fee is 150 yen. Stone bridges and waterfalls are also built so that you can walk around the pond and appreciate it.
This is the work of Ogawa Jihei, a famous landscape gardener from the Meiji period to the Taisho period. Renovations are scheduled to take place over a year starting in 2025. Next to it is the Osaka City Museum of Art. This land was also donated by the Sumitomo family.
It opened on that land in 1936 as Japan’s third public art museum. It houses over 8,500 items, including important national cultural properties. It is also a valuable building and was designated as a registered tangible cultural property of the country in 2015.
Currently undergoing major renovations, you will not be able to enter until the end of 2024. I left the park and arrived in front of “Shinimamiya” station. Shinimamiya is a town for ordinary people and “Shinsekai” is also right there. “Tsutenkaku” came into view.
The first Tsutenkaku, built in 1912, was destroyed due to fire and materials lost during the war. The second generation Tsutenkaku opened in 1956, designed by Naito Utachu, who was said to be a master tower builder. The height is 108 meters. Billiken, shining golden, is on the observation deck.
The attraction will continue to increase, including the “Tower Slider,” which opens in 2022 and allows you to slide down from the observation deck. Shinsekai, which once had a somewhat scary image, is now crowded with tourists.
It is lined with restaurants with flashy exteriors, and has attracted attention both domestically and internationally through video streaming and social media. When you think of Shinsekai, you think of an old woman from Osaka. A live event for Osaka’s idols “Obachan” who are over 60 years old.
He is active on local TV and at sales events. He has also appeared on national network programs and movies. There is a public bath right below Tsutenkaku. As expected from a town of ordinary people.
Osaka is said to have the second largest number of bicycles in Japan after Kyoto, which has a large number of students. There was also a “Charinko Thru” tobacco shop right below Tsutenkaku where you could buy cigarettes while riding your bicycle. I returned to “Shinimamiya” station. The station name used to be “Minami Kasumicho.”
The Nishinari Riot started in 1961, and this station was the stage for the 22nd Riot in 1990. It is said that the riots caused the station building to burn down, but to prevent stones from being thrown, there are still no paving stones on the tracks.
There doesn’t seem to have been any major uproar in recent years. The Airin Labor Welfare Center was a mecca for hiring day workers for civil engineering and demolition jobs. It is a place where people from all over the country who have no family or can’t find regular jobs gather.
It used to house an employment security office, a store, a cafeteria, and a hospital, but due to its age, it has been decided to demolish it. There are many people who oppose this, and even though it has gone to court, it has not yet been dismantled.
A soup kitchen is held regularly at Sankaku Park, where the residents gather. The area around here is a series of popular residential areas, shopping streets, and bar districts. Prices are also cheap. There was the main store of Super Tamade, which is famous for its 1 yen sale.
There was also a village with food stalls like this. I muster up the courage to go in. There were quite a few people walking around who looked like young couples. It seems that there is also “Tobitashinch” near here, which calls itself “an adult restaurant for men only.”
During the Osaka World Expo in 1970, the government cleared out illegal adult entertainment establishments, and the Culinary Union appeared in a different form. Apparently there are several places like this in Osaka Prefecture. There are also vending machines with cheap drinks everywhere. I returned to Shinimamiya Station again.
In front of Shinimamiya Station was the Tennoji Depot of the Osaka Municipal Tram, which was abolished in 1967. Festival Gate, an urban three-dimensional theme park, was built on the site in 1997. It gained popularity with roller coasters and other attractions, and attracted 10 million visitors a year, but the number gradually decreased.
It closed in 2004, and the first floor of the site became a building with pachinko and other entertainment facilities, and the second floor housed MEGA Don Quijote. The Hoshino Resorts Group’s OMO7 has opened in this area, which was once a doya-gai (low-priced hotel district).
The north side of the station has been completely turned into a tourist destination and the atmosphere of the past is disappearing. If you think about it, you can get to Kansai Airport in about 50 minutes on the JR rapid train without changing trains.
It may be a good place to visit for the first time from far away or overseas. We have over 400 guest rooms and some that allow pets. There are apparently six restaurants and cafes.
At the end of the trip, we moved from “Tanimachi 9 Chome” to “Osakauehonmachi”. This can be said to be the headquarters of the Kintetsu Railway Group. There are Kintetsu Department Store Uehonmachi branch, Sheraton Miyako Hotel, and YUFURA where Shin Kabukiza is located.
The platform of Uehonmachi Station is divided into above ground and underground. Trains from the Osaka Namba area are on underground platforms. Furthermore, there is a commercial facility called “Uehonmachi HiHi Town” to the west.
There are many restaurants and retail stores. Directly connected to Osakauehonmachi Station from underground, you can also go to Tanimachi 9 Chome Subway Station. In the square in front of the building, an event was being held by the professional wrestling group “Cien”. It seems that professional wrestling and idol group events are held regularly.
We will have a meal at “Shinsen Gummy” inside the hotel. Cheers with Asahi Super Dry. They will bring it to you as soon as you order. The tempura included shrimp, conger eel, asparagus, and eggplant, all perfectly fried.
You can also use as much tempura sauce as you like, and plenty of grated daikon radish. There are also scissors, so it’s convenient to share. Chorizo. Dashi-rolled eggs. It was 2300 yen per person for grilled mackerel and nyumen to finish. Thank you for the meal.
Transfer to Namba on the Kintetsu Namba Line. This concludes this trip. I will visit Minami/Namba again. We look forward to seeing you again then. I would be even happier if you could subscribe to the channel and click on the high rating. Thank you very much for your support.
Thank you for watching so far. Look forward to your next opportunity.
大阪第３ターミナル 天王寺はキタやミナミと全く違った大阪の魅力がいっぱいです 大阪発祥の歴史にも少し触れられました 一緒に探索してみましょう