Minami (大阪 ミ ナ ミ) is a district of the city of Osaka.
To know
Minami is the largest shopping area in Osaka. All kinds of shops and entertainment can be found in this area, which extends from Semba (Honmachi) to the area surrounding Namba station. In Minami, locals and tourists alike can enjoy the atmosphere of the city of Osaka.
Geographical notes
The district is crossed to the south by the Dotombori River.
How to orient yourself
Minami: full screen map.Neighborhoods
- 1 Chuo (中央 区)
- 2 Dotombori (道 頓 堀) - Night entertainment district
- 3 Horie (堀 江)
- 4 Honmachi (本 町)
- 5 Kitahama (北 浜)
- 6 Yodoyabashi (淀 屋 橋)
- 7 Namba (な ん ば, 難 波)
- 8 Naniwa (浪 速 区)
- 9 Nishi (西区)
- 10 Semba (船 場)
- 11 Shinsaibashi (心 斎 橋)
- 12 Amerika-mura (ア メ リ カ 村)
How to get
On the train
There are three main railway stations in this area, namely Namba Railway Station, JR-Namba Railway Station and Osaka-Namba Railway Station. The three train stations are close to each other.
The fastest trains between Kasai International Airport and Osaka Station are "Ltd. Express Rapi: t" which operates with Namkai Railway. The journey takes approximately 34 minutes and costs ¥ 1390: ¥ 890 regular fare ¥ 500 limited express fare.
- 1 Namba station (By metro lines
). The station is enslaved by the company Nankai offers connections with: Sakai, Kansai Airport, Wakayama is Mount Koya. 
- 2 JR Namba station (JR 難 波 Jeiāru-Nanba-eki) (By metro lines ). There JR-WEST connects with city: Tennōji, Nara is Horyuji.
- 3 Ōsaka Namba Station (大阪 難 波 駅 Ōsaka-Nanba-eki) (By metro lines
). The station is served by the following companies:
). The station is enslaved by the company 
). The station is served by the following companies:By bus
There are two bus terminals around Namba train stations. The bus Kansai Airport Limousine connects Kansai International Airport to the bus terminal Namba OCAT, ¥ 1050 each way.
- Namba Highway Busterminal.
Ticket office 9: 00-20: 00. For Nankai bus. - 4 Osaka City Air Terminal (OCAT Bus Terminal) (Under the JR Namba station). Kintetsu bus (site in Japanese)
Ticket office 9: 00-20: 00. For Nankai bus.- Ticket office: 7: 30-22: 00
- Tohoku - Yamagata, Sendai, Fukushima, Koriyama, Iwaki
- Kanto - Tokyo, Shinjuku, Hachioji, Yokohama, Odawara, Kawagoe, Kumagaya, Kuki, Myth, Tsukuba, TsuchiuraUtsunomiya, Tochigi,
- Chubu - Obama, Takayama, Gujo-Hachiman, Kofu, Numazu, Mishima, Shizuoka, Gotemba, Fujionomiya, Fuji, Ueda, Karuizawa
- Chugoku - Fukuyama, Onomichi, Fuchu, Tokuyama, Yamaguchi, Hagi
- Shikoku - Aki, Nahari, Nakamura, Sukumo
- Kyushu - Nagasaki, Oita, Beppu, Kagoshima
- Nankai Bus (site in Japanese)
- Kanto - Tokyo, Shinjuku, Tachikawa, Akishima, Akihabara, Narita Airport, Choshi, Odawara, Fujisawa, Kamakura
- Chubu - Nagano, Kashiwazaki, Nagaoka, Sanjo
- Shikoku - Naruto, Tokushima, Takamatsu
- Chugoku - Hiroshima
- Kyushu - Sasebo, Takeo
- Nihon Kotsu Bus (site in Japanese)
- Ticket office: 6: 30-22: 50
- Kansai - Fukuchiyama, Maizuru
- Chugoku - Tottori, Yonago, Kurayoshi
- Ryobi Bus (site in Japanese)
| Streets that pass through Minami |
| end ← | OR  IS | → Tennoji → Horyuji → Nara |
| end ← | No.  S. | → Kansai Airport → Wakayamashi |
| end ← | OR IS | → Sakai Higashi → Kawachi Nagano → Gokurakubashi |
| Motomachi ← Koshien ← Amagasaki ← | OR  IS | → end |
| end ← | OR  IS | → Uehonmachi → Kintetsu Nara |
| Shin Osaka ← Umeda ← | No.  S. | → Tennoji → Abiko → Nakamozu |
| Nishi Umeda ← | No.  S. | → Tamade → Suminoe Park |
| Nodahanshin ← | OR  IS | → Tsuruhashi → Minamitatsumi |
Kawaramachi ← verse  ← Tenjimbashisuji 6-chome ← | No.  S. | → Dobutsuen-mae |
| Dōjima ← | NO  NEITHER | → Honmachi → Dōjima |
How to get around
What see
Glico and the bridge
1 Glico. This image placed on a billboard of a man running with his arms raised is the famous mascot of the city of Ōsaka. From the vantage point you will notice many people taking pictures and portraying with their arms raised just like Glico. - 2 Ebisu Bridge (Ebisubashi). From this famous bridge you can see the navigable canal but above all you stop to photograph the Glico sign.
- 3 Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum (上方 浮世 絵 館), 1 Chome-6-4 Nanba, ☎ 81 66 211-0393.
¥ 500. Tue-Sun 11: 00-18: 00. A rather small museum in Nanba dedicated to ukiyoe, Japanese woodblock prints. The inside of the museum looks a bit like a brick house. It might be more interesting for someone who is already familiar with the art, as the information is mostly in Japanese only.
¥ 500. What to do
- 1 [link not working]Sumo Spring Grand Tournament (大 相撲 春 場所) (Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, a 10-minute walk from the Namba subway stop). ¥ 3000- ¥ 14.300. The Osaka tournament of Japan's national sport, sumo, is usually held in mid-March every year at Osaka Prefecture's Gymnasium. Check the timetables and ticket availability on the official Nihon Sumo Kyokai homepage.
- 2 National Bunraku Theater, 1-12-１０ Nipponbashi (Nippombashi). One of the last places in the world where bunraku, a form of intricate Edo-period puppet theater, can be seen live. The large puppets, requiring three operators each, are accompanied by traditional music and storytelling, and perform great Japanese operas from the 1600s and 1700s. Japanese transcriptions and English synopses are provided.
- 3 ROR Comedy, 2-16-13 Nishi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo (Near Yotsubashi Line Namba Station and Mido-suji Line, also Horie and Doutonbori), ☎ 81 80-4451-5539, @[email protected]. Comedy in English.
Shopping
Shinsaibashi-suji
Osaka's most famous shopping district is 1 Shinsaibashi (心 斎 橋), which offers a mix of huge department stores, upscale western designer shops, and independent boutiques ranging from very cheap to very expensive. Within Shinsaibashi, the area Amerika-mura (ア メ リ カ 村, often abbreviated to "Amemura") or "American Village" is particularly popular with young people and is often considered the source of most of the youth fashion trends in Japan. Near Amerika-mura, Horie (堀 江) is a commercial street of mainly Japanese brand stores. Umeda's many shops are also popular with trendy clubs, particularly in buildings Hep Five is Hep Navio adjacent to Hankyu Umeda Station, although these shops tend to be too expensive to capture the interest of tourists. In this area, new commercial buildings have recently been built. For example, buildings E-but next to the department store Hanshin is Nu-Chayamachi (Nu 茶屋 町), opened in October 2005 near Hankyu Umeda station.
For electronics, the area of Nipponbashi (日本 橋) southeast of Namba, and specifically the shopping street 2 Den-Den Town, was once considered theAkihabara of western Japan; nowadays, more and more people prefer to shop in the new, huge camera Yodobashi (ヨ ド バ シ カ ラ in) in Umeda o BicCamera (ビ ッ ク カ メ ラ) e LABI1 in Namba, though Nipponbashi still offers good deals on many new and used gadgets, PC components and industrial electronics.
How to have fun
Try the Amemura area. There you will find all kinds of bars with different genres, from hip-hop to reggae.
- 1 Bar Kama Sutra, Chūō-ku, Higashishinsaibashi, 2 Chome − 1−12 大阪 屋 ジ ャ ン ボ ビ ル (East of Shinsaibashi 東 心 斎 橋, a few meters from Cinque Cento on the 5F of Jumbo Bldg), @[email protected]. ¥ 600 drinks. 22:00-05:00. Cozy little karaoke bar is almost impossible to find, but worth it. Foreign Japanese and English speaking staff and over 130,000 songs to choose from. The owner, Richard, is a long-term resident of Japan and is packed with information on what to do and see in the area, where to stay and even where to find work.
- 2 Blarney Stone Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Higashi Shinsaibashi 2-5-27, Kohda Bldg. B1, ☎ 81 6-6484-2220. 17:00-01:00.
- Hub. This British pub chain can be found in many locations around Osaka, including along Midosuji Road to Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Chayamachi (Umeda, east side of Hankyu Station and a bit of a walk north). Hub serves as a meeting point for many expats and also for Japanese locals. Get there early for happy hour discounts on cocktails (5-7 pm).
Discos
- 3 Club Life, Gold Center Building B1F 2-8-12 Higashi Shinsaibashi, ☎ 81 6 6484 3264, @[email protected]. Great place to listen to Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae and all black music. In addition to playing the latest music, you can also listen to old school classics. Enjoy a wide range of drinks to get you in the party atmosphere or relax.
- 4 Clube Joule, 2-11-30 Nishi-shinsaibashi (near Sankaku (Triangle) park in America Mura), ☎ 81 6-6214-1223. Packed with trance lovers.
- 5 Pure Club, Chuo-ku, Soemon-cho 2-3-12 Diamond Bldg B1F (The closest metro station is Namba, which is about a 5-10 minute walk), ☎ 81 6-2536-6278, @[email protected]. ¥ 4000 men, ¥ 2500 women; includes unlimited drinks but don't waste your glass!. 22:00-05:00. Extremely busy nightclub. The crowd is around 25-30% international. Make sure you bring your passport, as the identity check here is atypically strict. NOTE: as of 12/2011 no dancing in the club is allowed, not sure why.
- 6 [link not working]Sam and Dave Shinsaibashi, 1-3-29 4F Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, ☎ 81 6 6243-6848.
Where to eat
Moderate prices
- 1 Tako Tako King, Chūō-ku, Higashishinsaibashi, 1 Chome − 13−29 23 ア ー バ ン エ ー ス 東 心 斎 橋 パ ル (In the Shinsaibashi area, on the north side of the Dotonbori River and west of Midosuji). This takoyaki place has very friendly staff. Look for the big red octopus wearing a crown.
Average prices
- 2 En (Namba) (え ん 難 波 店), Chūō-ku, Nanbasennichimae, 12, 大阪 市 中央 区 難 波 千 日前 12-30 難 波長 和 ビ ル 4F (The En 'え ん' sign is visible from the large intersection in front of the Takashimaya department store in Namba. The elevator to En is on the right as you enter the shopping street.), ☎ 81 6-6648-9896. The Namba branch of the excellent En izakaya (see above).
- 3 Torikizoku (鳥 貴族), Chūō-ku, Dōtonbori, 1 Chome − 6−15 comrade ド ウ ト ン. All food and drink ¥ 300 each. 17:00-05:00. Torikizoku is the most popular yakitori chain in Kansai and can be found near major Osaka stations. The food is delicious, comes in generous plates and is very inexpensive. It is very popular with locals and expats, and is always busy. Try to come before 7:30 to secure seats.
High prices
- 4 Harijyu (は り 重), 1-9-17 Dōtonbori, Chuō-ku, ☎ 81 6 6211-7777. ¥ 6300 and above. Wed-Mon 11: 30-21: 30. Shabu-shabu or sukiyaki in Japanese tatami rooms. No reservations are made except for large groups, so arrive early in the evening (around 6pm) to be sure you get a room without waiting.
- 5 Kani Dōraku (か に 道 楽), 1-6-18 Dōtonbori, Chuō-ku. ¥ 4000-5000. Now a national chain, but this is the original. Easily identifiable by the giant mechanical crab flapping its claws, and as you can imagine, the specialty here is crab.
Where stay
For the light traveler, an inexpensive way to stay in a nice hotel is to simply enjoy the food and atmosphere along the canal until midnight, then take advantage of the various discounts after midnight (typically around 30% off the normal nightly rate ). For example, the Tokoyo Inn reduces single room prices from ~ ¥ 6500 to ¥ 4500 and the Dormy Inn from ¥ 7000 to ¥ 4900.
Moderate prices
- 1 [link not working]Guest House Koma, 2-3-12 Saiwai-cho, Naniwa-ku (One station (on foot) from the central area of Namba), ☎ 81 6 6567-5000, @[email protected]. Dormitory ¥ 2500, private rooms available. The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful, although the common area can get cold. It has female-only dorms.
- Capsule hotel
- 2 Asahiplaza Shinsaibashi, 2-12-22 Nishi-shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku (In Amerikamura), ☎ 81 6-6213-1991, fax: 81 6-6212-0954. ¥ 2800, ¥ 3100 for dinner. Sauna available, and there is a separate area for women.
- 3 B&S Eco-Cube Shinsaibashi, 2-9-4 Nshi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku (In Amerikamura), ☎ 81 6-6212-6110. ¥ 1.480 - 5.800. Sauna available, and there is a separate area for women.
- Apartments
- 4 Azu-Garden Nippombashi (ア ズ ガ ー デ ン 日本 橋), 1-6 Soemon-cho, Chuo-ku (Exit 2 of the Nippombashi subway on the Sennichimae line, one stop from Namba station), ☎ 81 6-6212-1120, fax: 81 6-6212-1160. Single ¥ 4,200, double ¥ 9030, double ¥ 9,030 per apartment. All rates are inclusive of taxes. Online booking site in English here, but not sure if you have an answer. If there is no response, try an online booking agent.
- 5 Kaneyoshi Ryokan (か ね よ し 旅館), 3-12 Soemon-cho, Chuo-ku (Exit 2 of the Nippombashi subway along the Sennichimae line, one stop from Namba station), ☎ 81 6-6211-6337, fax: 81 6-6213-0843. This modern ryokan is located in the heart of the city center. Comfortable Ryokan on the Dotombori riverside and very close to the Osaka shopping district. The English site has an online booking system.
- 6 [link not working]Weekly Green in Namba (ウ ィ ー ク リ ー グ リ ー ン IN ナ ン バ へ よ う こ そ), 2-7-23 Shikitsu-Nishi Naniwa-Ku (Exit n. 2 of Daikokucho station on the Midosuji line, one stop from Namba station), ☎ 81 6-6647-3719, fax: 81 6-6647-5837. Single ¥ 4200, double ¥ 9450, triple ¥ 14490, quad ¥ 18900 per apartment. All rates include service and consumption costs. The English site has an online booking system. They claim to have English-speaking staff on their website so it is possible to attempt an online booking. If there is no response, try an online booking agent. Each apartment has an internal shower and toilet, kitchenette, fridge, portable cooker, air conditioning, TV and telephone.
Average prices
- 7 Comfort Inn Shinsaibashi, 1-15, Higashi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku (10-minute walk from Shinsaibashi Station on the Midosuji Subway Line), ☎ 81 6-6258-3111, fax: 81 6-6258-3121. Singles start at ¥ 6500. 2 blocks east of the Shinsaibashi indoor mall, this hotel is a little better than the average business hotel, with clean rooms, English-speaking staff, and a hearty breakfast buffet.
- 8 The heart, 1-15-15, Namba-Naka, Naniwa-ku (Less than 5 minutes walk from Namba or Kintetsu-Namba stations), ☎ 81 6-6647-1900, fax: 81 6-6647-1905, @[email protected]. Single ¥ 9,000 with a double bed for one or two guests. For breakfast add an additional ¥ 1,000. This is a slightly nicer business hotel with larger than average rooms. The hotel provides instructions in English for washing machines and other hotel services.
- 9 Yamatoya Honten (大 和 屋 本店), 2-17-4 Shimanouchi Chuo-ku (3 minutes on foot from exit n. 6 of the Kintetsu Nipponbashi subway), ☎ 81 6-6211-3587. 4,725 yen. Check in: 15:00, check-out: 10:00. A Japanese style hotel located in Dotonbori. There are staff members who can speak English.
- 10 Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka Shinsaibashi, 1-2-19 Shinsaibashi Chuo-Ku (1 minute walk from Exit 5A to Nagahoribashi Station), ☎ 81 6 6243 4055. Check in: 15:00, check-out: 10:00. Just 5 minutes walk from Shinsaibashi shopping area. Some of the staff speak good English. The rooms are very small, but very clean.
High prices
- 11 Nikko Osaka hotels, 1-3-3, Nishi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku (It is located in the middle of Shinsaibashi along the tree lined Mido-suji Avenue. Attached to Shinsaibashi train station and close to Amerika-mura, shops and nightlife.), ☎ 81 6-6244-1111, fax: 81 6-6245-2432. The rooms are comfortable and offer spectacular views at night as the hotel is the tallest building in the immediate vicinity.
- 12 New Otani Osaka hotel, http://www.hotelnewotaniosaka.jp/, ☎ 81 6-6941-1111, @[email protected]. A luxury business hotel in Osaka, Japan offering accommodations, 13 restaurants and bars, vacation packages and meeting rooms. This five-star hotel is located in Osaka Business Park near Osaka Castle.
- 13 Swissôtel Nankai, 5-1-60, Namba, Chuo-ku (Next to Namba train and bus station), ☎ 81 6-6646-1111, fax: 81 6-6648-0331, @[email protected].
How to keep in touch
Useful information
- 5 Nankai Information Center (総 合 イ ン フ ォ メ ー シ ョ ン セ ン タ ー な ん ば), 3F Nankai Terminal Bldg.1F 5-1-60 Namba Cnuo-ku (A few steps from Namba Sta exit 24), ☎ 81 6-6631-9100. 9:00-20:00. Tourist information is offered in English and Japanese.
