Minami is a conglomeration of several distinct areas that form the kind of patchwork and energetic buzz that people of all ages love. It's a pulsing entertainment district. Go there to shop and dine and drink and dance, to take in a show, or just to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere.
Minami Is a Whole Different World than Kita
A huge sprawling area centered around train stations that link the city to points south, including the Kansai International Airport, Minami is characterized by its myriad of colorful, flashing neon signs and brightly lit streets, which are lined with countless shops, restaurants, bars and clubs. It's also characterized, at the same time, by its broad European-style avenues. The very embodiment of the liveliness and vitality of Osaka, Minami is a place that never stops. But it's not all just high energy and fast action in Minami; the area also boasts a number of theaters and halls where traditional Bunraku, Noh and Kabuki dramas are performed.
Things to See and Do
In the western section of Minami are two unique trendy areas. One is America-Mura, a center for young fashion, music, cafe and other trendsetters since the 1970s; recent casual fashion designers from America-Mura have received international recognition. The other is the Minami Horie area which, together with the Kita Horie area, is developing into a neighborhood that resembles New York's Greenwich Village or London's Soho. Here, you'll find fashionable cafes, boutiques and restaurants that blend in with the district's old atmosphere.
In the environs of Minami's Nagahori there are world-famous designer boutiques, including Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermes, which are located along tree-lined Mido-Suji Avenue, Osaka's widest street. These boutiques feature items not available in other countries. Just east of Mido-Suji Avenue is the bustling Shinsaibashi section of Minami with its wide selection of shops and department stores and the vast Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade. North of Shinsaibashi is Minami Semba, a youthful area of trendy boutiques, interior shops and restaurants. Other shopping and entertainment sections include Doguya-Suji, an arcade of about forty-five stores that all sell things for chefs and restaurant owners.
Another popular shopping arcade is the Kuromon Ichiba Market. This market has vendors who sell fresh, high quality seafood, meat, vegetables, and foods from all over Japan. Chefs and discriminating housewives do their grocery shopping here. Further to the south is Den-Den Town, a heaven of Osaka's electrical and electronic appliance stores. This is the best and most inexpensive place to shop for electronics and appliances.
Minami's multi-faceted underground shopping district, comprised of three shopping centers, can be described as a mega-underground town. Namba City is a shopping complex with 2 floors plus 2 basement levels, housing many fashionable stores. Namba Walk is the main street of the Minami underground district running east-west, about 800 m between Namba Station on the Yotsubashi Subway Line and Nipponbashi Station on the Sakaisuji Subway Line. Namba Nan-Nan is Japan's first underground shopping center, built in 1957. This mall features a variety of stores offering everything from "in" fashion to "in" food, creating a friendly atmosphere.
The Dotombori Canal, which runs through Minami, is the city's symbol and has often been used as a movie location. This area used to contain many theaters at which traditional plays, including Bunraku, were performed. Today, it is still home to the Shochiku-za Theater, where Kabuki plays are put on, the National Bunraku Theater, a number of movie theaters, and the famous NGK Theater, home to the extremely popular Yoshimoto Comedy Troupe. Many say this part of Osaka expresses the true feeling of the city and its down-to-earth people. There are many reasonably priced shops and eateries here that will please visitors on a budget.
In the lively Minami district there are also some quiet spots. One is Hozenji Temple, built in the 17th century. Easily recognized by its pale orange paper lanterns, Hozenji is located off a narrow street just to the south of the Dontonbori Canal. A stone paved alley in front of the temple called Hozenji Yokocho is lined with old restaurants, some of which date back to the 17th century.
