Kitashinchi

北新地Kita, Osaka

Food area

What makes this place special?

At a Glance

Kitashinchi is an entertainment and dining district in Kita ward, Osaka, just south of Umeda and the area in front of Osaka Station. It is known as one of Japan's leading upscale dining and drinking districts and is often compared to Ginza in Tokyo. Its streets hold lounges, high-class clubs, ryōtei restaurants, bars and small eateries, and there are no pachinko parlors or adult-entertainment shops.

The district grew from Edo-period shinchi developments: Dojima Shinchi appeared in 1688 and Sonezaki Shinchi in 1708, and by about 1730 most of the pleasure quarter had moved to Sonezaki, where rice merchants spent their evenings. The curving streets follow the course of the former Sonezaki River. The nearest stations are Kitashinchi on the JR Tozai Line and Nishi-Umeda on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line.