What comes to mind when speaking of Umeda, Osaka? Most tourists immediately recall the giant Daimaru department store, the Floating Garden observatory utop the Umeda Sky Building, or the nearby Hep Five with its iconic ferris wheel.
Dig a little deeper, however, and you will find tucked beneath Umeda Sky Building the underground (B1) Takimi Koji food street. Should time permit, take a walk down here after admiring the beautiful sunset from the Floating Garden observatory. Completely disparate from the metropolitan Umeda city, the street will have you wondering if you had just time-travelled back into the Showa era!
Takimi Koji is designed to replicate an Osaka alley from the 1950's-60's, filled with antiquated metal toys, evocative red mailboxes, nostalgic old minicars and old-fashioned beauty parlors amongst other dated memorabilia. Amidst the uplifting retro Japanese tracks, Takimi Koji is a brief replete to a more innocent past.
Takimi Koji features a wide selection of restaurants and eateries, all done up in glorious Showa livery, of course. I strongly recommend the Okonomiyaki eatery; the food is delicious, the owner friendly and helpful. If you visit Umeda, don't miss this place!
Umeda is a major transportation hub in Osaka and is easily accessed by JR, Hankyu Railways or the Midosuji Subway line. Alight at Umeda station, and the iconic Umeda Sky Building is a short 10 minute walk away. Head down to B1 for a wonderful trip down the memory lane~!
