5 things you can do in Nagoya’s Osu shopping district
17 February, 2022
Despite being Japan’s fourth-largest city, Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture is often off the radar for tourists, which is a real shame. Nagoya has a lot to offer, from historical sites to some of the best food in the country. It also has Osu, a fun and funky shopping district worthy of any Tokhoku itinerary.
Osu, located not far from Nagoya station on the Meijo and Tsurumai subway lines, is centered around Osu Kannon Temple. Any visit to the temple is not complete without a stroll around the many shops and restaurants. Together, the two share a long history of providing Nagoya’s cultural and entertainment center.
So whether you want to pick up some vintage fashions, check out retro console games or grab a bite to eat, it’s all here.
1. Eat all the food
Osu is jam-packed with street stalls selling all manner of foods, both Japanese—including some Aichi and Nagoya specialties—and foreign food. You could easily spend an afternoon just moving from stand to stand and trying everything on offer.
If you don’t have that kind of time, we recommend that you start with Enshidajipai at the Kamimaezu station end of the shopping area. It sells the kind of giant, flattened fried chicken you can find in Taiwan’s many night markets and it’s fantastic.
Other Osu snack highlights include banh mi Vietnamese sandwiches from Bep Viet, baked Taiwanese buns, called paozu, from Paopaotei (don’t forget the gyoza, too), and Korean kimbap and hotteok from Han-Madan. If you want something a little more substantial, sit down to a bowl of pho at Bep Viet, a doner kebab at one of the many Mega Kebab locations, or a plate of spit-roasted chicken at the fantastic Osso Brasil.
Source: japantoday.com