Although located next to Osaka’s glitzy entertainment district of Umeda, the streets of Nakazakicho initially seem to offer a portal to a different era and pace. The relentless surge of Japanese hypermodernity recedes, revealing a tableau of Taisho (1912-26) and early Showa Era (1926-89) architecture amid narrow alleyways — a quiet defiance of the surrounding rush.
This isn’t to say that Nakazakicho — arguably Osaka’s most buzzed-about artsy neighborhood — isn’t dynamic; very much the opposite. But the area stands in stark contrast to a place like Shimokitazawa in Tokyo, where a decades-old arts, music and theater scene is increasingly suffocated by the commercial pressures that often come with widespread popularity.
Nakazakicho, by contrast, is popular yet retains an authentic artistic heartbeat that thrums through its labyrinthine streets. For now, at least, the veneer of authenticity is both realized and preserved.
The moment you arrive, you are met with a rare tranquility and timelessness: quaint cafes run by locals, shops displaying artisan crafts and galleries showcasing local art at affordable prices, many within preserved wooden facades of row houses that speak to the neighborhood’s history and cultural identity.
Jun Amanto is the visionary behind much of this vibrancy, having steered Nakazakicho from obscurity into a bastion of communal artistry. A native of Osaka’s fashionable Horie neighborhood, he first visited Nakazakicho in 2001.
“At that time, Nakazakicho was a place that even local Osaka residents did not know,” recalls Amanto, 58, adding that it was a place “left behind by modernization, where the scenery and lifestyle of Japan's old cities still were very real.”
While the oldest generations living in Nakazakicho today seem to mostly have embraced what the area has become, Amanto (an artistic surname he chained himself) recalls its early reluctance to open up.
“The community was aging, and when I told them that I was going to promote art in this town, they would ask, ‘Is that a good thing?’ The people here were very afraid of new residents coming in and making a lot of noise.”
His persistence gradually won over the locals, as he introduced the arts as a means of rejuvenation rather than disruption.
“I am a dancer and an actor, but I came to the city to deepen my art, and the concept of art revitalizing the area was not present in the city,” he explains.
Salon de Amanto was the first business of its kind to open in the neighborhood and the linchpin in Nakazakicho’s cultural rebirth. Conceived not only as a cafe but as a hub for artistic and public exchange, it represented a novel intersection of social function and cultural expression. Here, Amanto implemented his philosophy of zero-cost renovation, repurposing every material available to reinvent the derelict space.
“My idea was to realize a zero-yen renovation by using scrap wood, received items and bulky garbage through self-renovation,” he states, emphasizing sustainability.
While it started as a solo project, Salon de Amanto quickly became something bigger.
“There was no social media at that time, but innovative people introduced their innovative friends, and the chain reaction resulted in many of the creatives who heard the rumors gathering — including architects, photographers and other artists. Within two and a half months of renovation, 1,127 people were involved, and Salon de Amanto was completed,” Amanto claims.
The salon soon transcended its role as a cafe, becoming a de facto community center for adults and children alike.
“In Nakazakicho, where there were many single mothers and dual-income families, by offering the first cup free for children, they started coming to the cafe alone, and it became a de facto free day care center,” Amanto says.
Today, Nakazakicho thrives with around 300 businesses within a 400-meter radius.
“The most notable change is that the area’s visibility has sort of been reimported from abroad to again become known to the Japanese people,” Amanto says.
Lost in Nakazakicho
So, what might a day getting lost in Nakazakicho look like?
Of course, you should stop by Arabiq, a cafe almost as core to the neighborhood's identity as Salon de Amanto, and known for its eclectic mix of coffee, art and books. Perhaps get an eclectic Japanese-Italian fusion lunch — look for the rice carbonara — at Shokudo Plug, an eatery with a simple but elegant vintage aesthetic drawn from classic New York dining spots.
Now, for the actual arts of the neighborhood. Nakazakicho houses numerous small galleries, mostly showcasing contemporary visual art and each offering a distinct charm. Prominent are Gallery Yolcha, close to Nakazakicho Station, and deeper into the neighborhood, Irorimura Gallery.
Pause for a coffee or some cake at Cafe Taiyou no Tou, a vibrant space adorned with an assortment of antiques and retro furniture. If you’re still hungry, the menu offers an array of dishes and beverages that emphasize fresh fruits and vegetables, such as the root vegetable salad and the mint mojito alongside a generous selection of sweets. Afterward, head over to the fantastic vintage shop Green Pepe and its impressive selection of records, housewares and more from the 1960s and ’70s — a must-visit for nostalgia-minded visitors.
Salon de Amanto isn’t necessarily famous for its food, but it remains the center of Nakazakicho’s universe and whether you’re traveling solo or with company, it is a fantastic place to meet new friends and soak in the character of the neighborhood. For a casual bite, the sardine, mizuna, ginger and Chinese five-spice rice for ¥650 is highly recommended.
Once you’ve made some local friends, you might enjoy dessert at Douceur, known for its Instagram-friendly sweets. The setting is quaintly retro, and the second floor hosts an art gallery from which you can comfortably people-watch the passersby on the street below.
End your day in Nakazakicho by catching some indie bands at Noon, a cafe, live house and nightclub. One of the oldest venues in Nakazakicho, this iconic Osaka haunt hosts concerts, dance parties and fashion show — and if you’ve still got room after all the food and drinks, the cocktails here are also excellent.
A gentrification cure
Looking forward, Amanto sees Nakazakicho not only maintaining its cultural heritage but also expanding its role as a crucible for sustainable urban living.
“In order for artists with no money to run places independently here, they would renovate their homes by hand, set up a restaurant on the first floor to reduce food costs and hold a gallery or performance space there to express themselves while sleeping on the second floor to avoid paying rent,” Amanto explains. “This is the style of cafe that is created by the 'Nakazaki Zero Generation.’”
Amanto's innovative approach to community involvement and grassroots economics means, for example, an introduction of a local currency — yes, you read that correctly. Nakazakicho is crafting its own micro-economy that benefits all its stakeholders.
“Our method is to issue a local currency in this area, and then use this method to create a collective,” he says. “This is a method allowing us to act independently and also have an impact on Japanese society.”
The impact of these initiatives is palpable in the daily life of Nakazakicho and visible in the cafes doubling as art galleries and quiet corners where the district's elder members share stories with younger generations. The neighborhood's success in so far avoiding the worst pitfalls of gentrification — a common fate for many burgeoning arts hot spots — can be attributed to this deep-seated commitment to common values and sustainable development.
In an era where the urgency to modernize often overlooks the needs of the residents, Nakazakicho stands as a testament to the power of thoughtful, inclusive urban planning.
Nakazakicho’s transformation is more than a success story of a small neighborhood turning the tide against inner-city decay; it could be argued it is a realized manifesto of how cities can and should foster environments where culture thrives, communities feel valued and creativity flourishes, Amanto believes.
“It seems that there is a blueprint in the integration of Japanese values and way of life here, and we intend to work to connect that need with the rest of Japan.”
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