Night Out in Osaka?
Head Straight to Tenma!!!

Osaka is finally starting to see tourists back on the streets and in its restaurants. We couldn’t be happier to share Osaka’s food and drinking culture with you!
And what better place to go out for a night of amazing food and drinks, than the haven of small bars and izakaya in Tenma. People haven’t quite made up their mind on how to spell the name of this area—Is it Tenma or Temma? Why pick one when you can have them both? And the same goes for food and drink. This place has them both. So weather you’re looking for great food or great sake, this is the place to go!

■ Osaka’s Tenma—Japan’s Longest Shopping Arcade & Bar-hopping Heaven

Just behind Japan’s longest shopping arcade—Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai—you’ll find a maze of small bars and eateries that will leave you thirsting for more. A popular place to go out at night, the neighborhood has plenty of spots to grab an afternoon drink too! And besides being relatively cheap, the food is fantastic!
The many tachinomi (standing only bars) are great for solo bar-hopping or when you’re with a group. Larger establishments can cater to big groups too! There are way too many to write about, so I’ve narrowed it down to 5 great drinking spots in the Tenma neighborhood.
*Remember to check the official business hours before you visit. Some establishments may have different hours or holidays, especially when Covid restrictions are in effect.

■ Tenma’s Trendiest Instagram Hotspot—Chо̄chin Dо̄ri

Just a 3-minute walk from JR Temma Station, you’ll see the sign for the market Tenma Ichiba (天満市場). Keep going and you’ll be immersed in a street of overhead lanterns. 
The open-air alley is adorned with over a thousand hand-made lanterns that cast shades of red, orange, and yellow over this unmistakably famous Instagram spot. To be honest, every time I visit I run into photographers capturing this fun photo-spot in Ura-Tenma.

■Top 5 restaurant recommendations for Tenma, Osaka

1. Did someone say surimi? Yao Kamaboko

Located halfway between the shopping arcade and the market, it has a small storefront that you might walk right past if you didn’t know any better. It specializes in kamaboko and other delicious foods made from fish paste, also known as surimi. This might not be your first choice since the image fish paste conjures up may not be entirely appetizing. But I promise you it is good, and the line of customers outside only stands as proof. You might want to get there early so you don’t have to wait!

When you walk inside, you can tell this restaurant has been here for a while. In a good way! Couples and throngs of women frequent the restaurant so it has a very relaxed light-hearted atmosphere. 
Start your order with a dish of hiraten (平天), a rectangular fish cake that has been fried. (If you still aren’t sold on fish paste products, please remember that crab rangoon you just ate was probably made with imitation crab, in other words, fish paste.)
The kamaboko here is high quality and you can tell when you bite into it.

The signature Oeff de Royal is actually an egg-shaped kamaboko filled with soft yolk center. And it comes with a side of french fries that are perfect for dipping. 
Once you start ordering off the menu, it’s hard to stop. There are so many creative dishes on the menu that will get your mouth watering and hungry for more.

2. Help yourself to some organ meats at Dengekihorumon Tsugie

Continue through the streets of tiny restaurants and you’ll come across this yakiniku restaurant with a bright red sign. It’s standing only and they serve an impressive menu of 30 or so kinds of organ meat. Everything is fresh and purchased same-day.
Dengekihorumon Tsugie always ranks high on Japanese food blogs and for good reason.

Cozy up to the counter and grill away on the shichirin charcoal brazier. It’s not a sit-down large meal type of place. It’s more of an order a drink as you work your way through the menu type of place.

3. A big name & a big restaurant Odanna

Both Yao Kamaboko and Dengekihorumon Tsugie are on the north side of Temma Station, where there are lots of restaurants to choose from. I’d like to also recommend something on the other side of the tracks. Odanna is on the south side of JR Temma, about halfway to Osaka Metro’s Ogimachi Station and is noticeable by the huge noren curtain hanging in front. Inside, there are over 50 seats, spread between tables and counter space. It’s the kind of big open lively restaurant that you can walk into with a big group.

Seafood, appetizers, teppanyaki, fried dishes and daily specials, the menu is varied and the prices are gentle on your wallet.

There’s actually so many varieties of sake and so much to eat here, your bar-hopping evening could get cut short if you go here first. The service is great too, so I give it five stars!

4. Osaka’s famous kushikatsu Shichifukunin

One of Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Arcades most popular restaurants, Shichifukunin specializes in kushikatsu fried skewers. Bathe in the retro vibes and the soundtrack of Japanese hits from the 80s. 
Look around the walls to see the menu of over 50 ingredients that will be served up hot on sticks fresh out of the fryer. The lunch menu is pretty impressive and the first beer is only ¥100 so this is the place to go if you’re starting your night early. 
Start with kushikatsu and get some doteyaki (beef sinew stewed in mirin and miso) to go with your beer. It’s the perfect combination!



5. Mind-blowing sake Nihonshu Fuku

The previous four restaurants are located near JR Temma Station and Osaka Metro’s Ogimachi Station, but if you walk a little further there is an incredible restaurant near Osaka Tenmangu Shrine that specializes in sake.
The closest stations are Osaka Tenmangu Station on the JR Tozai Line or Minamimorimachi on the Osaka Metro. But if you walk from Temma Station it is only about 20 minutes away.
The interior is cozy, with only about 8 counter seats and 1 table and it resembles a sake warehouse with high ceilings. It is the kind of place where sake-lovers will feel right at home.

Sake bottles from throughout the country are on display and you can choose whichever one catches your eye. The friendly restaurant staff can help you if you can’t decide.
Dishes are prepared from seasonal ingredients so you can look forward to new flavors each time you visit. I recommend the 8-piece sake appetizer set. You’ll be surprised how well cheesecake goes with sake!

Tenma is one of Osaka’s most popular drinking areas and that’s because it’s delicious, fast, and cheap. If you are looking for izakaya, this is the place to go. This is absolutely the place where out-of-towners come when they visit Osaka on business. Plus there are plenty of women and a decent showing from the younger crowds too. Whoever you are, don’t feel shy. You will fit in!
Tenma is only one stop from Osaka Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line. My recommendations are just a starting point. There is plenty more to explore and lots of good food. Have fun! Bon appetit! And kampai!

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