{"id":21248,"date":"2025-01-06T16:25:26","date_gmt":"2025-01-06T07:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/?p=21248"},"modified":"2025-01-17T17:34:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T08:34:43","slug":"osaka-takoyakimarket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/2025\/01\/06\/osaka-takoyakimarket\/","title":{"rendered":"The Takoyaki Tower Marks the Spot for Osaka Takoyaki Market"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Most of Osaka&#8217;s most famous foods are made primarily of wheat flour and called <em>konamon<\/em> in Japanese. Takoyaki, perhaps the most widely-known konamon dish, is popular for its convenience since it can be easily picked up at food stalls and eaten as a snack.<br \/>\nIt also has the power to make you smile. There\u2019s nothing like waiting in front of the hot grill watching the balls spin on the plate, anticipating that first bite of the piping hot takoyaki.<br \/>\nIn case you don&#8217;t know where to get your takoyaki, I\u2019d like to introduce you to the Osaka Takoyaki Market, a spot in Umeda where you can try takoyaki from multiple famous shops, all in the same place!<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 10px; border-radius: 0px; background: #f7f7f7;\">\n<h2 style=\"color: #EB4944; margin: 10px 0 0;\">\uff3b\u76ee\u6b21\uff3d<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\">\n<li><a href=\"#anchor1\">Five Popular Shops at This Takoyaki Mecca<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#anchor2\">Kukuru &#038; the Sign that Screams Osaka!<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#anchor3\">Juhachiban &#038; Those Addictive Tempura Flakes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#anchor4\">Koga-ryu, an Unforgettable Classic<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"anchor1\" style=\"color: #EB4944;\">Five Popular Shops at This Takoyaki Mecca<\/h2>\n<p>Here it is\u2014the OSAKA Takoyaki Market!<br \/>\nThe market is located in Umeda, on the narrow street between HEP Five and HEP Navio, where you\u2019ll find that famous giant red Ferris wheel, an Osaka landmark.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img01.jpg\" alt=\"giant takoyaki tree tower at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img01.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img01-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img01-400x280.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been making takoyaki at home ever since I was a kid. So to be honest, I haven\u2019t eaten that many shop-made takoyaki. That being said, watching the takoyaki cooks spinning the balls so quickly and skillfully right in front of me, is a sight to see. It\u2019s really exciting to see the takoyaki being flipped round and round. Even though I&#8217;m from the Kansai region, I still get excited!<br \/>\nAnd I had no idea a place like this existed in Umeda, where you can buy so many kinds of takoyaki! Osaka has tons of interesting spots to discover, even for those of us who live there.<br \/>\nIt\u2019s easy to find too because of the giant tree-shaped takoyaki tower in front of OSAKA Takoyaki Market.<br \/>\nNear the tower, you\u2019ll find five famous takoyaki shops.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img02.jpg\" alt=\"Kukuru and Yama Chan shops at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img02.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img02-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img02-400x280.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img03.jpg\" alt=\"Koga-ryu, Aiduya, and Juhachiban shops at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img03.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img03-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img03-400x280.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You can enjoy the flavors of takoyaki shops that represent Osaka\u2014Kukuru, Yama Chan, Koga-ryu, Aiduya, and Juhachiban.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor2\" style=\"color: #EB4944;\">Kukuru &#038; the Sign that Screams Osaka!<\/h2>\n<p>So, which shop should I try first?<br \/>\nEvery shop looks good so it&#8217;s hard to choose, but I decided to start with Kukuru. The octopus in front of the store is very eye-catching.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img04.jpg\" alt=\"Kukuru octopus sign at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img04.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img04-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img04-400x280.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There is a ticket vending-machine system which can be used to purchase your food and drink from any of the shops.<br \/>\nSelect the corresponding button for what you want to order from the ticket machine in front of the shop.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img05.jpg\" alt=\"ticket vending machine to purchase food and drink at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"500\" height=\"630\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21253\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Head inside to wait until your order is ready.<br \/>\nAlthough this is a collection of restaurants, almost like a food court, it feels kind of like an English pub!<br \/>\nThere are over 100 seats in all, and you can sit down with your takoyaki from any of the five restaurants. This is great because you don&#8217;t have to worry about rainy, hot, or cold days\u266a<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img06.jpg\" alt=\"indoor seating area with tables at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img06.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img06-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img06-400x280.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At Kukuru, I chose a set that comes with a choice of two different toppings.<br \/>\nAs expected, I couldn&#8217;t resist the classics, so I went with the sauce topping.<br \/>\nAnd after some deliberation, I chose to get kimchi too.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img07.jpg\" alt=\"kimchi topping and sauce takoyaki at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img07.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img07-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img07-400x280.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The takoyaki dough at &#8220;Kukuru&#8221; is soft, so it melts in your mouth!<br \/>\nIt&#8217;s so hot that it\u2019s easy to burn your tongue! But even so, I still like takoyaki when it&#8217;s hot (^^\u266a<br \/>\nThe cold kimchi cools the hot takoyaki a little, so in a way, you could say this is the right choice. Just like how chijimi and kimchi go well together, kimchi also tastes great with takoyaki.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor3\" style=\"color: #EB4944;\">Juhachiban &#038; Those Addictive Tempura Flakes<\/h2>\n<p>Next, I went over to Juhachiban.<br \/>\nI noticed that one of the options here is a cheese sauce topping. And I was curious about what the texture of the tempura flakes would be like when they are cooked on the iron plate.<br \/>\nThe takoyaki center is essentially the same, but they are finished off with a generous amount of cheese sauce and they even come with a cheese cracker. Yum!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img08.jpg\" alt=\"cheesy takoyaki with cheese wafer from Juhachiban at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img08.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img08-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img08-400x280.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The crunchy tempura flakes are still crunchy even after they\u2019re cooked. This is a unique flavor sensation I&#8217;ve never experienced with takoyaki before!<br \/>\nJuhachiban\u2019s takoyaki are pretty mellow, probably because they add milk to the batter, and so it goes great with cheese. It\u2019s almost reminiscent of cheese fondue. It was delicious!<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor4\" style=\"color: #EB4944;\">Koga-ryu, an Unforgettable Classic<\/h2>\n<p>After those first two servings of takoyaki, I was pretty satisfied to tell the truth. But I wanted to try some classic takoyaki sauce flavors, so I went over to Koga-ryu.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img09.jpg\" alt=\"Koga-ryu takoyaki topping menu including green onion and ponzu, takoyaki sauce, etc at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img09.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img09-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img09-400x280.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img10.jpg\" alt=\"plate of hot takoyaki from Koga-ryu served with a toothpick at OSAKA Takoyaki Market in Umeda\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img10.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img10-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2025\/01\/osaka-takoyakimarket-img10-400x280.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Compared to the first takoyaki I ate at Kukuru, I\u2019d say the texture of the takoyaki is a little firmer. This is the classic style! It&#8217;s a simple and fits right in to the takoyaki flavors I have come to know and love. The sweet sauce is absolutely addicting.<br \/>\nEven if you top your takoyaki with the classic sauces, you\u2019ll notice a lot of variety in the flavors at each shop. It would be fun to taste and compare the classic takoyaki styles with the traditional sauce toppings at each shop.<br \/>\nI wasn&#8217;t able to get to Aiduya or Yama Chan this time, so I&#8217;d like to come back to Osaka Takoyaki Market for sure!<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 10px; border: 0px solid #cccccc; padding: 25px; border-radius: 0px; background: #f7f7f7; margin-bottom: 5%;\">\n<h3>OSAKA Takoyaki Market<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/takoyakimarket.com\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/takoyakimarket.com\/<\/a><br \/>\n[Business hours] 11 am\u201310 pm (last order 9:30) *May open early from 10:45 on holidays, etc.<br \/>\n[Closed] Irregular holidays (in accordance with HEP closures)<br \/>\n[Access] About 3 minutes on foot from Hankyu Osaka-umeda Station, about 5 minutes on foot from Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station, about 4 minutes on foot from JR Osaka Station. About a 5-minute walk from Umeda Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line, about a 5-minute walk from Higashi-Umeda Station on the Tanimachi Line, about a 10-minute walk from Nishi-Umeda Station on the Yotsubashi Line\n<\/div>\n<p>\u25bcRead more<br \/>\n<a style=\"display: flex; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 10px; border-radius: 0px; background: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/2024\/11\/15\/nmb48-deguchiyuina-osaka-kushikatsu\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-1499\" style=\"display: inline-block; margin-right: 10px; object-fit: cover; width: 100px; height: 100px;\" src=\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/11\/nmb48-deguchiyuina-kushikatsu-main.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"70\" \/><span style=\"display: block; align-self: center; text-decoration: none;\">Yuina\u2019s favorites\u2014Osaka\u2019s Famous Crispy Skewered Delights: Kushikatsu in the Heart of Umeda, Namba, and Shin-Imamiya!<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most of Osaka&#8217;s most famous foods are made primarily of wheat flour and called konamon in Japanese. Takoyaki, perhaps the most widely-known konamon dish, is popular for its convenience since it can be easily picked up at food stalls and eaten as a snack. It also has the power to make you smile. There\u2019s nothing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":21259,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[199,83],"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"author_id":"","author_name":"","author_image":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21248"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/97"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21248"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21355,"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21248\/revisions\/21355"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maido-bob.osaka\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}