Nagoya Sightseeing – Osu Kannon Temple and Osu Arcade Shopping Street Walk (Recommended for Daytime Drinking)

For Nagoya tourists who want to fully experience Nagoya, one of the recommended city sightseeing routes is walking through “Osu Shopping Street” starting from “Osu Kannon.”

While holding the face of a historic worship spot, once you step into the arcade, you will find a multi-hobby shopping street that suits people of all tastes: multinational street food, retro culture, izakayas that are bustling from daytime, and several maid cafes. That is Osu Arcade Shopping Street.

Based on the author’s actual experiences, this article introduces the charms of “Osu Shopping Street” starting from “Osu Kannon.”

Charms of Osu Kannon and Osu Arcade Shopping Street

Worship at Osu Kannon and Its Historic Appearance

As a symbolic spot of the Osu area, “Osu Kannon” is a temple characterized by its vivid vermilion main hall. Although it is by no means large, it is a temple just right for stopping by to pray.

Because it is located right next to Osu Shopping Street, many people stop by to pray between walks, making it a temple visited by many people regardless of weekdays or weekends.

At shrines, the rule is “two bows, two claps, one bow,” but since Osu Kannon is a temple, you pray by “quietly joining your hands together (gassho).”

location

Osu Kannon is located in Naka Ward, Nagoya City. For access, exit Exit 2 of “Osu Kannon Station” on the Subway Tsurumai Line, and it is right in front of you. Access from Nagoya Station and Sakae Station is also good, and because it is adjacent to the shopping street, it is in a location that is easy to use as a starting point for walking.

A Vast Arcade Street with Everything and Playful Monuments

Starting right next to Osu Kannon, a huge “Osu Shopping Street” arcade extending for a total length of about 1.7 kilometers spreads out.

The passageways are dome-shaped with high ceilings and an open feel. Diverse shops regardless of genre—such as drugstores, clothing stores, and multinational eateries—are crowded together, continuing a lively space where many people of all ages and genders come and go.

Particularly as a cultural feature, there are many “secondhand clothing stores,” and there are many shops where you can buy rock-style clothing, giving the feeling that it influences the fashion culture of many Nagoya locals.

Meeting unique monuments that catch your eye in various parts of the shopping street is also one of the features. The giant “Maneki-neko” (beckoning cat) installed in the plaza is decorated with playful decorations such as wearing a wig depending on the season or event, making it one of Osu’s standard meetup spots.

Banshoji Temple (Kagakurin Banshoji), Highlighted by a Dragon Piercing Through a Building

As you walk through Osu Shopping Street (arcade), a giant white dragon monument installed as if piercing through the wall of a building integrated with a modern building suddenly appears before your eyes.

The main hall has an advanced design incorporating digital high-tech, and at first glance, it does not look like a temple, but it firmly has a main hall and is a temple. A huge LED monitor is installed in front of the main hall, creating a deep scene unique to Osu where the atmosphere of a traditional temple and modern technology mix.

At shrines, the rule is “two bows, two claps, one bow,” but since Kagakurin Banshoji is a temple, you pray by “quietly joining your hands together (gassho).”

Dango and Desserts for Women, and Izakayas for Drinking from Daytime for Middle-Aged Men!

In areas popular with young people and women, shops selling cute-looking dango, the latest trending sweets, and desserts perfect for eating while walking stand side-by-side with long lines. Also, there are streets lined with traditional izakayas with red lanterns hanging, standing bars, and multinational food stalls. In Osu, you can also see adults casually enjoying beer or sours from weekday daytime.

A Town with Surprisingly Many Eye-Catching Maid Cafes

Osu is also a holy land of subculture called “Nagoya’s Akihabara.” As you walk through the town, maid cafe signs and the sight of maids handing out flyers surprisingly catch your eye.

Numerous shops, from long-established famous stores to unique concept cafes, gather around the arcade, creating a unique culture street. Enjoying Osu in this way seems interesting too.

Location, Access, and How to Get to Osu Arcade Shopping Street

Location

Osu Shopping Street is located in Osu, Naka Ward, Nagoya City. Because the arcade spreads across a vast area, the following two subway stations serve as bases for walking:

• Subway Tsurumai Line “Osu Kannon Station” (short walk from Exit 2)
• Subway Meijo Line / Tsurumai Line “Kamimaezu Station” (short walk from Exits 8 and 9)

Summary: Osu Kannon and Osu Arcade Shopping Street

While retaining the appearance of a historic temple town, the Osu area is an extremely energetic town that has developed its own culture and food culture.

The fun of Osu is that it shows completely different faces depending on the purpose of the visitor. With outstanding access of about 10 to 15 minutes by subway from Nagoya Station or Sakae Station, it becomes a recommended city sightseeing option where you can catch a glimpse of Nagoya-ness and Nagoya’s everyday life.