Kitahama
To put it briefly, Kitahama has...
✔ Sukunahikona Shrine
✔ Japanese Restaurants - Tsuru-Ton-Tan, Dosanjin, Yamaya, etc.
✔ Cafés - Gokan, Kitahama Retro, etc.
✔ Shops - CuteGlass Shop and Gallery, Linen Bird, etc.
Historically, Kitahama has played an important role in the development of medicines for many years now. A number of large pharmaceutical companies - such as Takeda, Otsuka, Dainippon-Sumitomo, Kobayashi, Ono, Tanabe-Mitsubishi, Shionogi, and Kaigen - are located in this very small area.
New buildings are always being built in Kitahama, while old buildings in this area are still used to house popular shops. Therefore, you might see a very old building surrounded by very new buildings in Kitahama, or you might enjoy beautiful, new-style sweets in a very old building. This fusion of the new and the old is fascinating to both locals and tourists.
Sukunahiko Shrine
Dosanjin
Soba Noodle Restaurant
Yamaya
Japanese Food Restaurant
Gokan
Sweets Shop & Café
Cacaotier Gokan
Chocolate Shop & Café
Konishi Family Residence
Old Building
Old Building
Old Building
Access
ACCESS from…
1. Kansai International Airport
2. Shin-Osaka Station
3. Osaka Station
4. Namba Station
Station
Keihan Train: Kitahama
Metro Train: Kitahama
Station (within 15 min. on foot)
Keihan Train: Yodoyabashi
Metro Train: Yodoyabashi
Link
Food
There are many nice restaurants and cafés in Kitahama. Some cafés are located inside old brick buildings that were built in the early 1900s. Walk around Kitahama, and find your new favorite restaurant or café! Some of our recommendations are below.
Dosanjin
Tsurutontan
Gokan
Kitahama Retro
Yamaya
Landmarks
Sukunahikona Shrine
Sukunahikona Shrine (kanji: 少彦名神社; hiragana: すくなひこなじんじゃ) - which is famous for honoring the god of health and medication - is a five-minute walk from Exit 6 of Kitahama Metro Train Station. People come to this shrine from all over Japan in order to pray for successful surgeries, the healing of diseases, passing their examinations to become a doctor, etc. If you have something you’d like to pray for, write your wish on a wooden “Ema” (kanji: 絵馬; hiragana: えま) plate. Be sure to get an “Omamori” (kanji:御守り; hiragana: おまもり) (i.e., a good-luck charm housed in a tiny silky bag), as well! Every year on November 23 and 24, the shrine holds a festival called "Shinnousai" (kanji: 神農祭; hiragana:しんのうさい).
Medicine Dosho-Machi Museum
A small museum of medicines is located next to Sukunahikona Shrine. A street they face is called “Dosho-machi“.The museum showcases medicine-related items and documents, important points in medical history, as well as the research and development of various medicines.
Former Konishi Family Residence
Upon leaving Exit 5 of the Kitahama Metro Train Station, you’ll see a black-walled house with traditional Kawara (kanji: 瓦; hiragana; かわら) (black ceramic) roofing tiles. This is the Former Konishi Family Residence (kanji: 旧小西家住宅; hiragana: きゅうこにしけじゅうたく) . Due to constant repair and cleaning, the building - first built in 1902 - has maintained a beautiful appearance. It has been registered by the Japanese government as an Important Cultural Property.
Shops
CuteGlass Shop and Gallery
A first step to inside the old-house-style shop would bring you to a shining glass world. Their glasses are quite clear, beautiful, and elaborate.
As a gallery, their collections would probably fascinate you. There are a first bottle of Coke and other old beverage bottles. Furthermore, from the historical view, there are precious things - specially, a shelter used in the World War II.The old Japanese style appearance and interior are fantastic, too.
Please visit CuteGlass Shop and Gallery to see wonderful glasses and think about war and peace.
The Linen Bird
The Linen Bird (Kitahama Plaza, 1F) is a stylish linen shop used by both amateur customers and professionals. The eye-catching window display here often changes.
Gokan
This is a very famous sweets shop. The no-bake cakes here (as well as the baked cakes) are very tasty!
Cacaotier Gokan
This is a chocolate specialty shop produced by Gokan. Many customers line up here to buy sweets for Valentine’s Day.