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Stretching across Tsuruhashi and Momodani in Osaka’s Ikuno district, this Korea Town is a bustling tourist destination packed with Korean culture. You’ll find Korean restaurants, grocery stores, cafes, K-pop themed cafes, Korean cosmetics shops, beauty salons, and K-pop merchandise stores.
“Experience authentic Korean cuisine and buy traditional side dishes like kimchi!”
“Shop for the latest trending Korean cosmetics and fashion!”
“Find K-pop artist merchandise and share your love for Korean idols at fan cafes!”
For Korea enthusiasts, this area is nothing short of paradise. The district attracts countless young people and buzzes with energy, making it one of Osaka’s most vibrant Korea Towns.
Today, we’ll take a deep dive into Osaka’s Korea Town! Let’s explore where you can experience the most authentic Korean atmosphere!
First, let’s understand the overall layout of Korea Town.
When people talk about Osaka’s Korea Town, they’re typically referring to the area around Tsuruhashi and Momodani in the Ikuno district, which consists of four main areas:
These four areas have the highest concentration of Korean establishments. Once you’re familiar with these areas, you’ll be able to fully enjoy everything Osaka’s Korea Town has to offer.
If you want to visit all four areas, here’s our recommended route:
This route will take you through all the areas of Tsuruhashi and Ikuno Korea Town, including all the major Korean shopping districts.
There are distinct differences between “Tsuruhashi Korea Town,” “Osaka Korea Town,” and “Ikuno Korea Town.”
Among the three shopping streets mentioned earlier, “Tsuruhashi Shopping Street” and “Tsuruhashi Hontoori Shopping Street” are located around the “Tsuruhashi” area of Osaka’s Ikuno district, hence the name “Tsuruhashi Korea Town.”
On the other hand, “Miyuki-dori Shopping Street” is located in the “Momodani” area of Ikuno district, so it’s not part of “Tsuruhashi Korea Town.” Since this shopping street calls itself “Osaka Korea Town,” both “Osaka Korea Town” and “Ikuno Korea Town” typically refer to Miyuki-dori Shopping Street.
As mentioned, Korea Town is spread out and requires some walking. Some areas have narrow streets with heavy foot traffic, making it difficult to navigate with large luggage.
That’s where the coin lockers at JR Tsuruhashi Station’s west exit come in handy. The lockers are large enough for suitcases and can even be reserved in advance! They also offer direct delivery service to your hotel.
For more details, check the link below.
Read more about JR Tsuruhashi Station West Exit Coin Lockers
Now that we understand the overall layout of Osaka’s Ikuno Korea Town, let’s explore each shopping street in detail. You can choose to visit all the shopping streets or just the ones that interest you most. Here’s what you need to know.
Tsuruhashi Shopping Street is located north of JR/Kintetsu Tsuruhashi Station and serves as the gateway to Korea Town.
The most striking feature of Tsuruhashi Shopping Street is its density! Korean restaurants, side dish shops, and Korean fashion stores are packed tightly along its narrow alleys.
This is the heart of Tsuruhashi Korea Town! Many establishments, including bars that open for lunch, are busy throughout the day. The atmosphere here truly feels like you’re walking through a Korean market.
Additionally, the eastern side connects to Higashi-Kobashi South Shopping Street and Osaka Tsuruhashi Market Shopping Street, which primarily feature Japanese shops. These three shopping streets together form a massive shopping district.
If you’re starting your Korea Town exploration from JR Tsuruhashi Station, you can access Tsuruhashi Shopping Street directly from the west exit.
Tsuruhashi Hontoori Shopping Street extends about 400 meters north-south from the east side of Tsuruhashi Station.
This traditional covered shopping arcade has a nostalgic atmosphere. Located next to the Tsuruhashi Wholesale Market, it also serves the daily needs of local residents.
However, there are also many Korean shops here. You’ll find everything from traditional Korean restaurants to cute Korean cosmetics shops, K-pop idol merchandise stores, trendy Korean eateries, and fan cafes.
Experience the latest Korean trends in this deep and exotic atmosphere.
Sokai Road is a main street located one block east of Tsuruhashi Hontoori Shopping Street. This road is lined with trendy Korean shops and serves as a connecting route between Tsuruhashi Shopping Street and Miyuki-dori Shopping Street, offering another great place to experience Korean culture.
Miyuki - dori Shopping Street is located in the Momodani area of Osaka’s Ikuno district, about a 15-minute walk from Tsuruhashi Station. Known as “Osaka Korea Town” or “Ikuno Korea Town,” it’s quite extensive in size.
This shopping street stretches for about 500 meters! To put that in perspective, Tokyo’s famous Harajuku Takeshita Street is only about 360 meters long. The area is packed with various shops and establishments.
Miyuki-dori Shopping Street is famous for its street food, offering various Korean delicacies like pancakes and fried chicken. When you visit, you’ll be amazed by how lively it is.
The cafes and other establishments here are very stylish, with many popular Korean chain stores and trendy shops. Among Osaka’s Korean districts, this area most closely resembles Tokyo’s Shin-Okubo atmosphere.
We’ve detailed the four areas of Osaka’s Korea Town. Let’s recap the characteristics of each area:
All areas are within walking distance. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from Tsuruhashi Shopping Street to the furthest point, Miyuki-dori Shopping Street. With numerous Korean shops along Tsuruhashi Hontoori Shopping Street and Sokai Road, the walk is enjoyable and time flies by. You’ll reach your destination before you know it.
From authentic Korean cuisine to the latest K-pop merchandise, you can experience the full spectrum of Korean culture in one visit. For first-time visitors, we recommend following our suggested “Recommended Route” for the most efficient sightseeing experience.
