Must Read for First-timers! A Comprehensive Guide to Americamura in Osaka

Americamura, which is always crowded with young people, is a town that nurtures the Kansai youth culture. It is an area with many shops that sell the latest fashion items, unique vintage clothing, records and more.

It attracted attention when shops in renovated warehouses began selling vintage clothing, jeans, records and other items procured from the West Coast of the United States in the 1970s, and was introduced in the mass media as a trend-setting area. The town's symbol is a small park affectionately referred to as Sankaku Koen. It is a small triangular (sankaku) park where young people gather to meet up or rest.

This is a unique town that is fun to just browse and see the people walking around, each in their own style, and the original human-shaped street lights, murals by artists, creative objet d'art and buildings and scenery.

The variety shop, Flying Tiger Copenhagen, from Denmark, is the go to shop of the moment. It is popular as a place where you can get colorful and playful items at reasonable prices. It has a full lineup of products such as stationery, interior, kitchen and party goods.

VOLCAN&APHRODITE, in front of Sankaku Koen, is a shop that promotes a style that goes beyond any particular genre, by selling vintage clothing and designer brand items from a variety of different labels. It has a wide selection of products from vintage clothing to luxury brand and sport brand items.

Santonibunnoichi, a shop selling items representing a unique worldview, is also recommended. It is popular for its cute pastel, monotone, and large size items. Products sold here include vintage and designer brand items from the US and products from its original "wagamama" line. Its Twitter feed with shop staff modeling its products is also popular.

The Americamura specialty is the icedog—vanilla, chocolate, or matcha-flavored soft serve sandwiched in piping hot freshly deep-fried buns. You can also sprinkle cocoa, kinako (roasted soybean flour), or cinnamon on it. It is sold at Ganso icedog in front of Sankaku Koen, so be sure to give it a try.

Long Softcream is the shop of the moment. It offers the longest soft serve ice cream in Japan, with just the soft serve bit reaching about 40cm. It is popular for its stunning appearance that you'll want to preserve in a photograph.

A definite must eat in Osaka is the takoyaki (ball-shaped grilled dumpling of flour and egg filled with ingredients). Wanaka Americamura shop is recommended among the several takoyaki shops in Americamura. Its takoyaki (from 450 JPY (incl. tax)) has a batter that is crunchy on the outside and melty on the inside, in which you can taste the dashi (stock) taken from kombu (kelp) and katsuo (bonito). It is available in four flavors, of which the "Sauce" flavor, with the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, is the most popular.