Let’s have fun in a town dotted with art! A tour of Kitakagaya with the owner of Chidori Bunka.

Kitakagaya flourished as a shipbuilding town in the Taisho era (1912-1926), when it was an industrial area dotted with factories and warehouses. Although the town still retains some vestiges of that past, it’s rapidly turning into an arts and cultural hub through projects using vacant houses and the former Namura Shipbuilding Osaka facility.

Here in Kitakagaya, you will find as many as 40 works of art scattered throughout the street, many of which are murals and three-dimensional works. About 100 artists and creators are based here. In addition, as more restaurants and clubs pop up managed by young people, the area is becoming more and more lively.

Although Kitakagaya is undergoing this amazing transformation, the interesting thing is that not all of it has been repainted anew. Rather, some of the old buildings and stores remain, creating a place where the old town and modernity coexist. Some call it a “chaotic town” in the best sense of the word.

In 2017, the complex Chidori Bunka was born. A group of Kitakagaya-based architects called dot architects renovated the 60 year-old semi-European-style residence with “regeneration” and “circulation” as the project keywords. It was reborn as a creative hub that includes a restaurant, bars, stores, and galleries.

For this tour, we welcomed Ms. Kotori Eguchi, the owner of Chidori Bunka Shokudo, to tell us how to enjoy the arts town Kitakagaya.

Residents also wanted! A new complex, NAGAYArt

First, we visited the NAGAYArt complex, which opened in July 2023. POS Architectural Observation Design Laboratory, based in Konohana, Osaka, constructed the building, which currently houses the sandwich store natural sand and a chai store called Talk with _.

Each store was established under a “neo-custom leasing” method, in which tenants are decided on before the renovation and the renovation plan is worked out together with the building owner. Looking at the stylish interiors, it’s hard to believe that the building is a decades-old estate. Currently, the ground floor is a retail space, while the second floor is a residential space—with vacancies!

The owner of natural sand used to be a nutrition teacher at a nursery school and kindergarten. The sandwiches are made from vegetables with low-chemical and low-pesticide foods purchased from local farmers in the Kansai region. The colorful dishes are created with the aim of providing customers with wholesome, nutritious meals.

Food for the body and soul that supports the livelihood of Kitakagaya residents

Yummy Market was established in May 2023 just outside exit 4 of Kitakagaya Station. The shelves are filled with organic foods and local specialties selected by local youth as part of the High School Students’ Department Store Project.

This select store centers around the belief that a happy heart and mind make a happy body. In addition to foods, freshly picked vegetables from the Tondabayashi-based organic farm Emi no Hyakusyo (The Laughing Farmer), are also available every Friday.

Products on offer range from seasonings, foodstuffs, and confections. They even have samgyetang, Korean ginseng chicken soup, made by the company Uotani Kimchi from Tokushima Prefecture. In addition to their daily grocery shopping, many customers choose to buy souvenirs. Gift wrapping is also available.

Chips made from natsume (Chinese dates), considered the superfruit of East Asia, go very well with yogurt or salads. The crunchy texture is addictive! Kotori’s current obsession is collecting honey; today, she also bought an Izumitsu honey tasting set during our visit.

Spice Curry by Day, Drinks and Fish & Chips by Night!

Along with Chidori Bunka, cafe&bar O’hara also opened in 2017. The cafe serves mainly spice curry during the day, and you can enjoy fish & chips and á la carte dishes with drinks in the evening (curry is still available, of course).

When the owner, Takuro Ohara, heard that Kitakagaya was changing into an arts town, he thought it would be interesting to open the store here. He studied design when he was a student and loves to create things. Not only the food, but also the illustrations and three-dimensional artworks in the restaurant are all his own creations.

Can you get to them all? Search for art in Kitakagaya!

Now, we’ll introduce some of the art we’ve come across during our tour. There are various works of art scattered throughout the area; you may want to have the free paper CHAOS MAP with you when you walk around. The map includes not only art locations, but also restaurants and facilities. You will be amazed at the variety of things to do in Kitakagaya. You can find the map at NAGAYArt and other places in Kitakagaya, so be sure to grab a copy!

Welcome to Kitakagaya’s Cultural Hub, Where Food and Art Overlap

Chidori Bunka is a building complex made by renovating a 60-year-old residence that blends Japanese and European architecture. At the time the house was constructed, the local shipbuilding industry was still thriving, and the building was also used as a store and housing for workers. In its present form, in addition to a restaurant, bar, and meeting hall, Chidori Bunka also has 9 tenants, including KENOCHA, a single-origin Japanese tea store, and Mimiyama Mishin, which makes bags and hats using a special sewing technique. On the second floor, you can view a permanent exhibition of works by contemporary artist Teppei Kaneuji.

The Chidori Bunka Shokudo grilled sandwich menu has six to seven items. Try a three-cheese and sirloin Philly cheesesteak on griddle-toasted crispy hard bread, just 1050 yen (tax included). (tax included). Or maybe you’d prefer a PLT sandwich with homemade pancetta, lettuce and tomatoes, only 1030 yen (tax included).

The shopping space is also furnished with items unique to Kitakagaya, such as sundries found overseas by members of the performance group contact Gonzo, as well as hand-knitted goods and secondhand clothing contributed by Chidori Bunka staff. Across the street, there is a bookshelf called Chidori Bunko where you can read, take, and exchange books donated by people involved with this place.

The bar is staffed by Mayumi, who was originally a regular at Chidori Bunka Shokudo. The bar sometimes serves snacks made from vegetables purchased at Yummy Market.

After freshening up at the revived public bathhouse, let’s head for the inn!

Juraku Onsen is the place to relax after a long day of walking around exploring Kitakagaya’s art and shops. It was established in 1963 and unfortunately closed in 2021. However, the local Nanko Hospital took over its management and revived it in February 2023, believing that the disappearance of a local public bathhouse also changes the environment of the community.

Today, as one of the facilities that make up the town, Juraku Onsen not only operates as a bathhouse, but it also hosts a monthly event called Wine Garden. The nearby Bando Saketen offers natural wine, and some months it is accompanied by a concert. After soaking in the baths, visitors can enjoy a moment surrounded by wine and pleasant sounds.

On the second floor, there is a large lounge. Enjoy the wide selection of soft drinks as well as draft and craft beers after your bath.

What a surprise, you can even experience a wood stove! Of course, Kotori tried it. It was blazing hot, but she seemed to be enjoying it. The fuel is made from waste wood from Suminoe Ward.

After refreshing yourself in the public bath, head over to Air Osaka Hostel. Originally an artist-in-residence studio, in 2015 it was handed over to the current owner, Mr. Yamamoto, who turned it into a hostel.

The hostel has hosted many travelers from Japan and abroad as a neutral place where guests can be themselves and freely use its facilities. Guests paint pictures on the walls, leave souvenirs, and even sometimes hold events. The hotel does its best to support those who have something they want to try, and it seems that many of the travelers come to the hotel by word of mouth. Of course, Japanese guests are more than welcome, too. From 2024, the bar will be open on an irregular basis, so visitors other than guests are also welcome to drop in.

Bonus! More art and music spots to enjoy

When it comes to Kitakagaya, the first names that come to mind are Creative Center Osaka and Club Daphnia, which opened in 2019, along with other attractive spots worth digging into. We encourage you to visit these spots, along with those mentioned above.

Creative Center Osaka (Namura Shipbuilding Former Osaka Site) sprawls over a 40,000-square-meter former shipyard that has been selected as a Heritage of Industrial Modernization.The vast space here is used to host a variety of performances, including festivals, dance events, and theatrical productions.

This is SSK, also known as Super Studio Kitakagaya. SSK provides artists and creators with a place to keep creating, allowing them to stay and work in the studio. Although the studio is usually closed to the public, they hold open studios on an irregular basis.

In Club Daphnia, everything is DIY. Some say the sound quality is the best in Osaka. From Friday night, they play techno music for 30 hours straight! And you can’t miss their famous Diagram event.

Finding New Culture Lurking in an Old Town

This has been a one-day tour of Kitakagaya with art. As you explore the art and unique spots that seem to materialize between old row houses, factories, and warehouses, you’ll feel as if you are walking the line between past and future, wondering what kind of place this used to be.

It is not a finished town, but new spots are bubbling up all the time in Kitakagaya. It is precisely here that you may experience the new culture that will define the future of Osaka.

This isn’t any old Namba or Umeda art tour. Take a walk to through Kitakagaya during your visit to Osaka!

*This article was migrated from “Shittonka Osaka.” The information provided is current as of March 2024 and may differ from current conditions. Please check the official websites of each store or facility for the latest operating hours and details.