About Osaka

A city of gourmet delights

There is an old saying that goes, "Kyoto is a place where people spend all their money on clothing, and Osaka is a place where people spend all their money on eating and drinking." This means that people in Kyoto spend all their money on kimonos, and in Osaka on eating and drinking, and end up losing all their money.

The taste of Naniwa: Dashi

Osaka is known as the "Kitchen of the Nation," and as such, it brings together the finest foods from all over the country. The history of ingredients used to make dashi also spans hundreds of years.

The spirit of elimination

Osaka cuisine is known as "Shimatsu cuisine." Shimatsu means beginning and end. In other words, it means things add up, the accounts balance out, and the calculations are done in a logical order.

Sakai's food culture

The knife used to shave kelp into oboro konbu (thinly shaved kelp) undergoes a process called "akita," where the blade tip is bent before shaving. This requires a knife that possesses both sharp cutting ability and the flexibility to cling to the kelp.

Ponzu and tecchiri

Ponzu is a condiment loved by people of Osaka. It is a Japanese condiment with a refreshing tartness from citrus juice.

Tsuji Culinary Institute

The founder, Shizuo Tsuji, was an educator, researcher and pioneer of Japanese gourmet cuisine.