Osaka Gastronomy: Evolving Quality
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi built Osaka Castle, he attracted merchants from Sakai and Fushimi to Osaka, making it a distribution hub, and it rapidly developed as a commercial city. At the time, the main mode of transportation was by boat. To accommodate this, canals were built in all directions, giving rise to the "Water City" and the "808 Bridges of Naniwa." In contrast to Edo, which was centered around samurai, Kyoto's culture was led by the nobility. Osaka, on the other hand, flourished as a city of merchants.
This history is the foundation of Osaka’s Food Culture. The rational idea of frugality permeated every aspect of life in merchant households, and simple, waste-free meals became the norm, but at the same time, high-end cuisine developed in traditional Japanese restaurants used for business meetings and the like. In Osaka, popularized food and high-end gastronomy coexisted, stimulating each other.
Semba was at the center of this, and remains known today as Osaka's leading wholesale district. Customers are essential for refined cuisine. While pursuing delicious food, Semba merchants were also strict gourmands who never forgot the spirit of "shimotsu" (a beginning and an end, meaning that everything adds up, balances out, and calculations are accurate). This led to Osaka’s Food Culture and supported Osaka's gastronomy. In search of delicious cuisine, they entertained, negotiated business, and exchanged information at the restaurants and ryotei that served it, and it was said that only establishments that could impress the palates of Semba merchants could survive. Osaka's renowned gastronomy restaurants, which carry on the merchants' spirit, traditions, and techniques, continue to evolve their techniques and spirit every day, awaiting gourmets from around the world.
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Tradition and history create delicious foodDuring the Edo period, when Kitamae ships were in operation, kelp harvested in Hokkaido was transported via the "Kelp Road" in the Sea of Japan, and then via the Nishikigoi route from Shimonoseki through the Seto Inland Sea to Osaka and Sakai, known as "the kitchen of the world."
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Naniwa Pinchos - Casual and Delicious Konamon & B-Grade GourmetOsaka people are passionate about food. They treasure ingredients, don't waste anything, and try to avoid throwing away as much as possible. They cook well and spare no time or effort to make food taste delicious.
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Naniwa Artisans - The Craftsman Spirit that Supports Food CultureSakai, located in the southern part of Osaka and a satellite city of Osaka City, has been a source of technology and culture, to the point that it is known as "Sakai, where everything begins."
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Seafood and mountain bounty from Naniwa terroirOsaka Bay was once so rich in fish that it was called the "fish garden." The name "Naniwa" is written as "fish garden" and pronounced "Naniwa." This is said to be the origin of Osaka's other name, "Naniwa."