Namba Ebisu-bashisuji Shopping Street is a shopping arcade built around the concept: “Safe, Clean—A Lively Minami Flower Path.” Located right by Namba Station (multiple lines), it began drawing crowds after the Dotonbori River was completed and Ebisu Bridge was built in 1615, becoming a lively route for pilgrims heading to Toka Ebisu. It is said that eateries such as udon shops gathered to serve worshippers, helping form the basis of today’s shopping street. In the Meiji era, the completion of Namba Station (then the Hansakai Railway, now Nankai Railway) and the opening of Takashimaya Namba Store further accelerated its development. In recent years it has become a spot that conveys “Osaka-ness,” attracting many international visitors. With famous sights like the Glico sign and Kani Doraku nearby, the street is lined with everything from long-established favorites to cutting-edge fashion shops. The official mascot “Ebitan” was designed by world-renowned illustrator Seitaro Kuroda, based on Ebisu—the god of commercial prosperity.