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Shinsekai is one of Osaka’s most colourful areas – but it also has a colourful past that means many Japanese people think it’s unsafe. So, is Shinsekai safe to visit, and would it be a good place to stay in Osaka? Here’s what I think…
On my first trip to Osaka, I was very nervous in Shinsekai. At that point, over 15 years ago, all the guidebooks said that this was the rough part of town, and you should be very careful. I went during daylight and didn’t venture off the main street.
Fast forward to 2025 and five trips to Osaka later, I’m drinking beer, watching magic tricks, eating fried things on sticks in Shinsekai – and it’s definitely past 6 pm! Shinsekai is now one of my favourite areas in Osaka.
I love its retro feel, the old alleys that you can wander down and find people shooting arrows at targets or shooting the breeze with their friends. Sadly, the old games parlour that used to play host to Japanese seniors playing Gomoku has gone, and the retro videogame arcade suffered a serious fire in 2025, but wandering around Shinsekai still gives you a feel for Osaka in days gone by.
But it is true that, compared to many other parts of Japan, it’s a bit rough and ready – and, if you look at crime statistics, they are a bit higher than average for Japan around here. This has led to it being named one of Japan’s most dangerous areas – but that’s by Japanese standards, so let’s put this into perspective.
According to official crime statistics, fewer than 16,000 people were arrested for crimes in Osaka during 2024 – even if all of those were in Shinsekai (which they wouldn’t have been) compare that to London, where 96,000 people were arrested in a year or New York where 123,000 people were arrested in 2024 and you can see, it’s not quite in the same league.
Exploring Shinsekai
For purposes of this article, I’m going to count Shinsekai as the area spanning between Ebisucho Station to the North and Donbotsuen Mae to the south. Then the zoo will be the east boundary, and then the road Sakai Suji cuts things off to the west.
This area features popular attractions, including the Tsutenkaku Tower, the fantastic Billiken statues, and famous lit-up areas and giant signs that make this place so cool, as well as Spa World, the bathing complex. It also teams with bars and restaurants. If you’re a photographer, you are going to take a LOT of pictures here.
It’s busy and full of other visitors, and I feel very safe here during the day and the busy parts of the evening. I would keep my wits about me off the main streets once the crowds die down, though, mainly because the streets are quite small and dark. However, there are also a couple of specific things to watch out for around here if you’re traveling with children, teenagers or other sensitive folk.
If your children have developed a gachapon habit (the little machines containing capsule toys) keep a close eye on them in Shinsekai, as there are adult-only gachapon machines dotted around the streets, and the capsules in these might contain goodies that come with a few questions!
There are also a few adult cinemas in the backstreets on the outskirts of Shinsekai, and you’ll see a few signs with topless, or scantily-clad women on them.
Admittedly, I had walked past one of them (located next to this normal cinema) many times before it was pointed out to me during the fantastic Backstreets Osaka tour, which explores the darker side of Shinsekai and its neighbouring areas.
If you’re just exploring around the Tower and the lively streets full of bars, restaurants and souvenir shops around it, you probably won’t see anything concerning.
Should You Stay in Shinsekai?
I don’t include it in my guide on the best places to stay in Osaka as there is less choice of hotels here than in other areas, and I find it a bit too far away from the main sights, but as more hotels appear in Shinsekai, it might be somewhere you start considering.
After all, the b Osaka Shinsekai is here, boasting a Very Good 8.4 rating on booking.com and a location rating of 9.0.
You’ll also find the Hotel Wing International Premier Osaka Shinsekai, which has an Excellent 8.6 rating. The Spa World bathing complex also has its own hotel.
A couple of my friends have recently stayed around this area, and so I thought I’d ask them what they thought.
My friend Josie (who runs the travel blog Josie Wanders) stayed here when she was in Osaka attending the Osaka Expo, ‘I was looking for a central location in Osaka, close to transport links, without breaking the budget,’ she told me.’The northern part of Shinsekai was where I chose. We were still able to walk to Namba and down to the Abeno area – or both are just a metro stop or two away. I loved that we had a vibrant restaurant district right on our doorstep with so many local food options. I felt perfectly safe and would absolutely stay here again.’
So, that’s Shinsekai proper covered – but now let’s discuss a couple of the neighbouring areas you should also be aware of.
Explaining Nishinari
The south of Shinsekai borders Nishinari. And within this is an area called Airin-Chiku (formally known as Kamagasaki). This area has traditionally been a location for the unhoused (although the police have attempted to clear it for Expo 2025). It also contains a lot of budget lodgings for day workers.
Nishinari is like Shinsekai’s wayward cousin!
The crime rate here is higher than expected for Japan, and, aesthetically, it’s not what most tourists expect when they visit here, as it’s a bit run down, a bit grubbier than elsewhere, and you may find people sleeping on the street.
The area also has links to the yakuza, Japan’s organised crime groups, although they are extremely unlikely to bother tourists. There have also been some large conflicts with the police here (although, again, to put things in perspective, the last one was in 2008 while the G7 summit was in town).
The combination of all of the above means that many Japanese are very wary of this place, and this has given it the reputation of being dangerous.
Again, compared to some cities in the US, where you can turn the wrong corner and end up in an area you shouldn’t be in, you’re not going to stumble into Nishinari – and even if you do, it’s very unlikely that you’ll come to harm.
As one of the videos I watched when researching this piece said, ‘it might be a bad area for Japan, but it’s just like a normal area pretty much anywhere else.’ You just might not find the Japan you expect.
To get here from Shinsekai, you either need to walk through the underpass that traverses the main road south of Shinsekai or cross the main road here. If you find yourself doing either of these things and don’t want to enter Nishinari, just turn around.
The other reason you might end up here is if you get off at Shin Imimaya or Donbutsue Mae stations and leave via the wrong exits. Again, don’t stress too much. If you don’t see lots of busy bars, restaurants and the Tsukentaku Tower ahead of you, if it’s quiet and a bit run down, you’ve likely gone the wrong way, so just reverse your steps. But again, don’t panic!
Staying in Nishinari
Nishinari is home to some of Osaka’s cheapest hotels, and as such, it’s becoming somewhere tourists are booking to stay to save money.
I’m not saying don’t do that, but, again, do be aware that some parts of this might not look like the Japan you’re expecting, and make sure you read reviews of the hotel carefully, as some are a bit run down.
Personally, I wouldn’t stay here if I were a female travelling solo. Not because I think anything bad would happen, but because one of the nice things about staying in Japan is that I don’t feel on edge (although of course, I’m always aware of what’s going on) and staying around here wouldn’t allow me that privilege.
However, there are a lot of bars and restaurants in this area, and when I came through here on the Backstreets Osaka tour, this part of the area fascinated me. It’s very, very local, and I think if you spoke some basic Japanese, it would be a fantastic place to explore more. I might not expect every place to welcome tourists with open arms, but I’d like to try.
As it stands, with the police clearance of the unhoused for the Osaka Expo, the proposed demolition of the Airin Chiku community centre, where many people were sleeping rough, and the gentrification generally of the area, things will change in Nishinari. Maybe then, it will finally lose its reputation – but hopefully the areas above won’t lose all of their charm.
And Lastly…Tobita Shinchi
This is the other place around here that you might want to be aware of.
Tobita Shinchi is one of Japan’s many red light districts, but it is more overt. In my guide to what to expect in Kabukicho, (Tokyo’s biggest red light district), you’ll see that usually the raciest thing you’ll see from the street in one of Japan’s entertainment districts is a bit of cleavage on a sign – Tobita Shinchi is very different.
It’s more like Bangkok or Amsterdam, with girls in cute outfits sitting in the ‘teahouses/restaurants’ that they work in, waiting for customers. If this offends you, best avoid this area.
Although to be fair, it’s not an area you’re just going to stumble into; it’s far away from the tourist sights of Shinsekai, and there are no tourist-led hotels around here. There is a legitimate restaurant here – Taiyoshi Hyaku – which is in an old ‘teahouse’, but again, you’re unlikely to visit this without knowing its history – and, if you know its history, you might be less concerned about the area it’s in.
There are also some legitimate bars around here, but they’re tucked away from it all, so you’d be making a special visit to them. It’s not going to be somewhere you turn up with the family!
The only slight thing that might confuse some foodies is that the premises sell themselves as restaurants or tea houses, and you’ll even see the Tobita Shinchi Cuisine Association marked on the map, which could lead you to believe you’d found Osaka’s undiscovered gourmet hotspot. Believe me, these are not the type of tasty dish you are looking for!
What if you find this element of life interesting? Should you visit? I’m not sure. I found visiting this area interesting, and the guides on the tour did an excellent job of explaining a side of Japan that’s usually very, very hidden. However, I feel a bit uncomfortable about the idea of it becoming a tourist attraction, particularly without the control of a tour guide, and here’s why.
Unlike in Amsterdam and areas like Nana in Bangkok, the girls working here and the ladies who manage them did not want to be seen. If you do go down here, please be discreet and do not take photos.
More About the Backstreets Osaka Tour
This tour walks you through Shinsekai, Nishinari and Tobita Shinchi, explaining some of the less perfect parts of Japan. One concern here might be exploitation or poverty tourism, but they expressly do not go into the area of Nishinari, where the majority of those who sleep rough live to avoid that.
Instead, you’ll learn about the area and its history. You’ll discover why so many homes in Japan are being abandoned. They’ll discuss the yakuza, and yes, you’ll walk through Tobita Shinchi – but if you’d prefer not to, you can wait with the guide. They don’t walk you through there after a strongly worded discussion with some local gentlemen! It’s been agreed that the tourists can visit, though, and I felt perfectly safe!
I thought the whole tour was fascinating. It was pouring with rain on the night we went, yet we stayed for the whole thing. I’d actually like to do it again without an umbrella in front of my face! We didn’t book the dinner afterwards, but the reviews say that it’s actually a good idea as the tour guides join you and as people ask more questions, you learn even more about the mostly hidden parts of Japanese society.
So, there you have it – the good, the bad and the ugly of Shinsekai and the areas around it.
Remember, this place is ‘dangerous’ by Japanese standards, which is very different from cities like London, New York, Chicago, and even Sydney, which generally feels pretty safe. However, as when traveling anywhere you should always be aware of your surroundings and belongings, particularly if you’re at night or when traveling solo. If your safety ‘spider senses’ are tingling, listen to them – even if you are in Japan.
