Time Out has once again revealed the most vibrant and exciting places on the planet by way of the World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods ranking. And while Tokyo’s Jimbocho scoring the No. 1 spot may grab most of the headlines in Japan, we’re also thrilled to report that Osaka’s Nakatsu cracks the top 10 on the 2025 list.
Each year in our annual Time Out Index, we ask our network of writers and editors across a breadth of cities to nominate the most happening district in their hometown right now. We then rank every spot against criteria including culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink and street life to get a definitive list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods. This year, Nakatsu stormed up to No. 8 in the worldwide rankings, and we think the credit’s well-deserved.
A mere 10-minute walk from the glistening glass-and-steel towers and luxury hotels of Umeda, Osaka’s business and shopping hub (and the home of Time Out Market), Nakatsu looks like a remnant of a different era. A retro shopping street winds its way through a compact district made up of an incongruous variety of small wooden houses, mom-and-pop shops and ancient shrines set along narrow, cluttered alleys enlivened by often chaotic clusters of potted plants.
That frozen-in-time look, however, belies a beehive of creative activity. One of the city’s most ethnically diverse communities, Nakatsu boasts a fast-growing crop of quirky boutiques, tiny upstart eateries, stand bars and cafés, plus Osaka Food Lab, a makeshift space underneath the railway tracks where up-and-coming local chefs come to try out their most experimental concepts.
It’s also a neighbourhood best explored now – before that minimal distance to the city’s most moneyed parts becomes a liability. Start with a kissaten breakfast at 42195 Coffee before sauntering down the central Nakatsu Shotengai to admire the old-school signage and fascinating architectural mishmash. After basking in the midday calm at Tomishima Shrine, grab some Sri Lankan curry for lunch at long-running favourite Cante Grande.
In the afternoon, power up with coffee and a dainty bean paste-filled treat at Anconohi, browse fire Osaka fits at Ima:Zine and see what’s on at creative hub Kita no Kitanagaya. When hunger strikes, choose your own ingredients and have them turned into a delicious dinner on the spot at Goody, a local supermarket with an in-house cooking service. Follow up by downing a few drinks on your feet at Japoni before settling in for a long night at Ikoi, a quintessential Osaka izakaya.
For more, check out the full list of the World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods for 2025.
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