Hozenji Yokocho

This is one of the most historical temples in Japan. Located right in the centre of Osaka it is worth the visit to this temple. I would highly recommend you visit this temple while in Osaka. There is no entrance fee.

Located in the famous,and crowded Dotonbori area, this alleyway offer a serene atmosphere especially at night time. The front gate to the alleyway is really beautiful indeed. Inside not only you got to see an alleyway decorated with yellow light and lantern, you can also enjoy meals from various restaurants.

Hozenji Yokocho is the absolute perfect antidote to the overwhelming energy of Dotonbori. Located literally just a one-minute walk from the giant neon signs and crowds, stepping into this narrow, stone-paved alley feels like traveling back in time to old Osaka. It’s my favorite spot in the city to escape and find a real sense of place. The atmosphere is everything. The cobblestone lane is softly lit by traditional lanterns at night, creating a quiet, intimate, and incredibly romantic vibe. The star of the show is the famous "Mizukake Fudō," a moss-covered Buddhist statue that visitors gently pour water over for good luck. It’s serene, beautiful, and feels genuinely sacred. Don't let the calm fool you—this tiny alley is packed with some of Osaka's best food. It’s home to about 60 traditional restaurants and bars, many of which are legendary. You can find incredible okonomiyaki, high-end yakiniku, Michelin-starred kushiage (fried skewers), and cozy standing bars. It’s a foodie’s dream hidden in plain sight. Pro Tips: · Visit at dusk to see the lanterns light up—it’s pure magic. · Look up! The wooden gate at the west entrance is missing a stroke in the middle character, a famous quirk left by a comedian. · Do pay your respects at the mossy Fudō statue. It’s a unique and memorable local tradition. In a city that never stops moving, Hozenji Yokocho is a peaceful, historical, and delicious pause. It’s not just a side street; it’s an essential Osaka experience. I recommend it to every friend who visits.

Update (December 2025): This restaurant has permanently closed. 法善寺横丁 Wasabi / Hozenji Yokocho Wasabi 📍 1 Chome-1-17 Namba, Chuo Ward, Osaka 🗓 Visited: January 2025 This restaurant appeared to operate with a “foreigner menu, foreigner price” approach, which already set a less-than-ideal tone. Food: The kushikatsu skewers lacked variety & the batter was disappointing — overly hard rather than light, crispy & tender as one would expect from good Osaka-style kushikatsu. Service: Service felt passive. Used plates were not cleared before new dishes arrived & tea refills had to be requested instead of being offered proactively. Atmosphere: The space was extremely small & cramped. Once seated, moving in or out was awkward & often required other guests to shift their chairs, which made the experience uncomfortable. Overall, it fell short on food quality, service attentiveness & comfort

20/04/24 Sat night we were there as the last guests around 19:30 something, didn't make the reservation but just walk-in. With my rusty Japanese I asked if possible to have dinner of two, very friendly owner clean up the counter and welcome us. We had 10 dishes as we thought should be enough quantity of food. Even everything dishes are deep fried. I can still taste the flavor of the ingredients! Pity we didn't find it earlier, or we could try another menu that contains more dishes. In the end we had a little chat with the owner, as we're the last guests. Very nice experience and warm hospitality I will not forget. ありがとうございます!!

I always recommend this place to people visiting Osaka. It’s such a hidden gem, a calm quiet amongst the chaos of Dotonbori. Any little bar you go into will be amazing.

Like a secret passage. This area is full of passages and all of them are full of nice restaurants. A magical place that is a must visit every time you come to Osaka.

This was an incredible experience. I have been to 60 countries and many of the "Top 50" restaurants in the world and this was an experience that was better than many of those restaurants. I would recommend they add truffle salt to the table, and more fresh wasabi ... Other than that pure delight and joy and perfection.

Ordered my Tendon along with my party. Then slowly one by one comes out and yeah mines should've come out. NOPE! 3, THREE other tables that came in and of course ordered after me, ALL got there food orders before. Looked over where the lady finally started to fry my tempura order. No gomen nee, no acknowledgment at all.

My friend and I ate here and he said it was the best meal of his trip! I liked the katsudon a lot it was in a pan and it is hot and made to order. Restaurant is small but service is fast and we sat the the bar

We searched Yelp and saw high ratings. Found this place and sat down. What a cold feeling we got for the couple who worked at this place. Then we ordered and had to pay right away, really wierd for a restaurant. After we paid, treated us almost like prisioners. The male yelled at my wife in a rude tone and said don't use sanitized wipes. The smell The servings were very skimpy and katsu don was watery like a soup.

Off the beaten path only 2 things on the menu cook and server very rude. They don't serve water only tea. Small place looks run down maybe in the past it might have been good and happening. Food is mediocre. There are many better places to have tonkatsu.

Awesome. Off the beaten path. Small back alley way. Cutest little intimate 10 seat Katsu restaurant. Warm welcome. Cold beers. And OMG. And fast service

Loved this version of katsudon! Definitely more soupy than I was expecting but I prefer it that way (and maybe that's why they didn't top it directly over the rice). The pork cutlet was super tender and served with half cooked egg and a very generous serving of semi-sweet broth. It's a tiny shop but we got there right before they closed and there was no line.

Mediocre katsu place for cheap Accidentally found this place on yelp, saw that it had 4.5 stars and decided to go in for a try. I ordered the egg katsu. Even though I've never had authentic katsu before, I was disappointed. The fried pork itself tasted very good. Well seasoned, but it was served in a udon soup like base topped with an egg. Since the katsu was sitting in a broth, it turned soggy. The udon soup was a bit too sweet for me, but I liked the egg over it.

In my trip at Japan, I was always searching for great curry/katsu. I found this little hole in the wall place while looking on yelp. It was a bit of weaving to find it but alas!! I got the curry katsu and added an egg. When I asked for an egg it came on the side RAW. I was dumbfounded LOL I was expecting a half boiled or over easy but I was like Ohhhhh shhh so I threw it in with the curry and mixed it up! Curry was on point and the katsu was nice and crispy. Wish it had more rice! I miss Japan already & these mini restaurants!!

Highly highly highly recommend! Keep in mind that the broth that the Katsudon is sitting in, is a bit on the sweet side! I ordered the double egg and did not regret it one bit. If you have a small appetite, make sure to order the single egg as it is not recommended to take your leftovers to-go. Price is average and cash only.

One of the best meals we had in Osaka. The cook and his staff made you feel welcome. I had their egg katsu don and it was like food orgasm with every bite. It was just oishi meaning delicious. My sons both had the katsu curry. And my husband had the katsu nabe curry which was a bit spicy but really good too. I wish I could go back to Osaka and eat at this place again.

One of the best meals I had in Japan. I love katsu curry so my wife and I shared a plate and It was great. This place is super small but has a lot of character and when you think of small eateries in Japan, this is the first thing that comes to mind. You sit at the bar, and the chef cooks in front of you. The katsudon is done in the matter of minutes. My mouth is watering just thinking about this. My only complaint was that I didn't order one for myself instead of sharing a set. Go if you're in Osaka!

I really liked the setting of this Katsudon place - simple. Come in, order, eat quickly, leave. No time to dilly dally. While this place offers some great options such as curry and egg katsudon, the boyfriend and I opted for just a regular plate of katsudon with rice and some miso soup. The pork was cooked very nicely, and despite not feeling very well (walking in oppressive heat + dehydration = worst), my stomach opened up to make room for this dish. It was light, crunchy, and delicious. Truthfully, I doubt I'll come back to Osaka with the rest of the country to explore - but if I have friends who decide to come here, I'd definitely recommend this place.

I think the katsu here is very average. I do not think it is not good, it is just very average. When I finally got here at around 5:15pm the chef was eating and the girl at the counter actually prepared the katsu curry. The katsu was of 1/4 inch thick and tasted ok, it was not fantastic it was just ok. The curry sauce also tasted ok, not ultra yummy. It's ok. The seating is very cramped. You have to body touch everyone just to scrape by to the tiny rest room. Super difficult to find since there is no sign that says "KATSU DON HERE!!!".

This place was hard to find! Apple maps gave us the run around. A local actually pointed us right to the place and thank goodness for him! Place was so yummy' and great on the price! You pay first and we spent about $14 US for two people! More than enough food.

This place is tucked away in a side street of Dotonburi. It's like a secret alley filled with a lot of yummy restaurants. The restaurant itself is very small with only three people working. They only have counter seats, so it's not good for group dining. I had their Curry Katsudon. It was nice and juicy without being too oily. The rice was perfect, and the curry was very flavorful. They have an English menu, but the process are on the Japanese menu. You have to pay before you eat. Overall, a good meal for a reasonable price.

Very small place located in an alley. Had some difficulty finding it but was so glad our group of 10 (we took every seat in the place) were able to experience this great restaurant. We all had katsudon. Very generous portions with quick service. Hands down the best meal of our entire three week trip to Japan.

Amazing Hole-in-the-wall Katsudon place in Dontonburi. One of the best katsudon places i've had in Japan. Down one of the side alleyways of dontonburi, which surprisingly has very little good places to just get katsudons. No English menu, but plenty of pictures for foreigners to order from. Orders come in single servings of Katsu (first price you see) and double serving (second more expensive price you see).

This place was bomb AF. The guy who works here was so nice and let us in even though they were closing in 5 minutes (we suck!). We had the cheese Katsu and it was to die for. Def. Recommend.

This is a great small local shop for katsudon (deep fried breaded pork cutlet over rice) in the Osaka/Dotonbori area. They offer several varieties of katsudon. We got the egg katsudon and curry katsudon. We both liked the egg katsudon the best. The shop is very small with a single counter where you can see the chef prepare you meal. It is cozy, filled with locals and was a great way to end our trip to Japan, sitting in a small shop, eating like the locals. There is an English menu here with pictures. We realized after ordering that some of the locals were adding cheese on their katsudons. We sort of missed out on this opportunity, but we really enjoyed our dishes nonetheless. Since it's a small shop, you are expected to be on your way after you finish your food. The tonkatsu is breaded much thinner here than the dedicated tonkatsu shops that primarily serve tonkatsu which typically have a thicker panko-based crust. The egg katsudon is essentially tonkatsu (deep fried breaded pork cutlet) with egg, scallions and a dashi-based sauce/soup on top. The sauce makes the crisp tonkatsu less crisp, but this is the way that it is served. This was served in a small metal skillet and the rice was served separately in another bowl. The dashi-based sauce/soup is savory and a bit sweet. It really accompanies the rice well, making you eat more of the rice. If you have had oyakodon (chicken and egg over rice) before, you will find this sauce readily familiar. My wife and I loved the sauce. She normally orders oyakodon, but she really enjoyed the egg katsudon here. The curry katsudon was tonkatsu served over rice with a curry sauce on top. It was good but not as good as the egg katsudon because of the sauce. The curry sauce is different than the curry that you find at other restaurants that primarily serve curry. There is a hint of Japanese worcestershire sauce in the curry sauce here. This was a little unexpected since I was expecting the typical Japanese curry that is served everywhere in Japan. The hint of Japanese worcestershire sauce, however, does not come as a surprise since tonkatsu restaurants typically served their deep fried pork cutlets with a Japanese worcestershire sauce (which is sweeter and less astringent than the western counterpart). We would get the egg katsudon again but would probably not order the curry katsudon here again.