Hozenji Yokocho 法善寺横丁

Hidden away off the main thoroughfare, Hozenji Yokocho evolved into a placid retreat for a more refined clientele. As popular tastes shifted increasingly to movies, the alley’s two rakugo theaters quietly upheld traditions that had entertained generations of Osaka citizens with verbal virtuosity. In the bars and restaurants of Hozenji Yokocho, rakugo storytellers mingled freely with patrons of their art, along with actors from the theaters of Dotonbori.

Classic Hozenji Yokocho restaurants feature kappo “cut and cook” cuisine, which offers the culinary sophistication of traditional multi-course kaiseki-ryori in a more intimate, less formal atmosphere, usually with counter seating.

Mossy Statue, Handwritten Signs

As Dotonbori businesses became known over the decades for extravagant, eye-catching signage, Hozenji Yokocho embraced a more understated aesthetic, remaining an alley of wooden storefronts and unobtrusive red lanterns instead of neon signs.

At the western end of the street, outside the temple, stands a statue of the Buddhist guardian deity Fudo Myo-o (Acala), covered with a thick coat of green moss. This moss is kept fresh and healthy by a steady stream of worshipers who scoop fresh spring water onto the statue before praying for success in commercial endeavors.

The east and west entrances to Hozenji Yokocho are marked by large wooden signs in calligraphy by local luminaries—to the east, rakugo master Katsura Harudanji III; to the west, Fujiyama Kanbi, comic actor of stage and screen. Fujiyama’s sign is famous for a missing stroke in the character for zen (meaning “good”), and many explanations have been offered for why. Some say it tacitly urges patrons to ask their bartender for “one more!” while others claim that Fujiyama himself cheekily remarked, “I’m not that good” as he took up the brush. The true reason is lost to history.