Namba

Namba is an area in the Chuo District of Osaka City, Japan. It is the two major commercial and shopping districts in Osaka along with Umeda near Osaka Station. Compared with Umeda, which represents "north", Namba is a popular and prosperous district that represents "south". The "Namba City" at Nankai Namba Station is a shopping area with extremely convenient transportation. There are nearly 300 shops including boutiques and restaurants. In addition, there are many restaurants specializing in Osaka civilian dishes around the subway Namba Station; the underground is also a bustling business district, with many specialty shops and their own dedicated homepages. Namba is the main transportation hub in southern Osaka. It is the terminus of several railway lines, including the Nankai Electric Railway and the Kintetsu-Namba Line. The West Japan Railway Company and the Osaka Municipal Subway also have a Namba station. Starting from Namba Station, it is also very convenient to go to popular sightseeing spots such as Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara. Namba is also a famous entertainment city. There are "Kabuki" (one of the traditional Japanese dramas) professional theater ─Shin Kabukiza, as well as the theater with many comedians and Yoshimoto Kogyo ─ Namba Okazuki. On the west side of Okazuki is the Yoshimoto Kogyo Company Building, which houses the Osaka Prefectural Museum of Performing Arts above the Waha Square, and a performance hall with 307 seats.