Shinsaibashi to Shitenno-ji, Osaka: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from Shinsaibashi to Shitenno-ji in Osaka: 5 stops, about 4.3 km, about 60 minutes of walking plus about 30 minutes of listening. Start under the roof of Shinsaibashi-suji, the shopping street that grew around a bridge and a kimono shop of the mid-eighteenth century, later the Daimaru department store. Walk south to the neon of Dotonbori, the canal begun in 1612 that once held six kabuki and five bunraku theaters, then east to Nipponbashi, where the old Kishu Kaido crossed the water. Head south to Shinsekai, opened in 1912 around the Tsutenkaku tower, and finish at Shitenno-ji, the temple tied to Prince Shotoku.
- Stops:
- 5
- Distance:
- about 4.3 km
- Walking:
- about 60 min
- Listening:
- about 30 min
Two ways to do this walk
Osaka with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsShinsaibashi to Shitenno-ji, Osaka: how long does the walk take?
About 90 minutes in all: about 60 minutes on foot over about 4.3 km, plus about 30 minutes of audio at the 5 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Shinsaibashi to Shitenno-ji, Osaka: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori, Nipponbashi, Shinsekai, and Shitenno-ji. The longest stretch between two stops is about 2.0 km, about 27 min on foot.
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
To get to the first stop, or if you’re far from the route, Google Maps has walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
Osaka’s covered shopping street, named for a bridge, where a kimono shop of the mid-1700s grew into the Daimaru department store.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Dotonbori · about 0.6 km, about 7 min on foot
Stop 2
The canal district of neon signs and street food, begun in 1612, once home to six kabuki and five bunraku theaters and known as the Nation’s Kitchen.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Nipponbashi · about 0.5 km, about 7 min on foot
Stop 3
The bridge that carried the old Kishu Kaido over the Dotonbori, rebuilt from wood to iron to steel; its old corner posts still stand at the bridgehead.
about 5 min of audio
Next stop: Shinsekai · about 2.0 km, about 27 min on foot
Stop 4
The New World district, opened in 1912 on former exposition grounds around the Tsutenkaku tower, home of the lucky Billiken and the Janjan Yokocho lane.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Shitenno-ji · about 1.3 km, about 17 min on foot
Stop 5
One of the seven great temples said to have been founded by Prince Shotoku, with its gate, pagoda, main hall and lecture hall in one straight line.
about 7 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Planning a trip to Osaka?
Get your plan
Mappu sketches your days free in the chat, no account needed. Then take the full plan with you:
- Weekend trip, €9.99: Your day-by-day plan plus 2 live walks
- Save your trip’s free guides on your phone in the Mappu app: they play with no signal
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Plan more days in Osaka
These day-by-day Mappu itineraries include Osaka. The day links open the days that visit stops on this walk.
Useful for your visit
Tickets, tours and practical extras for this trip, from Mappu's partners.
- Dōtonbori: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Shinsekai: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Dōtonbori: boat tripViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
Partner links (Airalo, Amazon, Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Klook, Tiqets, Trip.com, Viator, Welcome Pickups): if you book or buy through them, Mappu may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Route checked by Mappu on October 31, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.