Around 10 minutes east on foot from Umeda, Nakazakicho is Osaka’s cool café central, packed with coffeeshops and little lunch eateries occupying the most beautifully renovated old homes, warehouses and small neighbourhood factories. But even here, Taiyo no To Bekkan stands out with its ultra-hip interior and imaginative sweets.
Hidden away at the end of a somewhat shady-looking alley, the self-proclaimed ‘annex’ to Taro Okamoto’s world-famous ‘Tower of the Sun’ sculpture is set in a traditional kominka house with purple walls and colourful but still understated décor. There are 80 seats across the café’s three floors, and each storey is kitted out in different hues.
On the dessert menu, the Showa aesthetic of Japan’s golden days back in the 1960s and ’70s meets a modern pop sensibility. The custard pudding à la Mode features ice cream and pieces of fruit arranged tantalisingly around the main attraction, topped with whipped cream and a candied cherry, while the Tanuki Cake offers a creative, chocolate-covered representation of the beloved raccoon dog.