Just like prospective chefs on the hunt for cookware in Osaka all head to Sennichimae’s Doguyasuji shopping arcade, food professionals hungry for inspiration in written form flock to the venerable Namiya Shobo bookstore on Namba Nankai street. Stocking what’s undoubtedly the city’s best selection of food-related tomes, the shop has been contributing to local culinary culture since 1919. Besides an awe-inspiring line-up of washoku literature, you’ll find publications on everything from French and Italian cooking to books focusing on single ingredients and obscure cooking techniques.
Namiya Shobo’s selection lives according to the needs and desires of local chefs. When someone requests the addition of a specific book, the shop orders two copies – one for the customer, another for the collection – and adds the spare book to the thousands that line the lengthy shelves. Browsing them is an adventure in itself, and you don’t have to be an industry insider to appreciate many of the offerings, including writings on culinary cultures around the world, food-themed essays and good old cookbooks aimed at amateurs.