I had some business at Nishinari Ward Office and decided to walk to Shinsekai afterwards. I passed through Janjan Yokocho and reached the main street of Tsutenkaku, but all the shops were closed. I saw a notice at Azuma Shokudo stating their business hours are from 11am to 5pm. When I went to Yamatoya 5th store, the shop was open but they were still preparing. I was told that they start serving alcohol from 11am onwards, and it seemed like more than two-thirds of the shops in Shinsekai were closed. I chatted with the staff for a while and then left the shop. I also tried a bite-sized castella cake in front of Tsutenkaku as a souvenir of my visit to Shinsekai. Although I have visited the main store for various purchases, this was my first time getting a takeout. It was delicious and I think it will be a nice addition to my dining table tonight.

It's the second day of my Osaka whirlwind trip! I've arrived at Tsutenkaku Tower and discovered a Osaka specialty manju with "Osaka famous" written on it right at the base of the tower!! I bought a few packs of the bell-shaped manju with 3 pieces each for myself and as souvenirs. The sweetness of the castella dough is just right. Inside, there is smooth red bean paste. I used to prefer chunky red bean paste, but lately I've come to appreciate the smooth kind too. However, I think I prefer it to have a lighter texture. I like it better when it's lightly warmed rather than eating it as is. It's just a delicious, ordinary manju in the shape of a bell! (laughs) But, since it has a long shelf life, it's perfect for souvenirs (*'ω'*)

"I am a satisfied ninja who just had katsu udon at 'Aburaya', but I realized that I haven't bought any souvenirs for this Osaka trip. With only 15 minutes left until the meeting time, I hurriedly walked to Tsutenkaku. I remembered my senior who used to work in Osaka saying, 'If you want to buy souvenirs in Shinsekai, I recommend 'Tsuri Kane Manju'.' I couldn't find it around Tsutenkaku, so I asked a taxi driver waiting for customers. He told me, 'It's over there, that shop sells it.' The shop's name was 'YUME YUKO'S SHOP', and I finally noticed the sign for Tsuri Kane Manju. I bought only two packs of three Tsuri Kane Manju as souvenirs for my family. Now, I can proudly return to Tokushima. On my way to the meeting place, let's go home! When I got home and tried the Tsuri Kane Manju, I found out that it's a bell-shaped steamed bun. I researched and learned that it was modeled after the Daibonsho at Shitennoji Temple, which was 7.8m tall, 4.8m in diameter, and weighed 157 tons. Unfortunately, it was not preserved due to metal collection orders during the war, but the old bell tower remains as a memorial hall. The Tsuri Kane Manju has red bean paste inside the castella dough, with just the right amount of sweetness, making it a perfect tea snack. My partner also enjoyed it. Buying it based on my senior's recommendation was definitely the right choice. Thank you for the meal! Ninja out ==========="

Chocomanto ==========

The chocolate dessert was delicious and rich.

One of my childhood memories is the taste of a bite-sized castella from Tsuriyane Hompo. But my favorite is the Basho. It's a banana-shaped traditional Japanese sweet with white bean paste inside, subtly flavored like banana. Once you try the banana castella here, you won't be able to eat any other. It's dense and satisfying. On this day, it was Jyunka-tenjin. I'm not sure about the usual price, but it says two bags for 500 yen. It must be a better deal than usual. One bag is for sharing with friends at their shop. The other bag I shared with a friend. I wonder how many I ate? I couldn't stop eating them.

So, I came to Tsutenkaku for a casual stroll in the city and found the perfect dessert, a Castella Banana Tastes. I purchased it for 87 yen including tax from Tsurigane-ya Honpo. As expected, it had a nice banana scent and when I ate it, not only was the Castella good, but there was also a gentle texture and sweetness from the red bean paste inside. It was delicious! Thank you for visiting and reading! Release 2016. Nankaihawks1’s Gourmet Guide. Nankaihawks1’s blog. http://hawks1.exblog.jp/

The origin of the bell-shaped manju is said to have started when it was first sold in front of Shitenno-ji Temple. Shitenno-ji Temple is considered to be the oldest temple in Japan, built by Prince Shotoku. The bell, which is no longer present due to being donated during World War II, continues to be represented in its unchanged form. You can enjoy the moist taste of Hokkaido red beans and the finest ground sweet bean paste wrapped in a soft kasutera dough. The main store is also located near Tsutenkaku, but this shop is conveniently located near Tsutenkaku, making it easy to purchase as a souvenir.

Below the Tsutenkaku Tower, there is a souvenir shop that sells ice cream. They offer ice pops for 100 yen and ice monaka for 200 yen. I was drawn to the sesame ice monaka, which is shaped like the tower's iconic bell-shaped manju. The monaka was surprisingly light and crispy, easy to bite into, with a hint of sweetness in the delicious outer shell. It was much tastier than regular soft serve ice cream cones, highlighting the unique appeal of the monaka. I highly recommend trying this over the usual soft serve ice cream! [Visited again in August 2014] This time, I tried the strawberry flavor. The ice cream machine looked familiar, similar to the one at Sujata's. However, Sujata's ice cream is priced the same everywhere, making the monaka a better deal due to its delicious taste. They offer flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, black sesame, and matcha. If you enjoy these flavors, be sure to give it a try!

YUKO’S SHOP is located directly beneath Ebisucho Station on the Sakaisuji Line subway, in the southeast of Tsutenkaku. It is the branch store of the main shop, Tsurigane-ya Honpo, which was established in Meiji 33. The branch store has been transformed into a cute shop with a new name. They sell bell-shaped sweets called Tsurigane manju, as well as various souvenirs, ice candies, and ice cream sandwiches. I had breakfast at Trusty Osaka Abeno and then went for a walk in Shinsekai on the second day in Tennoji. It was a hot day, and I came across ice cream sandwiches, which I bought for a reasonable price of ¥200. The flavors available were matcha, black sesame, chocolate, and strawberry, and I chose matcha. The ice cream sandwich was shaped like a bell, similar to the famous manju, with a cup of cream inside. The cream was dispensed hygienically using a machine, and the staff was friendly and cute. The matcha flavor was mild and not too sweet, perfect for a light dessert. In 2012, Tsutenkaku will celebrate its 100th anniversary with various events. I took a free shuttle bus from Tsutenkaku back to Namba, which was quite popular and required some luck to get a seat. Luckily, I managed to get a spot on the bus and enjoyed some delicious snacks on my way home.