Tobita Shinchi (飛田新地), also known as Tobita Yūkaku (飛田遊廓), is the largest of the brothel districts in Osaka, and also the largest in western Japan. It is located in the Sanno 3-chōme area of Nishinari-ku, Osaka. Tobita Shinchi dates from the Taishō period. To circumvent the anti-prostitution laws, the brothels operate largely under the guise of being "Japanese-style restaurants" (Ryoutei).
Tobita Shinchi street
Taiyoshi Hyaku in 2006
Shinsekai is an old neighbourhood located next to south Osaka City's downtown "Minami" area. The neighbourhood was created in 1912 with New York as a model for its southern half and Paris for its northern half. At this location, a Luna Park amusement park operated from 1912 until it closed in 1923. The centrepiece of the neighbourhood was Tsutenkaku Tower.
Tsutenkaku Tower is a prominent landmark in Shinsekai
Original Tsutenkaku Tower, with Shinsekai Luna Park in the foreground, c. 1912
Aerial tramway connecting the original Tsutenkaku Tower with Luna Park, Osaka in Shinsekai, in the 1910s
Lantern advertising fugu restaurant Zubora-ya [ja] in Shinsekai