Kuchinawazaka Slope

Kuchinawa-zaka is one of the “Tennoji Seven Slopes.” From north to south, these are: Shingon-zaka, Genshōji-zaka, Kuchinawa-zaka, Aizen-zaka, Kiyomizu-zaka, Tenjin-zaka, and Ōsaka. Osaka City is known for having relatively few hills; it is said that slopes exist mainly on the Uemachi Plateau spreading south from Osaka Castle, and all of the Tennoji Seven Slopes are located on this plateau. As for the origin of the name Kuchinawa-zaka, one theory says the slope looks like a snake (kuchinawa) when viewed from below; another says it was the starting point (“kuch”) for rope surveying (nawauchi) when Osaka Castle was built. Kuchinawa-zaka is also known as the setting of the novel *Ki no Miyako* by Osaka-born writer Sakunosuke Oda, and at the top of the slope stands the “Sakunosuke Oda Literary Monument.” If you go by train, it’s a good idea to head from Osaka Metro Shitennōji-mae Yūhigaoka Station toward the slope and descend on the Machiyamachi-suji side. From Machiyamachi-suji to Nipponbashi (the electronics district) is about a 7–8 minute walk.