Kishiwada Shopping Arcade

Kishiwada Station Front Shopping Street is an arcade-style shopping street extending from in front of Kishiwada Station on the Nankai Railway. The arcade was first completed in 1963. Designed with an unusually high roof so that Kishiwada’s famous danjiri festival floats could pass through, it was said to be the tallest arcade in Japan at the time. In 1997, it was replaced by a second-generation arcade featuring a sliding ceiling that lets in natural light. The two entrance gates are decorated with stained-glass-style artwork depicting paper-cut images of the danjiri festival with Kishiwada Castle in the background. At night, the gates are illuminated, and their glowing appearance is beloved by local residents. Within the shopping street is also the site where the birthplace of Ayako Koshino and her three daughters—featured in the NHK morning drama “Carnation”—once stood. Today, it has been transformed into “Ayako Shokudo,” with the first floor operating as an eatery serving lunch and obanzai-style dishes, and the second floor opened as a museum. Nearby attractions include Kishiwada Castle and Kishiwada Tenjingu Shrine.