In the middle of Osaka's busiest downtown area, Minami, there is a quiet and atmospheric alley that feels like a different space. As you enter the narrow alley from Sennichimae Shopping Street, you will be greeted by a wooden signboard reading ``Hozenji Yokocho''. As you step on the stone pavement sprinkled with refreshing water, the smell of incense sticks wafts from your left hand. At the end of the path, Mizukake Fudoson is enshrined. Many people sprinkle water with ladles to make a wish, so it is always covered with beautiful green moss. Since the Meiji period, Hozenji has been visited by a steady stream of pilgrims, and teahouses and restaurants have spontaneously sprung up in front of the temple, making it a place of entertainment. Until the early Showa era, there were two vaudeville theaters, and it became a mecca for rakugo and manzai. The area was destroyed by air raids during the Pacific War, but after the war it was revived as a entertainment area and the cobblestone streets were restored. Hozenji Yokocho has been the setting for many novels, movies, and songs. The attachment that Osakans have to Yokocho was proven during the 2002 fire. When news broke that the street had to be widened due to regulations under the Building Standards Act, 300,000 people quickly gathered signatures saying, ``We must not lose the atmosphere of the alley.'' Thanks to their enthusiasm, a special exemption was applied to leave the 2.7m alley in its original state. The alley, which has completely regained its former appearance, is lined with restaurants of all sizes, including famous Japanese cuisine, yakitori, oden, sushi, and bars, all of which are the pride of Osaka.