新梅田食道街 春駒 at Umeda, Osaka

A counter-only sushi institution in Shin-Umeda Shokudogai since 1951, serving seasonal nigiri and fish cookery.

Harukoma is a long-established sushi counter sitting roughly midway through the Shin-Umeda Shokudogai - the characterful covered food street that runs beneath the JR Osaka Station viaducts - and it has been turning out sushi since 1951, making it one of the arcade's oldest names. The shop is known for its careful sourcing of fresh, seasonal fish displayed in a showcase and for an L-shaped counter where the itamae's hands and knife do the talking. Regulars point to the natural sea bream from the Seto Inland Sea, steamed on kelp so its rich broth can be sipped afterwards, as a signature worth seeking out. The compact, counter-only room keeps the experience intimate and is best suited to sushi lovers who enjoy watching the work and chatting with the chef, rather than large groups. Seasonal fish cookery rounds out the menu - a winter-only kasu-jiru made with a careful blend of sake lees that is mild and easy to drink, and summer matsutake dobin-mushi - alongside the nigiri course itself, which puts that season's catch front and centre. The shop opens for evening service and rests on Sundays and holidays, in keeping with the arcade's rhythm. For old-school Umeda sushi in a setting that has barely changed in seven decades, Harukoma is a quietly treasured stop. Let Go Umeda guide you into the food-street maze, take a counter seat, and let the chef's steady hand do the rest.