OSAKA – A fire broke out Friday at a shopping street near Tsutenkaku Tower, a popular tourist attraction in the western Japanese city of Osaka, but no injuries were reported and the blaze was brought under control.
Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows smoke rising after fire broke out in a building near Osaka’s landmark Tsutenkaku Tower on Jan. 9, 2026. (Kyodo)
The operator of the 108-meter tower said the outdoor observatory and other facilities were unaffected by the incident.
Police said the fire started in a three-story wooden building, where a butcher shop occupied the first floor and a meat-processing workspace on the second. Three employees who were inside the building at the time evacuated on their own.
A person familiar with the building’s operations said the fire may have started after a pot was left on a stove on the second floor and spread to the wall. Police are investigating the cause.
An emergency call reporting smoke was made at about 10:35 a.m. The area was soon filled with smoke as authorities set up cordons, with some tourists seen watching from nearby.
The fire was brought under control about 90 minutes later.
AloJapan.com