Mostly unknown to foreigners, the historic neighbourhood of Jinaimachi in Osaka is an ideal destination to go back in time, while avoiding the crowds of other more popular destinations. Founded in the 16th century, the neighbourhood was mostly occupied by merchants.
To get your bearings from Tondabayashi station, my recommendation is to go to the information center, located in front of the station, where you can get a map of the neighborhood. My visit was during the hina matsuri, or dolls festival in March, so I was able to put my map aside and follow the other visitors. It's only after completing a loop that I got my map out to check some of streets that I missed. A quick tour of the neighborhood can be done in an hour, but if you take the time to look at architectural details on the historic buildings, take some pictures and enter the stores and open buildings, you might be surprised how fast two hours can go by.
More than half the buildings here are traditional, and most of them have been built between the Edo Era in 1603 and 1965. With time, many architectural details have changed, like the shape of the window of the second story, but most of the buildings are made of wood and have white walls. The preservation effort is visible even in some of the more recent constructions that respect the traditional style. You will be able to have a close look on details of the architecture, like the complex roof that are piles up as well as the detail in the tiles, or woodworking techniques like Shou Sugi Ban, where the planks are partially burned, a feature that is especially visible on some recent pieces, but that you will also start to notice it on older planks that got darker with time.
Even if you don't have a map, don't worry, if you leave the neighbourhood you will quickly see a change in the architecture and when you walk on the boundary, you will see modern buildings on one side, and traditional on the other.
There is some restaurants and cafes in he neighborhood, but it might be easier to eat before or after your visit. Half a day is enough to complete a visit and the other half of the day could easily be spent in Tennoji (Abenobashi), the terminus of the Kintetsu Railway that links Tondabayashi and the city of Osaka.
There is many events during the year, so you should check the official website before visiting.
