Really, if I had a yen for every time I had an email asking me to put more photos of Osaka on the blog, I'd have four yen.

So, in response to a recent email that came flooding in (from Germany), here are some photos taken about town. However, this part of town is pretty unique. It's a neighbourhood in Osaka called Shinsekai (New World), though in reality it's really rather old.

It was built in 1912 and, wandering through its narrow alleyways, past the tiny eating establishments and cheap clothes shops, you quickly realise that "redevelopment" is a word that probably no one here has ever heard of. Not just because they don't speak English. Though some of them do. Maybe. I can't be certain though. What I mean is, Roppongi Hills it ain't.

The Lonely Planet advises visitors to Shinsekai to "keep their wits about them" as it's "the closest thing in Japan to a dangerous neighbourhood." It's all relative I guess.

In London, a dangerous neighbourhood is where hoodies lurk in the shadows with freshly sharpened knives concealed down their trousers.

In New York, a dangerous neighbourhood is where gun-toting crackheads settle scores with a bullet between the eyes.

In Japan, a dangerous neighbourhood is where oba-sans hold Japanese radishes in an ambiguous way.

Shinsekai is a lot of things, but it's not a danger zone....


....unless being blinded by its dazzling colours is a cause for concern.


Apparently the design of the area took inspiration from Paris and New York.

This'll be the Eiffel Tower then....


Tsutenkaku (The Tower Reaching Heaven)


And Central Park, perhaps?


Central Park is well-known for being green, like these leaves.


What Shinsekai is really known for is its kushikatsu restaurants.....




....which, for the uninitiated, looks a lot like this....


Heart-attack-inducing food on a stick.


The prices in Shinsekai are jaw-dropping....




....as are the fashions....




Just as Scotland has the Loch Ness Monster, this part of Osaka also has its very own rarely seen beast - the Shinsekai Ogre.

By an incredible stroke of luck, as I explored the streets of this fascinating area, I glimpsed what I'm almost certain was the ogre itself as it galloped along a highway close to the subway station.

In order to make verification impossible, I took the obligatory shaky shot. The resulting picture was bang on the money....




I then decided to make verification possible....


The Shinsekai Ogre


There's no doubt that a lot of businesses in Shinsekai have seen better days....




While others, judging by the large number of men entering the premises, continue to do a roaring trade....


An art-house cinema currently showing a movie about a Russian woman in a state of near-undress. I'm guessing it's a romantic comedy.


Besides the numerous watering holes....




....there are also many shogi shops....


Shogi - a board game not at all like Monopoly.


....and even some street theatre.....


After a decade of trying, a puppeteer on the verge of conceding that he may never be able to untangle the strings of his beloved puppet.


But what I found really heartwarming in Shinsekai was the shop owners' conscientious attitude towards their use of English....




The people of Shinsekai - they like to get it right.


Generally, the pace of life here is slow.....real slow.....






And just as I was starting to really enjoy this colourful neighbourhood, I caught the eye of an oba-san who seemed like she wanted to start something....


Beware of radish-wielding oba-sans in the Shinsekai area.

Radish hazards aside, I'd say Shinsekai is definitely worth a look. But hurry - who knows how long it'll be before its residents start to hear the word "redevelopment". In Japanese, of course.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 02, 2008 at 8:51 pm. You can skip to the end and leave a response.