Osaka Nightlife

Erika thought it would be interesting to post a few pictures of crowded Japanese streets as that’s not something usually seen stateside.  To be fair, these are from Osaka which is a pretty busy city, but most metropolitan areas in Japan share similar qualities.

Above you can see A crowded side street in Osaka.  The mixture of people includes folks headed home from work, out to dinner with friends, or maybe a quick shopping stop before a party or a weekend away.

  Here’s a shot from a popular weekend destination, Doutonbori. The street gets its name from its founder, who first opened a Kabuki theater on the shores of the nearby river in 1617.

Shortly thereafter the new Tokugawa shogunate declared this Osaka’s entertainment district, solidifying it’s place in history.

This billboard, affectionately known at the Glico Man, has been an Osaka landmark since the early 1920s, the “mascot” of a food company of the same name.

  This guy was a mascot for a restaraunt but I can’t remember the style of food. Bottom line is this area is rife with food memorabilia and as the food capital of Japan, Osaka takes this job seriously.

  Exhibit B

  C

  They really just keep going.

  
  Here’s a shot from a side street off the main area. It’s calmed down quite a bit from the crowds seen earlier, and is much quieter. Also of note is a fantastic museum chronicling much of Japan’s famous woodprinting artwork.

  This temple was around the corner and was very famous. The other night we were here and there were monks burning papers and with many people looking on.

  This guy wanted you to eat at his store, for sure.

This scene is very common in Japan – an outdoor market under the protective coverage of an awning.  Shops line the corridor in either direction and typical stalls will sell snacks, trinkets, and linens.  You can see the man on the bicycle – an extremely common way to travel around Osaka.

  This guy is another mascot for a restaraunt – if I remember correctly it was a Ramen shop. Which, by the way, is nothing at all like the horrible bricks found in the supermarket, but is instead a delicious noodle soup with all types of varrying ingredients.

Here’s a somewhat normal evening side street in Osaka. You can see various signs for restaraunts, bars, and night clubs.

Here’s something relatively common – a group of street performers doing their thing on a busy corner.

And here’s one of Erika and I. Thanks for reading!