Japan
Foto Friday: Shinsekai, Osaka, Japan
Every Friday I’ll be sharing a photo from someplace in my travels.
This week’s photo is from my time exploring Shinsekai in Osaka, Japan.
The most clean ghetto you’ll ever see, yet many Osakans are scared to even step foot in Shinsekai. When I mentioned the fact that I had visited, many of my local friends were concerned about my safety and what I had been doing there. What may be the closest thing all of Japan has to a “dangerous” neighborhood, isn’t all that scary. In fact, it doesn’t look that much different from other areas in Japan, except that it is home for many homeless people.
While wandering around I saw a ton of pachinko parlors, extremely cheap restaurants, as well as the aforementioned homeless people pushing their carts of belongings through the streets. It gives you a bit of an eerie feeling, yes– but I never had an actual sense of “danger” while I was wandering around. Nothing out of the ordinary happened on our visit, although I guess while we were there a stranger did kiss my friend!
There’s really no reason to be scared of Shinsekai anymore, most the crime ended over a decade ago. It’s definitely an interesting place to visit if ever in Osaka, and the Tsutenkaku Tower gives great views of the city.
