Last week we ventured downtown to Shinsaibashi, one of the neighborhoods in the center of Osaka. Bashi means bridge and it is one of the famous bridges over the Nagahori River. Nadia needed to fix her iPhone and the most convenient Apple store is in this area. After getting the phone repaired, we stumbled onto the America-mura the American-themed shopping and entertainment district that is the center of popular youth culture in Osaka. There was an air of excitement and energy, especially around the triangle park (Sankaku koen). There was also a lot of interesting fashion choices, with all sorts of hairstyles and clothes with an urban edge. We walked around a bit and took the kids to Burger King. I would certainly like to go back and explore the area a bit more without the children in tow. There are some live music venues we would like to check out.
“Peace On Earth” by local artist Seitaro Kuroda (1983)
To get to America-mura, it is a side street off the main Midosuji road and subway line that runs north and south, bisecting Osaka. You can disembark at Namba or Shinsaibashi station. The area has always been an attraction for young people. I also liked the robot/human shaped light posts.
It is nice to live out in the suburbs but be very close to the inner city. America-mura is so different from Minoh and it makes for an invigorating night out.