correcting family-wise error rates
OSAKA (大阪) is the boisterous and extroverted sibling to Tokyo. 'More is more' frequently appears to be the modus operandi. Ingenuous flyovers careen through the bellies of behemoth skyscrapers and hyperactive neon signs bleat their electric hearts out. The beloved Osakan creation, okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, which literally means 'grilled as you like it') epitomises the city the way rojak does for Singapore. Okonomiyaki is simple flour at its core and expert flourish on the outside; generous, over-the-top, anything-goes, a whole lot of soul.
ARIMA (有馬), a sleepy but dignified onsen town draped in redolent foliage, is perfect for a day trip if you are in Kansai. Traditional wooden shophouses sell local confectionery and crafts. We had the serendipitous opportunity to take part in the Autumn Festival celebrations too, where a mikoshi led a lion dance procession throughout the town, the lion cheekily badgering young children and restaurant patrons.
NISHINARI (西成区), or Kamagasaki (釜ヶ崎), is a ward in Osaka - but it is so visually and demographically distinct that I've created a separate album for these images. Nishinari is effectively a slum; the yakuza are active, and the largest red-light district Tobita-Shinchi (飛田新地) in Japan is located here. Walking through anachronistic sheaths of corrugated aluminium and desolate concrete, there was instead no shortage of indomitable vibrancy: I found its people blithe and chatty, the shoyu-drenched offal street foods delicious and robust, the spartan spaces communal and undemanding. One easily understands why it's also nicknamed Airin-chiku (あいりん地区), or the "loving neighbourhood". Nishinari is ultimately a place of escape, but not for broken people; rather, those who have rejected corporate Japan.