Street food creating appetite for the future in fading Osaka market

approximately 12,000 shopping districts in Japan

I suppose this means shopping arcade or shotengai. Yes, many shopping arcades in Japan are in sorry states. Actually, this area is quite interesting for a number of reasons, its history, of course, but also its gritty authenticity, and nearby is Tobita, which is worth a look, though perhaps by now it is well known to tourist gawkers and not welcomed at all.

I adore this area of Osaka as I stay in this part usually. A lot of character and the prices are very reasonable. I just don't want to see it gentrified as that would take away the hardscrabble look and feel of the place.

Good luck to em. Walkable areas are great and people like places with character. If you cannot make a shoutengai work in a huge city, the rest of the country has no hope.

Genetrification has been creeping into the Tsutenkaku area over the past twenty odd years with the Spa World thing and then the Abeno Harukas mega complex. It also has a supermarket based mini-mall, the kind of development that has done as much as anything to kill off shoutengai. For car users, its much easier to shop somewhere with a big free car park than a shoutengai with zero parking. Shinsekai still has lots of character despite these developments, and they would be wise to preserve it and not try to turn the area into another Namba.

This area slid downhill insanely business wise during the pandemic, where the government stupidly chose to tell the people to stay indoors.

‘Over half the little stores closed in that time, some have reopened but invariably as tacky eateries owned by Asian foreigners offering poor quality cuisine at tourist prices.

Still some decent retro cafes in that area though, none closed down during Covid and you can meet some interesting people in there.

Some good amusement arcades with examples of retro gaming and some modern, great for a nostalgia trip and my son got into retro gaming from visiting one after playing Puyo Puyo, lol Ended up buying him a Mega Drive and a few games, he loves more than modern stuff now.