Masafumi Sakaki, mayor of Yodogawa Ward in Osaka, which has been praised for its Declaration of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Support. (Asahi Shimbun)
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If we can develop our ward’s image as a place that is open to and accepts diverse groups of people, then more people will want to live in Yodogawa Ward.
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Suzu1
If you welcome them, they will come and turn that ward fabulous.
JeffLee
That's a nice attitude, but Yodogawa certainly isn't a nice place to live. It's home to a fairly big red light district with an industrial landscape in the backdrop.
Cos
Subjectively yes (see below). Objectively no. It's not that bad at all for a Japanese city. Most factories have been replaced by habitations. It's cheap, quiet, with everything you need, and you're anywhere in town for work, to stroll in Kobe or Kyoto, on the beach or in the woods in 30 minutes.
It already has the image of a ghetto with a high density of foreigners, zainichi, burakumins, okinawans, poor people and arriving inaka-mono that don't understand they've not landed in a hip place... what else do we have ? Gays, like anywhere, but nobody cares since most Japanese people don't perceive who is concerned. Unlike other diversity traits, It's not written on your gaijin card nor your koseki, so even your stalker can't know it from the city hall.
Many J-people avoid the place as they'd hate having diversity as neighbors. Then do we need a density of more than 14 000 inhabitants per km2 ?
Two small ones where most activity is grandpas drinking cheap beer and shochu. Then, that's what this guy wants, no ? Attracting LGBT mizushobai businesses.
JeffLee
Normally, I'd have no problem with that, but there's no sense of community of there. A gray, concrete place inhabited by transient strangers who'd rather be living somewhere else.
I used to live next door in Higashi Yodogawa-ku and was extremely happy to escape. None of the foreigners I knew there at the time remained.