Over 107000 people call Abeno Ward home. It is one of Osaka’s 24 wards. Abeno Ward sits in southern Osaka City.
Abeno’s history has interesting theories about its name. One says it came from a powerful family clan. Another links it to a song by Yamabe no Akahito. A third suggests the name comes from “amabe”. This was part of an ancient place name. The powerful family clan theory is the strongest.
Abenobashi is in northern Abeno Ward. It is a transport hub. The Kintetsu Minami Osaka Line ends at Abenobashi Station. Osaka Municipal Subway’s Midōsuji Line and Tanimachi Line stop at Tennoji Station. The Hankai Tramway’s Uemachi Line also ends nearby. It terminates at Tennoji-eki-mae Station.
The Abenobashi area is a bustling commercial center. Here, you will find many department stores. Movie theaters also entertain locals and visitors alike. Sharp Corporation has a home in Abeno Ward too. Its offices are in Nagaike-cho.
Abeno changed in 1943. Osaka increased its wards. Sumiyoshi Ward split into three. Abeno was one of the new wards. The others were Higashi-Sumiyoshi and Sumiyoshi.
Abeno Harukas is a mega-tower. At night its dizzying height offers stunning views. The lights of Osaka stretch to the horizon. Highways pulse with the city’s lifeblood. This captivating view makes people forget what lies below.
Nishinari is south of Abeno. It is darker and has a colorful reputation. Nishinari’s story began with Luna Park and Tsutenkaku Tower. Luna Park opened in 1912. It closed in 1923. Abeno Harukas was built in Tennoji over 100 years later. It started a new cycle of urban renewal.
Shinsekai was once a dazzling entertainment district. It surrounded Tsutenkaku Tower and Luna Park. By the early 2000s, it declined. It became a flophouse district. Organized crime was common. Homelessness, drug use, and illness were high.
The completion of Abeno Harukas helped Shinsekai. Tennoji transformed from grimy to attractive. But Shinsekai’s problems were seen as a “tarnish”. Shinsekai received a makeover. It became a more sanitized business district. Criminals vanished. The homeless moved south to Nishinari.
Nishinari was once a “no-go” area. It still faces poverty, unemployment, and crime. Regeneration programs are changing surrounding districts. Nishinari may face the same upheaval as Shinsekai.
Nishinari retains the feel of old Japan. It is one of Osaka’s last “shitamachi” districts. The Taisho and Showa eras linger here. Its elderly residents are the keepers of “Showa No Kaori”. This means the Fragrance of The Showa Era.
Hoshino plans to open a modern hotel next to Nishinari. They see Nishinari as resisting redevelopment. Few have asked why.
Kamagasaki was a neighborhood near Shinsekai. Day laborers lived there. They often lacked job security. In the 1960s, riots occurred. The city renamed Kamagasaki to Airin. This means “love your neighbor”. But the police were the source of the laborers’ anger.
Nishinari’s past is complex. In 1911, Tsutenkaku Tower and Luna Park needed many laborers. After completion, work dried up. Laborers remained living on dwindling savings. Nishinari became a base for day laborers. Today, formal contracts are usually required. Finding work is difficult.
Nishinari has few high-rise buildings. Old shops line covered walkways. Hostess bars are abundant. Some Taisho-period shop fronts remain. English is rare. Visitors feel like they have stepped back in time. Dusty vending machines dispense cheap sake. Sorrowful Enka ballads drift from hostess bars. The district feels frozen in time. It is paused before Japan’s economic collapse in the 1990s.
Triangle park is in Nishinari’s center. It is overlooked by run-down hotels. The park has become a tent city. Dilapidated buildings betray residents’ appalling conditions. Photographers seek “hard-hitting” images here. Instagram fuels competition for such photos.
Tourism in Nishinari has mixed effects. Small hotels and hostels are opening. Local businesses benefit. Second-hand kimono and Osaka-style food are popular. Nishinari’s identity hangs in the balance. Mega-hotels may threaten its traditional character.