Shun Ogawa– Author –

Step through the noren curtain, that simple fabric divider that separates the bustling city from a world of tranquil focus. The air inside shifts. It’s warm, scented with the clean aroma of hinoki wood, the faint, sweet smell of simmerin...

Step off the train at Morinomiya or Osakajokoen, and the first thing that hits you isn't a sound, but a feeling. It’s the sheer, breathtaking scale of space. In a country where every inch is meticulously utilized, the sprawling grounds o...

Welcome, traveler, to a story whispered on the banks of the Okawa River, a narrative that flows from the stone ramparts of a legendary castle to the welcoming doorways of modern kitchens. This is the tale of Temmabashi, a district that s...

The steady rhythm of Osaka, a city that pulses with electric energy and commerce, often conceals its quieter, more intimate heartbeats. Venture west of the neon-drenched corridors of Umeda and Namba, and you'll find yourself in Nishi-Yod...

Osaka. The name itself crackles with an energy distinct from any other city in Japan. While Tokyo projects an image of sleek, futuristic order, Osaka thrums with a raw, unapologetic, and profoundly human rhythm. It is a city built on tra...

Step off the humming tram in southern Osaka, and the air changes. The urban clamor softens, replaced by a stillness that feels ancient, carrying the faint, briny scent of a sea that once lapped much closer to these sacred grounds. This i...

Step off the clean, orderly platform at Shinsaibashi Station, navigate a river of designer shopping bags, and take a sharp turn into a different dimension. The air changes here. It crackles with the low thrum of bass from a hidden bar, t...

Step off the train at Kyobashi Station, and you’re not just stepping into another part of Osaka; you’re diving headfirst into its circulatory system. This is a place that thrums with an unpretentious, raw energy, a hub where the veins of...

Osaka’s Dotonbori district is a symphony of sensory overload, a dazzling assault on the senses that pulls you into its vibrant, chaotic embrace. Towering neon billboards paint the night sky in electric hues, their reflections dancing on ...

In the heart of Osaka, a city that pulses with a vibrant, modern energy, there exists a world where wood and silk breathe, where stories of profound love and gut-wrenching sacrifice are told not by human actors, but by puppets. This is t...

Step off the train at Juso Station, and you’re immediately plunged into a different Osaka. This isn’t the polished, futuristic gleam of Umeda or the dazzling, tourist-thronged canals of Dotonbori. This is something else entirely. Juso is...

Step off the train at Tenma Station, and you don’t arrive at a destination; you fall into a different current of time. The air, thick with the savory smoke of grilled meats and the faint, sweet scent of sake, tells you a story before you...