See You in Osaka's Korea Town

Overview

Osaka Prefecture's Ikuno Ward is home to Osaka Korea Town, a neighborhood packed with shops selling Korean food and other items. Inspired by a recent boom in South Korean pop culture, what originally was a market for people with roots on the Korean Peninsula is now visited by two million people annually. Among the visitors were three Japanese nurses buying cosmetics; a grandfather who lives nearby visiting for the first time; and shoppers of Korean descent. For three days, we took a look at a shopping district where cultures intersect.