Nicknamed Osaka's leading shopping street for ordinary folks, all sorts of shops engage in price wars side by side under a fine arcade (pictured above). The first supermarket-style Daiei store opened here in 1957, and Nichii, another supermarket chain, opened its store the following year. That was the beginning of what has grown into the current shopping street, a collection of both larger stores and small retailers.

The day I move into my place (which will be an extremely small single person apartment just like I had in Kayashima) will mark only the 2nd time I've ever been to Senbayashi. I've previously only been there to visit a friend in the hospital [which at least afford me the knowledge that there's a hospital nearby, so if I get a broken leg or something I can just walk on over...]

Another "interesting" thing nearby is the "Art Space Of Osaka", which you can read all about on the following website:

http://www.tourism.city.osaka.jp/en/topics/13_0001/hotnews/news0001_2.htm

But perhaps the most exciting thing I've seen about Senbayashi thus far is that they have a song all about their shopping street. Those of you reading this that can't read Japanese wont be able to fully appreciate it, but you can still CLICK HERE and listen to the snappy music while in your mind making up lyrics like "come shop in Senbayashi and you will have some fun" and you'll be pretty close to the real experience of the song just the same.

If you've read this far and still need another little boost of fantasticness to sell you on the whole Senbayashi ambiance, then click on the picture to the left to watch a little video of the future "Land Of Phill" (I just realized that sounds like the word "landfill", I wonder if anyone else will notice that once they change the name from Senbayashi). Or you could check out the official Senbayashi website:

http://www.senbayashi.com/

And if you still aren't impressed after all of that don't worry. 1.) Because you aren't invited over anywho & 2.) because I hope to move into a bigger place ASAP.

If you want to send any fan-mail to my new address in Japan then drop me a line at phillosaka@hotmail.com and I'll send that info your way.