キャノンデール
In the backstreets of Namba, the seven of us replenished our alcohol supply and headed south. Passing through Nipponbashi, also known as "Den Den Town" (similar to Akihabara in Tokyo), we arrived at Shinsekai. We usually explore the backstreets of Shinsekai, where remnants of old hand-painted signs can be found at the movie theater, Kokusai Gekijou, and the Asahi Gekijou for popular theater performances. These scenes, which have disappeared from places like Asakusa in Tokyo, are still preserved here. After passing through Janjan Yokocho, we reached Abiko-suji, leading to Nishinari Ward. This area, known as one of the deepest in Osaka's Deep South, houses the Dobutsuenmae Shotengai. Originally a bustling area during the Expo boom, the shotengai has declined due to multiple economic downturns and an aging population. In the past 10 years, Chinese-owned 100-yen karaoke bars have sprung up like mushrooms in the shuttered shotengai. As we made our way through, we saw Chinese karaoke bar staff in sexy outfits enticing customers during the day. Alongside them were strong police officers from Nishinari Police Station dealing with day laborers on the streets. This area symbolizes the dark side of Osaka. Crossing Sakaisuji and heading west, we entered the Aireen district, passing under the guard of Hankai Tramway to reach Nishinari's flophouse area. Safeguarding the dangerous neighborhood is the fortress-like building of Nishinari Police Station. Beyond the police station lies Haginoyashiki Minami Park, known as "Sankaku Park," which has been illegally occupied by homeless individuals. Right next to it is our destination for today, "Nabeya." Despite its location, this neighborhood hot pot restaurant has become incredibly popular due to its affordability, delicious food, and visually appealing dishes, attracting Instagrammers and YouTubers, making reservations a must. We had made reservations weeks in advance and were seated promptly upon arrival. We had pre-ordered a variety of hot pot dishes, including tuna sukiyaki, pork, chicken water stew, minced chicken in miso, beef sukiyaki, and more. Unfortunately, the famous oyster miso hot pot was sold out, which was disappointing. The dishes were served all at once, as we had feared, due to the strong heat source quickly boiling the pots. We enjoyed the meal, ordering additional items and drinks like squid kimchi and whale bacon. The hot pot was delicious, and we even ordered another round of sukiyaki. We ended the meal with a group photo taken by some young professionals from the Kansai branch who had a reservation for 6 pm. After leaving "Nabeya," we headed east for a visit to Tobita Shinchi for an adult social study session.