Ikuno Korea Town, Osaka
About the Ikuno Korea Town Camera
This camera covers the Miyukidori shopping street in Ikuno ward, better known as Ikuno Korea Town. It runs about 500 metres and is lined with Korean grocers, kimchi specialists, restaurants and confectioners.
The district's origins are tied directly to Osaka's industrial history. From the 1920s, work on the Hirano River and the factories around it drew large numbers of people from Jeju Island, and Ikuno became one of Japan's largest Korean communities. The shopping street grew up to serve that community rather than to attract visitors.
Its character has shifted in recent years. Rising interest in Korean food and culture has brought a younger crowd from well outside Osaka, particularly at weekends, and the mix of local shoppers and visitors on the street is now noticeably different on a Saturday than on a Tuesday.
Highlights & Nearby
- •Watch for: foot traffic along the street, produce and prepared food at the storefronts, weekend crowds
- •Nearby: Tsuruhashi Station, Tsuruhashi market, Miyukimori Shrine, Momodani
- •Note: markedly busier at weekends, when visitors come from outside Osaka
