CHRONICLE The Land of the Rising Sun | Page 40

My first destination in Osaka was Ten- jinbashi-suji. Originating from the time of the Meiji era (1868-1912), Tenjinbashi-suji is one of the first and longest shopping arcades in Osaka. Spanning 2.6 kilometers, the street is the length of three whole subway stations. And while it may not be as fancy as the department stores in Um- eda or Namba (popular areas in Osaka), Tenjin- bashi-suji has 600 small, independently-owned shops filled with Japanese delights, souvenirs, and rare finds. The road of the shopping arcade leads to a beautiful view of Dotonbori Bridge where the river flows between silver structures in the cosmopolitan city. Here is where I caught the sight of the LED Glico Man – something I have been looking forward to seeing in Osaka (and still cannot believe I was there). From there, I scoured the alleyways of restaurants, shopping arcade, and flood of humans 29