City Life

I really love Osaka. Sennichimae is a major east-west thoroughfare through south Osaka, and around Namba it crosses Midōsuji street and cuts right through the south city center, where department stores, train stations and shopping arcades crowd each other for space. Takashimaya, Maruichi, Bic Camera...

But take a turn off Sennichimae, walk ten steps, and you find this:

Side street off Sennichimae. That's a couple of cheap hot-plate eateries and single homes in the background - and, yes, a chicken crossing the road. It has a roost by the wall to the right, so it's not a runaway. Feisty bird - the rats around here are almost as big as it is.

This scene has probably not changed for the past fifty years, and I love that there's still areas like this right in the middle of the city.

A girl stopped to see what I was photographing, and on seeing the bird she promptly emitted one of those ultrasonic "kawaiiiiiii!!!"-sounds that young Japanese girls are want to do. The bird itself is apparently quite used to strangers and seemed to enjoy the attention.

Did I mention that I love this place?