We continue with our photo tour of Osu in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Crammed into alleyways off the main covered drag are tiny, cool specialty shops like these- interior floor space ranges from 25 to maybe 70 square feet. Used and retro / vintage clothing stores seem to be the most common.
There is a large Brazilian population in Japan, especially in cities like Nagoya with large manufacturing industries. This place is a taste of home for Brazilian expats, and a treat for everyone else who wants some stick-to-your-ribs fare. You can smell the rotisserie chicken a mile away.
More restaurants, with colorful advertising… a takoyaki (fried dough balls with octopus bits in them) on the left and a yakisoba (fried soba noodles) place on the right. Nestled in the middle (under the dragon / dinosaur’s head, behind the fish curtain) is a tiny window that sells taiyaki, which are fish-shaped (not flavored) cakes stuffed with anko (sweet red bean paste).
Along the covered street, immediately across from a huge game center / video arcade, is this cool Shinto shrine, tucked safely under the roof.
Lanterns, votive candles… behind the case with the candles can be seen the rope (attached to rattles) that you shake to get the shrine god’s attention.
The stand at the shrine where you can buy talismans and charms for everything from safe driving to success on school exams. To the right, you can see…
…this. These are requests that petitioners have made, written on paper, twisted into strips, and tied to a line for the god to consider. You also do this if your new year’s fortune is a bad one… tie it to something on the shrine grounds, so it will take the bad luck instead of you.
Lanterns… glowing beautifully…
…And one more small shop, about the size of a walk-in closet, called “PATCH”, which sells… iron-on patches for clothing.
More to come. Thanks for visiting!
