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Osaka Travel Guide
People in Osaka don't say konnichi-wa, they yell Mo kari makka? (Are you making any money?). Osaka became a merchant town at the end of the 16th century, when traders and businessmen were at the bottom of the feudal hierarchy. Denied the cultural pursuits of the aristocracy, Osaka impresarios spent their millions patronizing bunraku puppetry and kamigata kabuki into art forms. They spent even more on enhancing Osaka's reputation as the "kitchen of Japan," but always made sure they got their money's worth. Today Osaka is still a culinary mecca, and the city's notoriously forthright oba-chan (grandmothers) drive a hard bargain at the market. More »
Photo: John Leung/Shutterstock
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