Sordid place but authentic, visiting Tobita Shinchi is like taking a walk into the past. Although prostitution is officially banned in Japan since , the activities practiced in the red light district are unequivocal. In front of her stands another older woman who solicits passersby. Right next to the room is a staircase to go upstairs Welcome to the last century Located in one of the poorest neighborhoods of southern Osaka , sandwiched between a housing project, a bridge road and a dilapidated shopping street, Tobita Shinchi is decidedly sordid However, despite its murky and depressing side, it may be worthwhile to go for a visit.
The atmosphere is very special and offers a journey into the past. This popular area has escaped the property speculation, it contains an atmosphere of Taisho era with old buildings that have survived in this part of town. Of course, most are crumbling but there are still old wooden buildings with beautiful sculptures of old billboards or old lanterns that illuminate the fronts. Built in to house a brothel and then converted into a restaurant in , the twenty-one rooms of this establishment are almost still in its original form.
Here, nothing of the legendary simplicity of Japanese architecture and decoration. Neither traditional nor high-tech, a far cry from the touristy areas, Tobita Shinchi, sordid but authentic, offers a very different version, but no less real, image that one has of Japan.
