Kamagasaki

Kamagasaki (釜ヶ崎) is an old place name for a part of Nishinari-ku in Osaka, Japan. Airin-chiku (あいりん地区) became the area's official name in May 1966.

It has the largest day laborer concentration in the country. 30,000 people are estimated to live in every 2,000 meter radius in this area, part of which has been in slum-like conditions until as recently as 2012, containing run-down housing structures and untidy streets.

The area surrounding Kamagasaki is upscale, clean and attracts tourists with popular sightseeing spots including the Tsutenkaku, Shinsekai, and Nipponbashi. However, in Kamagasaki, homeless people can often be seen sleeping in the streets throughout the day, and doya (ドヤ) hotels (cheap temporary rooms intended for day laborers) abound in the area. These hotels have recently become popular amongst backpackers from outside Japan due to their cheap price and proximity to rail transportation.[1] The city government of Osaka does not allow the name "Kamagasaki" to appear on official maps and discourages the use of the name in the media.[2]

  1. ^ Okazaki, Manami, "Nishinari: The largest slum in Japan is attracting a new breed of visitor: backpackers", Metropolis, 11 February 2011, p. 8.
  2. ^ "Japan's biggest slum not on maps or in film fest". AP News. 2014-03-23. Retrieved 2024-09-03.