Osaka is angry now.

As a Edokko, This is funny.
Osaka Brand committee is a public association of Osaka Prefecture, it researches and improves the image of Osaka and promotes the "Osaka Brand". For example, this page tells us Osaka is No.1, what is Osaka original. Like I wrote in the difference between Osaka and Tokyo, Osaka people walk the fastest speed in the world, :-) they say. Omelette with rice is originally from Osaka, the automatic ticket wicket of station set in Osaka first in Japan, etc,. This page tells a result of research about image for Osaka in Japan.
Top 3 are.
1. The city of food, a kitchen of Japan. (I agree! food is delicious and cheap.)
2.The city with the common touch, Osaka people nice and friendly. (Tokyo people are cold, Osaka people are friendly. My foreign friends will agree. )
3. The city of water, river. (Super dirty river "Yodo river" goes through Osaka)

Then this time they research  guide books and guide sites in the Internet in 22 foreign countries, "What do foreign guides tell about
Osaka?" Then they became so disappointed and angry. The Brand committee does not tell the exactly name of resource but "Travel guide
pages of one of American big search site " talk so negatively about Osaka. Hmm then I checked Yahoo Travel. Ha ha look at this.
"The urban equivalent of the Elephant Man, OSAKA, Japan's third largest city after Tokyo and Yokohama, yearns to be loved despite its ugliness. It may well lack the pockets of beauty and refinement found in nearby Kyoto".
Wow! Ugly?? Harsh!

"Osakans may greet each other saying "Mo kari-makka?" (Are you making any money?), but they also know how to enjoy themselves once work has stopped."
Um, work has stopped? They are so free and easy?? At least people from Osaka have the reputation of being very good businessmen.

Wikipedia says this.
"Osaka people are considered by other Japanese to be rowdy and boisterous with a robust and coarse sense of humour, "
I am beginning to feel sorry for Osaka now. Weep weep weep.

Then the U.S guide book, Chinese guide book introduce Osaka as the Yakuza city. Well, actually yamaguchi gumi is in Osaka, but it is not
the biggest topic, I suppose. Osaka brand committee knows the image of Osaka in the world. and they want to change it. Yes, I understand.
Gambare!! Osaka.

Anyway, now I realize this is completely wrong, "Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, the internationally famous film director, started his career as a comedian in Osaka." Takeshi started his career in Asakusa Tokyo. He is one of comedians who don't speak Osaka ben." I will send a mail to Yahoo. "Thank you for nice and funny guide for Osaka, but only Takeshi part is wrong." :-p.

Comments

[Mari]

Hi There
If you go to Osaka, I suppose most people will love there, people are friendly, their talking way is relax, food is cheap, Osaka is powerful. But when I read this type article, when they try to say Osaka is better than Tokyo, I couldn't understand why they care so image.

[cecile]

haha, in defence of osaka, i love the city! so much good and cheap food! and the people are so helpful and cheerful at that! i have lots of really nice osaka memories... =)

[Charles]

FYI Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner got their start in the Toronto Second City troupe, they are not from Chicago.

[noah]

"The urban equivalent of the Elephant Man." Nice!

[Claire (クレア）]

That is funny that some guidebook introduces Osaka as 'the Yakuza city'. Many Japanese people still think of Al Capone and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre when they think of Chicago, sister city to Osaka. And there are quite a few famous comedians that got their start in Chicago: John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bill Murray. So, I guess there are a couple of things in common there...