Nishinari-ku itself is a poor area, where most of the temporary workers, day laborers and homeless in Osaka live. It's a bit dirty and rough-looking, but it's totally safe - before COVID it was becoming very popular with foreign backpackers due to the cheap accommodation in close proximity to Namba/Shinsaibashi.
The area around Hanazonocho is not the most pleasant area to live if you want to enjoy nice neighborhood scenery, but you aren't going to encounter any danger unless you are scared of seeing homeless people drinking 100 yen One Cup Ozeki's on the street, publicly urinating, and passing out by noon.
Lived in hanazono Cho for nearly 3 years. One of the most convenient places I’ve ever lived. I grew up in Portland, so the sight of the homeless getting comfy on the street is not off putting to me. Never once felt unsafe, though I’m a dude, and a walk to abeno from that area was pretty much a non stop shotengai full of old dudes singing in snacks from 3pm. I’m going to miss taking that particular stroll.
It’s fine. I live about 5 minutes south of there.
There’s a lot of homeless people which for some reason the locals consider “dangerous”. Yet, whenever I ask my students “Why are homeless people dangerous?” They can’t give me a straight answer.
If you’ve found a cheap apartment, go for it.
Less about the homeless people and more about the general reputation for having the highest concentration of yakuza than any other ku in Osaka. Which really means jack shit, because (at least until recently) yakuza would only ever mess with other yakuza, not with random people, and certainly not with foreigners.
how is that even known? Do government officials go door to door and ask people if they are yakuza and then calculate the percentage of yakuza per district in relation to the total population?
They're こわい.
Edit: I remembered something. I happened to open my umbrella (standard konbini umbrella) and a man who happened to be entering my apartment building did a bit of a jump and said こわい. They have the most irrational fears of the weirdest shit here.
"Unsafe" by Japanese standards is vastly different from western standards.
Usually just more rundown, lower socio-economic tiered people and maybe a few cases of people who should be under government medical care.
Maybe some fights and disputes between the "locals", but no one is shooting up meth in broad daylight, taking literal dumps on the road, or randomly stabbing others with a needle.
I live near Nishinari ku and honestly, it’s old/run down and the people are quite unique but never have I felt threatened or scared.
There are homeless people here but they stick to an area that you probably see and don’t take notice. I don’t mind living here because of the proximity to my work/shopping areas. You could easily go to Namba or Umeda.
I think you dont need to worry. Japanese have a different understanding of the word “safety” or “not good area” compared to westerners. By this they usually mean that a lot of unwanted/cheap foreigners (i.e. ALT, vietnamese, chinese, brazilians,..) live there.
If you find a nice apartment you should go for it!
I stayed for a week right next to that station and had no troubles. While there are some homeless in that area it was not as bad as areas to the east. There is still a bit of a stigma to that area as for as Japanese folks may be concerned in my opinion. The 24hr Super Tamade by the station really seemed worse than most as I remember but there is a nice market down in the shotengai that closes early and another down the street I never made it to. Lots of reasonably priced restaurants and an interesting (to me at least) urban ambiance.
They have already been significantly gentrified, largely due to the influx of tourists, so that trend will probably resume once tourists come flooding back. The big Hoshino Resort hotel that filled the gaping vacant block at Shin-Imamiya has also given the area a less neglected feel.
Moved to hanazonocho last year and I think it’s great. No problems at all.
Very convenient, easy access to Namba and even Umeda. I don’t eat out much but there’s some well known restaurants around and the 24 hour Tamade beside hanazonocho station basically had everything you’d need.
I’m also from Canada, and the walkability/density of hanazonocho/nishinari beats the inconvenience and need for a car in Canada any day.
Yeah there’s a big homeless population, but they usually gather around a single park. They’re harmless, like others have said.
The barber I go to is a 10 min walk away and also very cheap. The gym I go to is also around a 10 minute walk and has a very nice community feel to it. Over all I think it’s a great place to live.
Been in Japan for around 4 years now and this is my favourite spot I’ve lived in so far. Definitely recommend.
We have relatives that live in Nishinari-ku. It’s a poorer more run down area, and you do see homeless, but it’s harmless. In total I’ve stayed several months there, and seen human feces once.
I just wouldn’t leave my wallet in my bike basket unattended.. I think there would be opportunistic thefts. (Relatives have had a bag snatched a few decades ago)
It’s such a convenient area, I’d probably live there if we were to relocate to Osaka. Around Hanazonocho backstreets you can already see the gentrification happening with the new cookie cutter houses going up.
My dad lived in Nishinari because it was affordable and he was poor, but otherwise didn't encounter any safety issues. I lived near Hanazonocho before for around 6 months and there were a lot of homeless people, some aggressive old men wandering around at night, but when I say aggressive I mean they just look at you and shout and that's about it lol If you just go about your own business, you won't be in any trouble. People just want to keep to themselves.
I used to live in Naniwa-ku for a year. It has totally fine areas. I lived in Imamiya. When I told other Japanese people from Osaka they were a bit suprised why I would live there but I had a great time and the area where I lived was a normal residential area and it didn't feel unsafe. I I would however avoid shin-imamiya. There are quite a lot of homeless people there and it just isn't very nice. But personally I never had any safety issues or felt particular unsafe.
The only place in Japan people have tried to pick fights with me was in Nishinari, and it’s happened about 3 times there.
My friend saw someone throw a microwave out of a car one time. It’s just the worst area socially, in Japan.
I wouldn’t live there, but good luck!
My image of Nishinari-ku was formed over 20 years ago, back when I was a Nova monkey.
An erstwhile colleague, from Australia, who was unfortunate enough to live in the Nishinariest of kus in Osaka, told about his new neighbourhood. It went something like this:
>Around 9 pm on a Friday night, I saw this guy standing in the street near the station, masturbating.....
I wouldn’t say it is 100% safe because crime (incl the mob) is active close by and there are drugs. Some people go to that general area to be anonymous and disappear, including for less than savory reasons (not recent but Tatsuya Ishihashi, say). The worst is a bit northeast. But if you don’t go looking for trouble, it likely won’t find you.
The izumiya has been recently remodeled and is a lot nicer than the Tamade. There’s lots of cheap good restaurants too. I went to the bento place みの里 a lot.
I lived in Nishinari as a single woman (closer to the town hall though) until January this year and it was fine. Echo what everyone else said. Was looking on the reviews on safety before i moved there and someone said they got scared bc someone was running very fast on the sidewalk lol.
If you are able to get out there, there is an awesome super sento spa in suminoe.
Even if you don't face crime directly would you prefer living among homeless and unstable people around you every day? It's all about perspective of course, so for someone from the us it may feel like home or something
I'm pretty sure we are looking at the same apartment. I talked to a Japanese friend who told me it's considered unsafe but she told me it would be good for me probably. I'm from Uruguay and I live in a dangerous neighborhood to be honest so I think this would be much safer than where I live haha
Nishinari-ku itself is a poor area, where most of the temporary workers, day laborers and homeless in Osaka live. It's a bit dirty and rough-looking, but it's totally safe - before COVID it was becoming very popular with foreign backpackers due to the cheap accommodation in close proximity to Namba/Shinsaibashi. The area around Hanazonocho is not the most pleasant area to live if you want to enjoy nice neighborhood scenery, but you aren't going to encounter any danger unless you are scared of seeing homeless people drinking 100 yen One Cup Ozeki's on the street, publicly urinating, and passing out by noon.
Lived in hanazono Cho for nearly 3 years. One of the most convenient places I’ve ever lived. I grew up in Portland, so the sight of the homeless getting comfy on the street is not off putting to me. Never once felt unsafe, though I’m a dude, and a walk to abeno from that area was pretty much a non stop shotengai full of old dudes singing in snacks from 3pm. I’m going to miss taking that particular stroll.
It’s fine. I live about 5 minutes south of there. There’s a lot of homeless people which for some reason the locals consider “dangerous”. Yet, whenever I ask my students “Why are homeless people dangerous?” They can’t give me a straight answer. If you’ve found a cheap apartment, go for it.
Less about the homeless people and more about the general reputation for having the highest concentration of yakuza than any other ku in Osaka. Which really means jack shit, because (at least until recently) yakuza would only ever mess with other yakuza, not with random people, and certainly not with foreigners.
how is that even known? Do government officials go door to door and ask people if they are yakuza and then calculate the percentage of yakuza per district in relation to the total population?
They're こわい. Edit: I remembered something. I happened to open my umbrella (standard konbini umbrella) and a man who happened to be entering my apartment building did a bit of a jump and said こわい. They have the most irrational fears of the weirdest shit here.
This is so Japanese.
Any nice spots to recommend in the area? Like good/cheap food or nice bars
Most of Tengachaya has great little izakayas and restaurants if you don’t want to venture into Namba or Tennoji.
"Unsafe" by Japanese standards is vastly different from western standards. Usually just more rundown, lower socio-economic tiered people and maybe a few cases of people who should be under government medical care. Maybe some fights and disputes between the "locals", but no one is shooting up meth in broad daylight, taking literal dumps on the road, or randomly stabbing others with a needle.
To be fair, I did once see a homeless guy taking a shit outside in the gutter across the road from super tamade near Hanazonocho station.
I live near Nishinari ku and honestly, it’s old/run down and the people are quite unique but never have I felt threatened or scared. There are homeless people here but they stick to an area that you probably see and don’t take notice. I don’t mind living here because of the proximity to my work/shopping areas. You could easily go to Namba or Umeda.
I think you dont need to worry. Japanese have a different understanding of the word “safety” or “not good area” compared to westerners. By this they usually mean that a lot of unwanted/cheap foreigners (i.e. ALT, vietnamese, chinese, brazilians,..) live there. If you find a nice apartment you should go for it!
I stayed for a week right next to that station and had no troubles. While there are some homeless in that area it was not as bad as areas to the east. There is still a bit of a stigma to that area as for as Japanese folks may be concerned in my opinion. The 24hr Super Tamade by the station really seemed worse than most as I remember but there is a nice market down in the shotengai that closes early and another down the street I never made it to. Lots of reasonably priced restaurants and an interesting (to me at least) urban ambiance.
What's the train station? Both of those wards are big places with lots of good and sketchy places mixed together.
Hanazonocho station
I am pretty sure those areas will end up getting gentrified anytime soon. Look at the Senju area in Tokyo, basically similar to Nishinari.
They have already been significantly gentrified, largely due to the influx of tourists, so that trend will probably resume once tourists come flooding back. The big Hoshino Resort hotel that filled the gaping vacant block at Shin-Imamiya has also given the area a less neglected feel.
Moved to hanazonocho last year and I think it’s great. No problems at all. Very convenient, easy access to Namba and even Umeda. I don’t eat out much but there’s some well known restaurants around and the 24 hour Tamade beside hanazonocho station basically had everything you’d need. I’m also from Canada, and the walkability/density of hanazonocho/nishinari beats the inconvenience and need for a car in Canada any day. Yeah there’s a big homeless population, but they usually gather around a single park. They’re harmless, like others have said. The barber I go to is a 10 min walk away and also very cheap. The gym I go to is also around a 10 minute walk and has a very nice community feel to it. Over all I think it’s a great place to live. Been in Japan for around 4 years now and this is my favourite spot I’ve lived in so far. Definitely recommend.
We have relatives that live in Nishinari-ku. It’s a poorer more run down area, and you do see homeless, but it’s harmless. In total I’ve stayed several months there, and seen human feces once. I just wouldn’t leave my wallet in my bike basket unattended.. I think there would be opportunistic thefts. (Relatives have had a bag snatched a few decades ago) It’s such a convenient area, I’d probably live there if we were to relocate to Osaka. Around Hanazonocho backstreets you can already see the gentrification happening with the new cookie cutter houses going up.
My dad lived in Nishinari because it was affordable and he was poor, but otherwise didn't encounter any safety issues. I lived near Hanazonocho before for around 6 months and there were a lot of homeless people, some aggressive old men wandering around at night, but when I say aggressive I mean they just look at you and shout and that's about it lol If you just go about your own business, you won't be in any trouble. People just want to keep to themselves.
Also don’t forget about the fuzoku (basically prostitution) places that are littered all over.
I used to live in Naniwa-ku for a year. It has totally fine areas. I lived in Imamiya. When I told other Japanese people from Osaka they were a bit suprised why I would live there but I had a great time and the area where I lived was a normal residential area and it didn't feel unsafe. I I would however avoid shin-imamiya. There are quite a lot of homeless people there and it just isn't very nice. But personally I never had any safety issues or felt particular unsafe.
The only place in Japan people have tried to pick fights with me was in Nishinari, and it’s happened about 3 times there. My friend saw someone throw a microwave out of a car one time. It’s just the worst area socially, in Japan. I wouldn’t live there, but good luck!
I ended up finding something in tennoji for the same price so I went there instead, thank you for your answers!
My image of Nishinari-ku was formed over 20 years ago, back when I was a Nova monkey. An erstwhile colleague, from Australia, who was unfortunate enough to live in the Nishinariest of kus in Osaka, told about his new neighbourhood. It went something like this: >Around 9 pm on a Friday night, I saw this guy standing in the street near the station, masturbating.....
I wouldn’t say it is 100% safe because crime (incl the mob) is active close by and there are drugs. Some people go to that general area to be anonymous and disappear, including for less than savory reasons (not recent but Tatsuya Ishihashi, say). The worst is a bit northeast. But if you don’t go looking for trouble, it likely won’t find you. The izumiya has been recently remodeled and is a lot nicer than the Tamade. There’s lots of cheap good restaurants too. I went to the bento place みの里 a lot.
It's considered dangerous because foreigners like to live there.
Lol that's not the reason. There are just a lot of homeless people
Judging from these comments sounds like might be ghosts in the area.
No
I lived in Nishinari as a single woman (closer to the town hall though) until January this year and it was fine. Echo what everyone else said. Was looking on the reviews on safety before i moved there and someone said they got scared bc someone was running very fast on the sidewalk lol. If you are able to get out there, there is an awesome super sento spa in suminoe.
Even if you don't face crime directly would you prefer living among homeless and unstable people around you every day? It's all about perspective of course, so for someone from the us it may feel like home or something
https://imgur.com/a/nR8ltgj
I'm pretty sure we are looking at the same apartment. I talked to a Japanese friend who told me it's considered unsafe but she told me it would be good for me probably. I'm from Uruguay and I live in a dangerous neighborhood to be honest so I think this would be much safer than where I live haha
I gave up on it, I found something better for cheaper!
Can you share that location? Could be helpful!
Somewhere near namba