Globalization In Kansai

Osaka and Kobe are famous international cities in Japan that you can find products, restaurants as well as people from all over the world. But if you look at the stuffs you found “international” in Japan more carefully, you would probably find that the “international” stuff is actually “Japanized”. China Town in Kobe and American Village (American Mura) in Osaka are good places to find this Japanese style of globalization.

I have been staying in China Town in Kobe for 2 hours during Chinese New Year in 2009. There was a parade in the main street which had many characters from a Chinese novel “Journey to the West”. It was actually a very Chinese style but actually the actors and actresses are Japanese. Beside the parade, few Japanese restaurants are located in China Town which is totally not related to China. Even though the remaining are Chinese restaurant, their menu and method of operation are also Japanese style. For example, Chinese food does not have fired chicken (Karaage) and Chinese people do not sit on TaTaMi.

Parade for Chinese New Year

Japanese restaurant in China Town

Gaikokujin in China Town

As for the American Village in Osaka, it is another place good for finding the products which are mixed of Japanese and other countries’ styles. The shops there are selling clothes in American or western styles and most young people there are wearing like an American (for example, hip-hop style). However, the clothes actually do not fit the Westerners’ size but Japanese or Easterners’ size. Also, many clothes sold in there are made in Japan, China and other Asian countries.
American clothes bought in American Village was made in China


Japan collects the best from all over the world but it makes them into the Japanese way instead of directly copying. This is the Japanese way of globalization.