I went on a long bike ride this evening. With no destination in mind, I turned a way I've never gone and just rode, taking any street that caught my fancy, with a general, though ultimately unrealized, idea of riding along the bay. So i trying to get to the water, which i did find, I went through increasingly more industrial areas, finally coming upon a shanty town. I've seen a couple others in Osaka, but this was quite large, filling a large section of a huge park called Nishinari. Oddly enough, the park was fenced off with barbed wire and all paths led to the shanty town. It took me about 2 hours to find my way back home, but that was part of the fun. Intrigued by the tent city, i found this article online: http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2003/Homeless-In-Japan18jun03.htm
Anyway, I also saw crowds of people in a small park of blooming cherry trees, picnic-ing and partying. I think I'll head in a new direction tomorrow night!