The next morning I walk from my hotel to one of the hippest parts of Osaka: Amerikamura, a neighbourhood that seems made in the USA. American flags decorate the walls, American brands fill the shops and a large Statue of Liberty towers over the shopping centre. In the 1970s, the abandoned buildings in this part of town were converted into shops that sold imported goods from the United States. The neighbourhood quickly became known as Amerikamura, or Amemura as the locals refer to this all American part of town.
The neighbourhood is also where youngsters go to be seen: this is the place for cutting-edge teen fashion. I settle on a bench in Triangle Park, the epicentre of Amemura, to admire the continuous parade of styles: pink hair, petticoats, punk, boys in army fatigues with bleached spikes, and girls in ‘French maid’ dresses with a Japanese twist.