NAGOYA -- Young people browse through the shirts and jeans at a used clothes store, while an elderly woman picks up some tea at a shop around back. On the street, a young couple eating ice cream pass a man with a computer.
Every weekend, more than 10,000 people come to Osu, making the old-fashioned quarter one of the busiest shopping districts in Nagoya.
The area centers on Osu Shrine, dating back to 1610, and looks no different than a typical traditional shopping district on the decline: small shop after small shop lining a narrow arcade and cramming the alleyways.