Living in Honmachi

The center of the merchant district Senba, where the textile wholesale shopping streets once flourished and which is now an office base packed with the company-owned buildings of major corporations and trading houses. Recently, tower condominiums have been going up one after another, and it is changing into a hybrid district where offices and housing coexist. The downtown premium is distinct, and with few permanent residents, it becomes noticeably quiet at night and on weekends.

This is the office center between Umeda and Namba, where the Osaka Metro Midosuji, Yotsubashi and Chuo lines cross. Major corporate and trading-house buildings are concentrated here, so commuting is easy, and as tower condominiums have recently been built, demand from office workers living alone is growing. Because it is an office district, nights and weekends are somewhat quiet and rents are on the high side. It sits in the middle of the city with both Kita and Minami within walking distance, so it suits office workers who put living close to work first.