Osaka welcomes worlds with food, humour, sports passion

By Chie Matsumoto Aug 20, 2007, 9:52 GMT

Tokyo - When you visit the western Japanese capital of Osaka, you are certain to polish your taste buds, sense of humour and passion for sports.

'Eat until you drop' is the policy of Osakans and the key to enjoying the host city of the world athletics championships. People there love to eat, they say, because they are proud of their food culture.

The dining tradition passed on for generations in 'Japan's kitchen' is to eat during a stroll along one of the main drag, Midosuji street, while you think about what can stimulate your taste buds next.

Enchanted with hordes of tasty aroma, locals and tourists find Tako-yaki, piece of octopus in broiled flour balls, and Okonomi-yaki, Japanese pancakes, art of Osaka dining.

Hungry diners would never get bored while waiting to be served in Osaka. The city is known as a birthplace for Japanese comedians, and even locals routinely whip out their best lines and bombard one another with good sense of humour.

The world championships Committee in Osaka set up an event booth along Midosuji, near Shinsaibashi station, to stage some comedy skits to cheer athletes competing at the big event starting on Saturday.

The city centre is painted in world championship colours, some landmarks have also been decorated and tour guides are on hand in English, German, French and other languages to welcome championship visitors from around the world.

Mayor Junichi Seki recently told the Daily Yomiuri paper that Osaka also wants to prove that it can host big events after losing in the bid for the 2008 Olympics.

'We're doing everything to make the event a success, and I hope I can say afterward that Osaka city has progressed enough to host an event of this scale,' he said.

The 2.6 million Osakans can get heated up for sports, though they are most passionate about cheering for their baseball home-team Hanshin Tigers.

Their passion burned so hot in 2005, when the Tigers won the Japan Central League, that fans celebrating in the city dove into Dotonbori canal that runs through the city.

The tradition has survived since the Tigers' 1985 victory, as the fans expressed their enthusiasm during the 2002 football World Cup and other sports competitions.

More than 5,300 baseball fans made the dive into the water in 2003. One fan drowned, police have put up fences and baseball coaches have urged fans not to jump in the canal, but efforts have not seen the light of day.

The heat is already rising in Osaka in anticipation of Team Japan's medals at the World Athletics.