OSAKA - Ikuno Ward in Osaka, long known as a community shaped by Korean residents, is undergoing a significant transformation as the number of foreign nationals rises and the origins of its population diversify across roughly 80 countries. Nearly one in five of the ward’s 130,000 residents now hold foreign nationality, with recent growth driven in particular by arrivals from Vietnam and Nepal.
While the proportion of Korean and Korean-descended residents has declined, the district’s streets increasingly reflect a wider international presence, including students and workers who have settled nearby after attending local language schools.
Restaurants serving Vietnamese and Nepalese dishes have become part of the everyday landscape, offering flavors familiar to residents from abroad and attracting interest from long-time locals. In one Vietnamese eatery, pho has become a popular draw, while Nepalese establishments serve dal bhat — rice paired with lentil soup and side dishes — a staple described as roughly equivalent to Japan’s combination of rice and miso soup. These culinary shifts illustrate how the ward’s changing demographics are reflected not only in census figures but in daily life.
Ikuno’s Korea Town, which spans neighborhoods around Tsuruhashi and Momodani, remains a major attraction, drawing dense weekend crowds to its shopping arcades east of JR Momodani Station. But the broader picture is one of rapid diversification. Over the past decade, the Vietnamese population has increased nearly sevenfold, Chinese residents have doubled, and the Nepalese population — once negligible — has steadily expanded. According to Asahi Shimbun reporter Taro Tamaki, who has extensively covered foreign families and children living in Japan, the ward’s many Japanese-language schools have helped foreign students establish roots and build networks that support longer-term residence.
The reasons behind Ikuno’s transformation, Tamaki says, lie in its history, administrative policies, and grassroots activity. The area became home to many Koreans from the former Japanese colony of the Korean Peninsula, particularly from Jeju Island, who built a community before and after the war while facing significant discrimination. That experience of establishing support networks under difficult circumstances has influenced many long-standing residents’ willingness to assist newcomers from other countries.
The ward administration has played an equally important role. Former ward mayor Teru Yamaguchi promoted multicultural coexistence as a practical necessity amid population decline, encouraging local shops to adopt “easy Japanese” — short and clear expressions that help non-native speakers communicate more easily. Stores displaying a sticker indicating their use of this simplified language have become common across the district. Current ward mayor Akira Tsuji continues to emphasize coexistence, adopting the slogan “Let us move forward together while remaining different,” a message shaped by his earlier experience working with Okinawan communities in Taisho Ward.
Grassroots initiatives have further anchored Ikuno’s multicultural evolution. At NOPARK, a former elementary school redeveloped as a community hub, an international night market is held several times a year. The former schoolyard fills with stalls serving dishes from various countries, while a stage showcases music and performances from residents’ home regions. Vietnamese restaurant owner Hoa Anh Hoa, for example, not only runs a food stall but also takes the microphone to sing Vietnamese songs, drawing applause from local families and elderly residents who attend the event in large numbers.
Educational support has also emerged as a key pillar. Ikuno Tabunka Flat, a learning space founded in 2017 by Son, a third-generation Korean resident and retired school employee, offers volunteer-run study sessions for children who have recently arrived in Japan and struggle with Japanese-language instruction in school. The program has become an important resource for easing the linguistic and emotional challenges faced by young newcomers.
Tamaki argues that Ikuno’s trajectory offers a preview of Japan’s future as the number of foreign residents increases nationwide. While some people may feel anxious about the pace of change, he notes that meeting individuals, learning their names, and seeing their daily lives often dispel concerns that spread easily online. With Osaka’s recent Expo drawing large numbers of international visitors, he believes Ikuno is well positioned to continue serving as a model for multicultural coexistence — a place where diverse cultures are not only visible but actively woven into the community’s daily rhythm.
Source: ABCTVnews
