Journeys in Japan S2015E04 - Blues City Osaka

Blues music is known and loved around the world, including Japan. But there is one place above all that has earned the title "the City of the Blues": Osaka. Since the 1970's, the blues has been part of the soundtrack for this gritty, eclectic metropolis, and there are still many clubs and bars that specialize in this music. Actor Charles Glover loves good music, especially the blues. That is why he visits Osaka. After sampling the atmosphere and street foods of Shinsekai, a long-established entertainment district, he goes in search of live music at the city's blues clubs. Some 90 years ago, Osaka was booming, and people came from all over Japan, and from other countries, looking for work. Charles visits Taisho, a major industrial district that formed the base of Osaka's prosperity and is home to many people of Okinawan descent. He also goes to the Ikuno Korea Town, which has been the cradle for many musicians. Exploring the vibrant streets, the food, the local culture of humor, Charles starts to understand why the people of Osaka have such an affinity to the blues - and why the city has such an enduring charm.