OSAKA — You can always tell when your train reaches Tsuruhashi Station. Unlike the other, mostly nondescript, stops on the JR Osaka Loop Line, the district has an atmosphere, flavor and aroma that makes it one of the city's most interesting neighborhoods.
Tsuruhashi is the historic and cultural home to one of the largest populations of Korean residents in Japan.
As visitors exit the station, the smell of kimchi, "yakiniku" (grilled beef) and other Korean delicacies hangs in the air. Walking through the Korean food stalls, one can hear Korean almost as often as Japanese, while seeing the occasional sign in hangul.