OSAKA -- The Airin district in Nishinari Ward here is well known as a hub for day-laborers. It's a working-class neighborhood that is quite unlike Osaka's upscale Umeda district or the neon jungle of Shinsaibashi.
And that's exactly what has been attracting foreign tourists of late.
"About five years ago, we began to notice that more and more foreign tourists, especially from Asia, America and Australia, were interested in renting a room. Most were backpackers in their 20s," said Kaoru Imanishi, an employee of Hotel Mikado in the heart of the Airin district.