Japan's Osaka has rivaled the capital Tokyo in economic status for nearly a decade.
But right next to the famous Osaka Shinsegae Pedestrian Street, there is an "urban village".
This small, light-barred neighborhood is popularly known as Kamasaki and is known as "Japan's largest slum".
Kamasaki "Triangle Park"
The people who have put down roots here are mainly elderly bachelors, and there are hardly any women or children in the community.
One day, a cold snap struck, and the temperature in Osaka dropped sharply to 4 degrees Celsius in the morning.
But this did not shake the 81-year-old Hatanaka Jinpei's determination to go out.
As usual, Hatanaka Jinhei arrived at the "Triangle Park" located in the middle of Kamasaki at 9 o'clock in the morning.
The breakfast for feeding the pigeons consisted of scraps he had collected on the street and small dried fish that he had bought out of his own pocket.
Half a year ago, he was expelled for secretly drinking in violation of regulations in a government-provided dormitory.
As a result, he slept in the corner of this square for 10 days, and developed an inexplicable attachment to this place.
Kamasaki resident Hata Nakajin Hei
"From time to time, officials come to me and warn me that I am affecting the city's appearance. I scolded the officials and asked them why they didn't remove my things. If you don't dare, get out of the way, don't come and harass me, and that's how they shut up and left, never coming back. ”
Nowadays, Jinping spends his time here during the day, and displays all kinds of treasures "rescued" from the garbage heap here, waiting for someone to pick them up.
On Saturdays, Kamasaki's largest charity canteen distributes nutritious lunches to the poor in Triangle Park.
Jinhei receives 120,000 yen a month in welfare, so he doesn't have to worry about food and clothing, but he is still looking forward to this day every Saturday.
The charity canteen attracts about 300 poor people at a time, many of whom are recipients of government benefits.
It is said that many of the long queues were new faces, and they had come from other cities.
Triangle Park is a place where the people of Kamasaki gather to chat and drink, but most people are very resistant to the camera.
In Kamisaki, privacy is a highly sensitive topic.
Local media have revealed that as many as 80 percent of the community's population belongs to the "human vapor" group.
Kamasaki, with low prices and estranged relationships, became the best place for them to start a second life.
Although Jinping did not "evaporate from the world", he concealed his real name.
Unlike the usual Kamasaki who avoids the camera, he is cheerful and willing to share his wonderful life experiences with passers-by, especially his 20 years in the Philippines.
Kamasaki resident Hata Nakajin Hei
"People here seem to like me talking to them in Filipino, and the Filipino 'I love you', and I think I can talk to anyone, there are so many chairs here, you can choose one and sit down and talk. I'm content and don't have to be too close to anyone. ”
Jinpei often spends the whole day in the park until it gets dark.
Jinpei is not from Osaka, and is considered a "new immigrant" from Kamasaki.
Because he was lonely, he was arranged by the Ministry of Welfare to move to Kamasaki.
The small apartment where Jinpei currently lives has a kitchenette and bathroom. Thanks to government aid, he was able to rent an apartment for 44,000 yen a month.
Kamasaki resident Hata Nakajin Hei
"You'd think it's small, but I find it convenient to reach out and get what I want, and hold all my stuff. If I had two rooms, I would have felt lonely. ”
After divorcing his wife thirty years ago, Hata Jinhei has not returned to his hometown.
He was still in contact with his eldest son, but unfortunately, when he moved out of his previous dormitory, he lost his eldest son's phone number in a hurry.
Kamasaki resident Hata Nakajin Hei
"I just wanted my son's phone number, and my ex-wife recognized my voice and hung up the phone. I'm not an alcoholic, I don't actually drink much, but sometimes I'm really lonely, my heart is very empty, and just drinking plain water can't relieve my sadness. ”
Alcohol could only temporarily anesthetize his loneliness, and it could never take away his guilt for his family.
Another day passed, and Jinpei had hoped that someone familiar would pass by Triangle Park and find him there.
But that never happened.
Behind every bustling city lies the danger of "overload".
With the acceleration of modernization and urbanization, more and more people from towns and villages and immigrants are pouring into cities, and the housing crisis has become one of the biggest problems for the international community in the future. As a result, "slums" in cities are growing rapidly.
According to the United Nations, 3.2 billion people live in cities, and nearly 1 billion live in unlit corners of cities.
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"The Corner That Doesn't Shine"
Source: "Phoenix Vision"
Editor: Wang Dingyao