Osaka

For years I had been convinced that Blade Runner was filmed in Osaka; I am now reliably informed that no part of the movie was filmed anywhere in Japan. Still you would never guess; it is like walking onto the movie set, particularly at night and when it is raining. Osaka is a monstrous concrete jungle with towering mirror-clad office blocks, multi-level expressways ploughing between buildings, over rivers...but the usual excellent food, cold beer, cool bars... Most non-Osaka Japanese will tell you that Osaka is all about money and the greeting between two locals is an exchange concerning how much they have made that day. It is certainly an overwhelming hive of industry, though easier to navigate than I had expected. Fascinating place; I need to spend longer next time I go.