Japanology Plus

Underground Shopping Streets (2019x3)

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In Japan, the area surrounding many major train stations may seem busy at street level alone—but, as it turns out, that's only half the story. Underneath your feet is an entire alternate universe of shopping, dining and other human activity taking place in vast, labyrinthine underground shopping streets. This time on Japanology Plus, we journey underground to discover the history, structure and uses of these streets. To see a prime example of Japan's underground shopping streets, host Peter Barakan visits Umeda, Osaka, where several major train lines converge. In Japan, such areas are more than likely to be the home of an underground shopping street, and Umeda is no exception. In fact, opened in 1963, it's one of the earliest major streets. Peter Barakan descends underground to meet expert guest Yu Hiroi, who, in his research about disaster mitigation, has become well-versed in these shopping streets.