Benches and People: An Osaka Shopping Arcade

Document 72 Hours – Season 7

In Osaka you'll find Tenjinbashi-suji, one of the longest shopping arcades in Japan. At the end of the bustling, 2.6-kilometer arcade is a row of benches. We took our cameras there and spent 3 days talking to some of the folks taking a break there. Some use the benches to get work done. Some just watch people go by. And some share fascinating details of their personal lives. For 3 days, we meet people who have a seat, enjoy a talk or a laugh or a drink, and then get back up and keep going.