This area, located just south of JR Osaka station, was once an island between the Sonezakigawa and Dojimagawa Rivers, and it was called Sonezaki Shinchi. Now it's called Kita no Shinchi, or simply Kita Shinchi, and it's the most famous nightclub and entertainment district of contemporary Osaka. It's just like Tokyo's Ginza: filled with thousands of high-class bars, clubs and small restaurants where Japanese businessmen entertain their clients. Narrow streets are brightly lit with flashing neon signs and billboards. In the old days this area was where geisha girls delighted their customers with genteel service, dancing and singing, and that is still very much the air that lingers over this whole place.