Hiroko Itani, left, and Hatsue Utsunomiya, manager of the Daily Yamazaki Taisho outlet, pose beside a shelf full of Bon Curry products exclusively for Okinawa and other Okinawan items on March 2 in Osaka’s Taisho Ward. (Takuya Arakaki)
OSAKA The Daily Yamazaki’s Taisho outlet flies an inviting flag outside its entrance that reads “Okinawan items,” while inside, traditional folk music plays and some of the regulars perform the “kachashi” Okinawan hand dance.
This unassuming corner convenience store has grown over the past quarter-century into a cornerstone of the city’s local Okinawan community. Locals know it as the Daily Okinawa, and it has become a popular destination for former Okinawans living across the Kansai region hankering for a taste of home.