00:00:03 John Daub: Good morning everybody. Welcome to Kuromon Market in Osaka. This is one of the more vibrant markets not too far from Dotonbori and Namba. About a 10-minute walk. A lot of people, especially guidebooks, say this market is incredible because it feels like locals still shop here. We're going to find out in this live stream if that's true and explore some of the things inside.

00:00:31 John Daub: This is one of the entrances. There's a pet shop right at the beginning. Look at these little doggies. Reminds me of Kuro, who we saw last night—Kuro-san, Kuro-chan. Kuromon Market is named that because kuro means black, mon means gate. I believe the temple that was in this area burned down in 1912. Black Gate. I've walked all through this market a couple times over the years, and it's changed a lot, like everything in Osaka.

00:01:17 John Daub: There's loads of street food you can eat here. This is one of the side streets that goes into the market, but when we get to the center, you're going to see a ton of people. On the way there, this used to be a butcher shop, but now it's serving meat to tourists. Whenever they write it in English, I get worried. But he'll cook it right in front of you for a pretty reasonable price. Konnichiwa!

00:02:02 John Daub: It's hard not to love Osaka. Also very famous in this area is fugu (pufferfish) in winter, and in summer it's hamo (conger eel). In winter it's fugu season, and you're going to see it all over the market. You can eat it here too. Look at that stuffed fugu. Oh, you can even dress up in kimono and walk around the market. All sorts of different foods. There's some tonyu (soy milk).

00:02:54 John Daub: How much is that? 200 yen for a glass of fresh tonyu. They make it here in the shop—looks like a family-run business for 80 years. Even in the back, they're making tonyu. She's putting a bag of it into the tank now. Interesting. I should try it. Soy milk is pretty good. I haven't had breakfast yet, so this would be really good.

00:03:32 John Daub: Oh, I only have 10,000 yen notes—that's not going to make anybody happy in a market. Saved, I got some coins. I can't give her a 10,000 yen note; that would be so rude, like a $100 bill for a $2 drink. I'd like some tonyu, please. Check that out—they're mixing it up here. Wow, it came in like a mayonnaise jar. Let's try it.

00:05:05 John Daub: In an episode called "Why Do Japanese Live So Long," I spent two early mornings with my friend Yo and his grandson Bunkichi making tofu from 4:30 a.m. Soy milk is kind of a product of that process. Let's try it. We're at the intersection of Kuromon Market. Look up on the ceiling—it looks so retro. This is the main north-south route through Kuromon Market.

00:06:05 John Daub: Most people here this time of day are tourists—they've already shopped by morning. If you want the local experience, come between 9 a.m. when it opens and before lunch, like 9 to 11. Here's another entrance—you can see the big fish up on the roof. She asked if I wanted it heated; I like my tonyu cold. Oh wow, it's not mayonnaise. That's thick—like drinking tofu. It's naturally sweet. That was really good—I'm going to save the rest for the Shinkansen ride back.

00:07:21 John Daub: Let's go deeper into Kuromon Market. Homemade tonyu right there, but you'll see vegetables and fish. The market's changed a lot—this used to be a place without ice cream, but now they're catering to tourists. With the population shrinking, you don't have much choice. Green tea and strawberry ice cream. Overpriced ichigo daifuku (strawberry mochi) with custard cream inside—way overpriced.

00:08:23 John Daub: He's taken the hotate (scallop), cut it up, put it back in the shell, marinated it, and now cooking it with a blowtorch. About $6 for one—a little pricey, but a good experience. $8 for takoyaki (octopus balls) is pretty pricey too. Around the intersection, stay away and go deeper into the market. Where Kevin Riley lives in Teradacho, it's a lot more local. Osaka's rough around the edges with character in the streets.

00:09:19 John Daub: Check out these white carrots—they sell red ones at New Year's too. The dessert strawberries are here. They've got all kinds from Nara: red, pink, white Yamato Hime strawberries. They smell so good—$30 for that pack, cheaper than Tokyo. These white ones are prized; I made a video on them. Half off right now—$7 for a bunch. Brendan Walker says this is his favorite spot in Osaka—thanks, I'll get some for breakfast since I woke up at 11 after a midnight snack run.

00:11:10 John Daub: If you like market walks, give a thumbs up. Daifuku seems big here. This shop's from Meiji 38—over 100 years old. Whoa, fugu with a Christmas hat! I've never seen that. Pufferfish in the Christmas spirit. And it looks like a shark over there too. Fugu is pufferfish—you can see that's a beautiful specimen.

00:12:36 John Daub: She's cutting tamagoyaki (grilled egg)—so soft. Unagi (eel) with tamagoyaki for 500 yen, but the unagi's from China—not good, gave me an allergic reaction from antibiotics. Sweet potatoes with sauce smell wonderful. Strawberry sticks in every shade of red. A lot of people call Kuromon Market the kitchen of Osaka, since Osaka's the kitchen of Japan. Produce from around Japan flows through here to Tokyo.

00:15:01 John Daub: They do roaring business selling strawberries to tourists from China—the prices are cheap. White pearl strawberries have gone down in price. Might get some for Kanae Daub—she's on her last workday before holidays. Big crabs here—12,000 yen or over $100 for those legs. With all the tourists, hard to know what's authentic without a seafood specialist. Sea urchins (uni) in the shell—you can eat as sashimi. Christmas cakes with strawberries—dessert strawberry season.

00:16:25 John Daub: Loads of butcher shops—family-run since 1930. "I'm the king of pufferfish"—torafugu (tiger pufferfish). Try a plate for 1,000 yen. Pufferfish miso soup, stuffed animals with hats. Kit Kat daifuku flavored—brand new, 280 yen a bag. Strawberry daifuku Kit Kat.

00:18:33 John Daub: Green Beans Parlor—they're grilling coffee. Smells really nice. Hot cup for 220 yen—a steal. Coffee, please, takeaway. They're roasting the beans right there. Freshly roasted Brazilian coffee—really good, a little acidic and bitter, wakes you up fast.

00:21:25 John Daub: Time to get some street food. That touristy area narrows out—the market's like six city blocks with shotengai (covered shopping arcade) in between, so you can shop rain or shine. Once here, you're in the safe zone. Enjoying coffee from Green Beans Parlor—they roast in there. Another fugu stand—high season now. Fugu has poison 100 times stronger than cyanide. Big ones: $170 or $72. Fugu shirako (sperm sac) can be deep-fried creamy or sashimi.

00:22:52 John Daub: Pufferfish get real big—I've seen them scuba diving, like a society under the ocean, minding their business like Harajuku cosplay balloons. Now you can eat them for 1,000 yen. $2.20 takeaway coffee—pretty good deal. Late checkout, might stop in Kyoto for another stream before Tokyo Station for Christmas—Kanae Daub's working.

00:24:59 John Daub: Kuromon Ichiba (market)—ichiba means market. Recommended as gifts by Osaka Government Tourist Bureau. They say it's local, but can you have it both ways? Yes. Big red chochin (lantern) says Kuromon at the main entrance—the temple burned, gate blackened.

00:26:41 John Daub: So caffeinated now—don't ride bikes inside. Goodbye to the pufferfish. In the mood for something big since I only have 10,000 notes. King snow crabs—$80 a tray. To trust fugu, chefs are licensed—accidents rare but quick. Squid rings.

00:28:08 John Daub: Street food: salads, oden. Tofu donuts with ice cream—peanut butter, chocolate, strawberry flavors. After coffee, in the mood for one. Tonyu (soy milk) donuts—shop's been here over 10 years. No Japanese being spoken—mostly tourists.

00:30:32 John Daub: Lobster for $35, grilled over there. Tonyu donuts made from tonyu—deep-fried but seems healthy. Good with Brazilian coffee. Fresh uni for 800 yen, oysters 500 yen. Discovered Street Food Central—get away from Namba intersection.

00:33:23 John Daub: Scallops, uni ranked number one. Spiked uni shells with delicious meat inside. They do it fresh. Met a viewer—gave him a "I found you" card. To check fugu safety, ask for chef's certificate—most are farmed now, poison subdued. Baby octopus on a stick.

00:36:23 John Daub: Waiting for 500 likes to eat more—830 watching, only 280 likes. Uni and wagyu together—sea meets land, 2,700 yen for three pieces. Cactus wall at a shop—sense of humor important in Osaka. Merry Christmas Eve—feel the energy.

00:39:11 John Daub: Kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) with maguro (tuna)—high turnover means fresh. Butchers grilling meat on-site—genius, nothing fresher. Every butcher should have a grill and stools. Staff ran change four shops over—only in Japan. Honesty feels good.

00:41:49 John Daub: Black sesame ice cream. Gachapon here. Crab stick 300 yen time sale—not real crab. Got pork set from Japan (600 yen) with crab stick. Beef's Australian. Line's all tourists.

00:46:50 John Daub: Christmas Eve isn't a holiday—23rd was emperor's birthday. Shops shut from 27th December to 3rd or 4th for Shogatsu (New Year's)—quiet time, back to normal by 7th January. Buy everything 31st. Gave "found me" cards to Aussies—no jet lag.

00:50:20 John Daub: Time sale all day—pork from Japan looks good. When away from Tokyo, I'm a tourist. Yakisoba here too. Don't objectify people—ask permission to film, especially to publish. Tourists fair game in public.

00:54:15 John Daub: Rush job on yakisoba—torches cool. Time sale till end of day. Steaming hot pork and fake crab—tastes real, made from fish. Put salt on it. Itadakimasu.

00:58:44 John Daub: Little alley to a shop with house plants—look off the main track. Fake crab meat courtesy Jedi Mac. Tempura, deep-fried crab stick.

01:01:24 John Daub: Opinion of Kuromon: eat well but hit ATM—pricey. Tonyu donut, fake crab. Try fugu for $10. Farmed fugu from Nagasaki—best from Shimonoseki. Hope you enjoyed—full from breakfast. Hit like for more market runs. Merry Christmas—back to Tokyo. Gotta get Kanae Daub a present. Bye guys.