The building will be a success, but total demand won't improve. Osaka should try special economic zones and create new businesses from those zones.

"special economic zones"? Like North Korea's industrial park, eh? Hello, you need to make the whole country a "special zone" if you want real results.

You have got to start somewhere. I don't know what "special economic zones" would entail exactly, but if it were my decision, I would be looking for ways to entice people to travel and shop. I would be looking for ways to make it all more inexpensive, convenient and fun, and I especially have parking and road tolls in mind.

I might even look at creating some shopping helpers who will assist you shopping while you take care of your child. Or even some method of localized net shopping while you watch your child play in a playroom. You pay cash, your stuff gets delivered, and you have time and energy to do other things.

Special zones could kick start some ideas that will travel the entire country.

special economic zones are the best way of saying 'YES, we are a weirdo nation with all sorts of weirdo laws'.

Abeno... they really are trying to clean that area up but I doubt it'll work in the long run. More female shoppers waiting in long lines for some trendy lunch place isn't going to bolster Osaka's economy. Getting rid of Hashimoto on the other hand...

try special economic zones

Try ? Osaka has already the biggest surface of the world of those special wasteland, all reclaimed from the sea : Kansai Airport zone, Osaka port "world trade center" zone...just to name the most megalomaniac ones. What they lack is people to start businesses.