Neighborhood Hirakata

I’ve always defined each neighborhood in Japan by their train station, mainly because I could never read the Kanji to decipher a street address. When I first arrived at Hirakatashi Station, I was shocked to see how calm and quiet the area was. With only the stereotypical metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Osaka station images in mind, it was clear this area was going to be the exact opposite. Walking into the nearby Kintetsu Department store, I was trampled by mothers and grandmothers, buying groceries for the following night. Looking around, shops were targeted towards the older generation, mature clothing, nothing really suitable for myself. It only took me 2 hours to explore all of the station area, until I hopped onto a bus and took it back up to my dorm, heading into a Japanese residential area.

The same night I took a late night bike ride to further examine the neighborhood I now call home. There was something different about this residential area compared to my home back in Calgary, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it [probably because I got use to my surroundings already]. I grabbed my camera and began to shoot buildings I typically wouldn’t see in my neighborhood back home. Coming out onto the main street, the first thing that hit me was the Pachinko building “Himawari”. Right next to it, a giant supermarket, “Top World”. When I turned the corner, I found myself at a karaoke bar, and then down the street was “Fashion Mall”. With just a 10 minute bike ride, I passed by over 5 convenient stores.

Japan truly took the word convenience to another level. Everything one needs to survive is located in such a small area. When I returned from my bike ride, I realized how different a Canadian and Japanese residential area was. I would have had to drive at least 10 min to find my nearest convenient store. Grocery shopping would also be impossible without a car [our bikes don't even have baskets], and the nearest karaoke bar is downtown, a 40 minute drive away. If only Canada could better utilize this word, "convenience". I've now come to define my neighborhood as the areas my bicycle will take me. This encompasses Hirakatashi eki all the way till Keihan National Highway.[between Kappa Sushi and Donquijote - ドン・キホーテ].