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]. 

Culture Shock: Early Impressions of Japan

I don’t consider myself to be a stranger to Japan.  My father is a Japanese Literature Professor, so he’s taken me to Japan countless times as a student.  My father always told me how when he comes to Japan, he feels like a citizen, not a foreigner.  While preparing for this exchange, I thought I would be able to easily relate to this feeling, but was slapped in the face the moment I hopped into the taxi headed for Kyoto. 

I know about the love hotels, pachinko stadiums and ferris wheels on top of 5 story department stores.  What I forgot, was the feeling of mental obliteration, pure shock of seeing all these unimaginable architects squished together side by side. However I soon realized this feeling of shock from seeing, is just stage one of culture shock.

 

I lived in Kyoto two weeks prior to coming to Hirakatashi and had plenty of time to adventure and explore the area.  Interestingly enough, I was most shocked when it came to lunch time. I was craving udon one day, so I walked into a small udon shop on the main streets of Kawaramachi.  To my surprise, the whole isle was filled with office ladies facing the wall, eating alone.  Because I was shopping alone, I naturally sat down at one of the isle seat and for the first time ever, felt this unbearable loneliness. It was such an interesting feeling, something I’ve never felt back home in Canada, even when I’m eating alone.  I started to question how these office ladies bear doing this every day, something that seemed like a norm to them.

After asking my Japanese friends, I learned of the word, “Ohitorisama,” meaning “one person”, usually used to describe a someone who can handle everything in life by her/himself.  TBS, a media company in Japan even made a television show titled “Ohitorisama”, a story of a strong willed women capable of handling any work by herself.  This send out a positive message to the female working class, but is clearly not as glorious and rewarding in real life. As a foreigner, upon hearing this word I immediately felt sad  because I could never be able to enjoy life without companions. It gave me the impression that Japanese people are overly independent. I asked another Japanese friend for his view on the word, and was surprised when he said a lifestyle like that is neither good or bad. Clearly the lifestyle has grown to become somewhat of a norm, but will remain forever foreign to me.

Although these encounters are unimaginable in my mind, I look forward to continually discovering and experiencing these cultural differences. 

Reference:

Drama “Ohitorisama”

http://www.tbs.co.jp/ohitorisama2009/