Neighborhood Hirakata

Every neighborhood has got its own feeling and sense of character.  Though the images in this post are without people, scenery can tell a lot about a place's inhabitants (and I promise there are plenty of people out and about).

Hirakata is different from the neighborhood I grew up in, in Utah.  Instead of a neighborhood embedded in clean little Salt Lake City, Hirakata is a country-like suburb of the massive Osaka.  It's got a quaint feel, and there are a plethora of hole-in-the-wall restaurants, small mom n' pop businesses, beauty salons, and convenience stores.  100 yen Lawson (similar to your average American dollar store, but with goods like seaweed, onigiri, and milk tea) may be the most frequented shop on my bike route.  

Since it's my second semester here, I must note that the differences I was once shocked by have become familiarities.  I have come to accept the poles in the middle of sidewalks as part of the scenery, rather than as intentional biking obstacles.

Every morning I bike to school from the seminar house.  The ride is pretty on a sunny day.  It can however be dreary in the windy February rain.  In the fall our neighborhood has tall rice stalks blowing in the wind, ready to be harvested.  In the winter, these become empty pits which resemble small swimming pools.  On the topic of harvesting, off the main roads there are small gardens to be found.  On a rain-free day, I often see one or two men working the gardens pushing soil about. 

Local Garden Near Contemporary Japanese Apartments

There are a multitude of apartments and some lovely Japanese-style houses to be seen.  In the seminar house we have access to clothes dryers, but most apartments that I pass have hanging clothes, as I've heard that dryers are uncommon in Japanese households.  Rain or shine, there will be underwear hanging outside the window.

Drying Laundry

On any given day, I will pass at least three to eight miniature dogs being walked by their owners.  I will also encounter quite a few fellow bikers.  I have frequently seen families biking together with groceries in their baskets.   

A Collection of Bikes for All Ages in the Neighborhood

I recently joined the neighborhood gym.  Though I have not seen any other foreigners working out there, I am fascinated by the half-sized treadmills and the bull-riding workout machines.  I am also quite in awe of the amount of elderly people running faster than I could on a treadmill.  In fact, a fair number of the people I pass on the bikes are elderly.  The elderly here are active, and it's impressive.  Could it be the fish and rice? 

The Neighborhood Gym, Viva

What is a quaint, cozy town without a Pachinko?  Pachinko is similar to a US casino.  I frequently pass this hot spot on my ride to school.  Sometimes there's a line out the door before it opens in the morning.  I have only stepped foot into the Pachinko briefly.  Inside it is extremely loud and smoky. 

Hirakata's Own Pachinko Corner During Traffic Hour

There's something very sweet about Neighborhood Hirakata.  The best part about living in Hirakata are bike rides like this:

Cloud Formation Near Sunset, Biking to Kuzuha

Hirakata Riverbank Near Seminar House

A Full Moon in Hirakata