Experiencing Hirakata

This Spring semester I'm staying in Kansai Gaidai's seminar house III located in Katahokohigashi-machi, Hirakata, Osaka. It is in a residential area, but it is about 5-10 minutes from stores, parks and restaurants. To the right of seminar house III there is a gym that Kansai Gaidai students and use free of charge, and to the right is seminar house II.

Aside from the gym there is a park two blocks away that is known as beer park, because of previous Kansai Gaidai students who used to gather around the park at night and drink. There is a city library, behind the park, that is known by most of the people in the area. This came in handy when I got lost the first couple of days and it was the only place I had come to recognize.

I really enjoy being able to go almost anywhere by bike because I haven't used a bike since I was in middle school; it makes me feel like a kid every time I ride it. The last couple of times I biked to school I took pictures of the route because I there is so much I miss just riding by. These are some of those pictures, along the path there are several house and small shrines, Izakaya, and schools.

One of the things that stands out the most about this neighborhood is that whenever I pass by someone and I greet them they respond if they aren't the ones who initiated it. Although, I am living in a residential area in Japanfull of children and families, I have yet to really experience Japanese family life. The closest situations to Japanese daily life have been with the seminar house mom and dad.

I have only been here for a month, but they have helped me out with a flat on my bike, suggesting where to eat, Japanese home work, and even tips and Japanese medicine for hangovers.

 I'm excited to discover other places around my neighborhood!!!!

The First Layer

Conveyor belt Sushi, マクドナルド, 自転車, Mascots, カラオケ, サラリーマン, Shinto, Recycling.

These are a few of the things that were going through my mind when I first arrived in Japanin 2008. My first trip was about a week long. I was excited to try sushi in Japan, visit temples, and practice my limited Japanese. Between my first and second trip, in 2009, I was able to learn about Japanese culture, but at the same time get even more confused by some of their actions and customs. I found it interesting how people taking the escalator stood to the right side and others in a hurry quickly walked up the left side. Even now I'm still curious as to how everyone knows to do that. The meticulous sorting and recycling of trash also intrigued especially when I saw it being done in McDonald's.

I had so many questions like: why is there a mascot for almost everything including the police departments, TV stations and even the JR Line? How does Japantechnologically advance but at the same time seems to keep many traditions, beliefs and family oriented? Why is McDonald's tastier than in America?


The way everything seemed to work amazed me, how polite people were, how you can order your dinner from a vending machine, the construction of buildings. The first time I went I stayed at the Prince Sunshine Hotel in Tokyo which was in the same building as a shopping mall, office building, and Toys R Us on the basement floor by a McDonald's. To the left of the building there was a park with a fountain and to the right was a highway with restaurants underneath it. All these various elements meshed perfectly together and make me think about how disorganized things are in other places.