Neighborhood Hirakata

The Hirakata suburbs are full of tightly packed houses and winding streets. The Japanese seem to share a seemingly contradictory idea of neighborhood dynamics; that is, privacy and closeness between neighbors. I talked with some Japanese students and found that in neighborhoods with mostly families or in rural areas, people know their neighbors well and see where they live as a common connection. Similar to what we saw in the neighborhood Tokyo video. At the same time however, I noticed how an individual's home is separated from the public world as our reading's talked about. At night, everyone returns home behind frosted glass and high walls. Gates are shut and shades are closed. But even with all these barriers, walking by the houses you can still guess what's going on inside. You can hear who's arguing, who's child is crying and who is watching baseball on TV. There is a desire for privacy, but also a general curiosity and concern for the overall behavior of one's neighbors.

Historically, the Japanese neighborhoods or cho were self-regulating entities. If one family was in violation of a law, all those living in the cho would feel the repercussions. I am curious to see if any of this kind of concern over others in one's neighboorhood has remained to this day in less urban areas. I asked several Japanese students about their experiences with this in childhood, but I have yet to get many solid answers. I think some more research is in order.

Janky John's Cook Shanty

Recently, a friend and I made a discovery while walking to Makino staion. Within sight of the station, along side of the canal, there is a small, old and pretty dirty looking restaurant with a name I could not read. So I decided to give it my own name: Janky John's Cook Shanty. I figured we should give it a try despite the look of the place. The food was surprisingly good and very cheap. Afterwards I realized that I have never had this kind of experience in America. A place like this run by one old guy would not be known for anything good in america, but from what I have heard, small places like this are all over japan. Some of the best yakisoba, udon or okonomiyake can be found in tiny shops like this one. This is something I admire about Japan, in contrast with the endless amount of bland chain stores I am used to.