My Neighborhood

The view from my balcony.

While studying in Japan, I am participating in a home stay. A large portion of Japan does not have numerical addresses, though you’re more likely to find numbered buildings in the major cities or urban areas. Much like how America is divided into states, counties, and towns, places in Japan are named in a similar manner. The names start with the neighborhood, usually designated by -chou, then the town, -shi, and finally the prefecture, such as Kyoto, Osaka, or Tokyo. (Fedorowicz, Steven, class discussion) Following this style, I currently live in Sanbombashi, Yawata-shi, Kyoto.

According to my host father, many of our neighbors associate themselves with Yawata-shi rather than specifically with Sanbombashi. The closest train station is the Yawata-shi station, and the nearby City Office and Cultural Center are for the Yawata-shi area. Yawata-shi has a population of about 7,400 people. (Yawata-shi City Office)

A tanuki in Yawata-shi.

Downtown Yawata-shi has plenty of restaurants, clothing stores, and small business along the main road. Like many Japanese restaurants or bars, many of the restaurants in Yawata-shi have the standard raccoon statue. These tanuki welcome customers and invite them to enter the restaurant. Other places of interest in downtown Yawata-shi include a tatami shop, a bakery, and a couple of book stores, just to name a few.

First Thoughts About Japan

Tezuka Osamu World at Kyoto Station.

Much of my previous knowledge about Japan came from anime and manga, or Japanese cartoons and comics. My first taste of “Japanese culture” was like many other Americans of my generation. During my childhood, I caught glimpses of dubbed episodes of Sailor Moon and Pokemon in the afternoons after school. I recognized that these cartoons were similar to American cartoons, yet there was some unspoken aspect that made them particularly exotic. As a child, I could never place my finger on what differentiated anime and Western cartoons. Now that I have more experience and have watched numerous series and genres of anime, I can see the differences and similarities more clearly.

After arriving in Japan, many of my expectations have been met. I have seen young people wearing identical, pristine uniforms on their way to school. While riding the train, I have noticed that most commuters either spend their time catnapping, or pull out their phones or portable gaming systems. Simply eating in the cafeteria at school has reaffirmed the staples of noodle and curry dishes in the Japanese diet. I have become familiar with all of these stereotypes through anime, and although cartoons and comics may not be the most accurate source of information, all stereotypes originate from a small drop of truth.

McDonald's at Kansai Gaidai.

Of course I have also noticed the Western influence within Japan. The McDonald’s on campus is a prime example. Even as I ventured away from the foreign populace centered at Kansai Gaidai, I still see familiar signs and brand names along the streets. Similar to how anime has crossed into Western culture, so too have Western institutes become a normal part of Japanese life.