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.