Keihan for a 门前町

This Keihan train station is called Yawatashi (八幡市). The station itself does not look very big and exciting, but as I went through the station and got to see what was outside, I was so surprised how much there is to see.

The only opening entrance of the station. Right outside are a small square and restaurants serving simple meals. To the right is the calbe line to Otokoyama.

            From the train schedule, it is easy to see that the station is not major - only local and sub-express train stop at here. The explanation for it, I guess is that the Keihan train line's Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū) and Rapid Express (快速急行, Kaisoku Kyūkō) are made for a faster transportation among the major stations between Kyoto and Osaka. Those trains and other trains which have "Commuter" before their name are mostly for the commutation of students and office workers. The neighborhood of Yawatashi station is neither a concentrated area of companies nor schools, or even a residential area of many residents. It is a station specially built for tourism.

               From Yawatashi train station, there is a sub-line of Keihan. Unlike the train line, it is a funicular called Otokoyama Cable (男山ケーブル), which goes from the Yawatashi train station to the  mountain Otokoyama, where the Iwashimizu shrine is located. It is a special cable line which was designed only for a tourist site, but still operated by Keihan Electric Railway. On the square outside of the train station, there are bus stops and taxi waiting spots. All the transportation are made convenient for the visitors to the shrine.

Signs from tourism information office.

                  The composition of the residents makes the area quite peaceful. From the billboards and posters in the station, I figured those commercials are made mainly for the elders. It is not only showed trough the signs with elders(老人) written on, but the many commercials for activities and living goods. There are furniture store commercial classical and music concert poster,  as well as the different art displays held in nearby cities like Kyoto. 

Inside Yawatashi station. Signs of art and cultural activities, tourism.

              The most important element of the site is Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū (石清水八幡宮) . Founded in 859 and the main buildings rebuilt in 1634, this ancient shrine is considered the third biggest Shinto shrine in Japan. Yawatashi is a town named after the Hachiman-gu - a different reading but the same kanji in Japanese. The town is a outgrowth of the shrine, as Japanese call it Monzenmachi(门前町).  Monzenmachi is usually refers to a town that is formed by the business which serves the monks and the visitors, and it only happens to major and popular temples and shrines.

             Around Yawatashi station, there are as many as five temples and three shrines, not to mention the historical sites and beautiful gardens beside. They have a long history and are very much representing the old Japan to the visitors from Japan and overseas through the many relics.

Directions for the tourism and city facilities.

               One thing drew my great attention is that the city office of Yawatashi is quite important for the sight I was seeing. There are many posters for the art and cultural activities organized by the city office, and the city office is also very enthusiastic at founding various welfare for students and elders. All of these gave me a strong sense that the elders here are living an enjoyable life in a very peaceful atmosphere of the shrine.

Bus stop. Signs of supporting human rights and anti-nuclear power by the city office.

A bridge near the train station, connecting the sight-seeing area with the residential area.

           There are also interesting things I found about the surroundings of the station. Among the various ancient temples and shrines, I saw a cross on the top of a building. Apart from the possibility that it is a decoration of the building, I still think it is what it looks like. The contrast is very interesting, which reminds me of one time an elder couple stopped me in front the abandoned house beside my host family house to talk to me, explained in English that they believe in God. They were extremely nice and talkative, and kept telling me that I should read bible. I guess it is somehow the same in the Yawatashi. The historical heritage of ancient religions is getting along with the ones from the west. Again, the elders are playing an important role in getting it more widespread.

A Church not far from Yawatashi station. It is hard to tell that it is Japan in this photo.

Yuka

I had a brainstorm of whom I can take portrait before I get to the working of this post, unfortunately it was not look good for me as I realized that I do not really have many choices. I can count with one hand the number of Japanese people whom I know well enough to write anything about. In the end, I went to my host family members to ask for help.
            As for the host family, there are seven members (including myself): Okaasan, Otoosan, Oneesan and three big dogs. It is such an interesting family as it is not very Japanese sometimes but indeed Japanese in some other times. Maybe it is a complex of east and west, therefore became the way it looks like to me today.

The 12-years-old Aino lying on the couch, with ribbons on her ears.

            The protagonist of this post is my older sister, Yuka. When I ask them, Okaasan pushed Yuka to me and said "I have no make-up on right now so take picture of Yuka!", so I see an indeed need for make-up when photographing which is a very reasonable thing in Japan. Girls on the streets or at school are most likely to be wearing heavy make-ups and never easy on the peachy blushes. Although I know she would not resist, but when Yuka agreed without any hesitation still surprised me as I think no matter what, Japanese people are shy when it comes to being photographed. Yuka was all okay about this.

Yuka in the living room. 

             There are something special about Yuka in the family. Most importantly, Yuka is the one responsible for bringing in the west culture. She has been working in New Zealand for more than four years after graduated from Kansai Gaidai. She came back recently to Japan and started her study at a nursing school. Because of her work, the family had one-year living experience in New Zealand, where they get their lovely New Zealand hound "Fay" and probably adopted some western lifestyles.

Fay and Yuka in the Kitchen.

            Their house looks a little of western style. The decoration are somehow in between as there are still sliding doors as well as regular doors. We do not need to sit on the floor to eat nor I will get miso soup and rice at breakfast. Okaasan always leave me ham, eggs, sausage, bread and yogurt. Interestingly, I sometimes also get things like a piece of sushi or tofu placed beside the bread. I think it is a perfect illustration of the family: the daughter likes western stuff and the parents are also not against, so they work together to put some western feelings to the house but essentially they still keep their Japanese-ness.

Okaasan's beloved Raichi also has ribbons on her ears.



           Okaasan works as a dog trainer so i assume the family are all into dogs, but it is not the case. Yuka told me that she personally do not like dogs and she is more of a cat fan. In fact, Yuka had break many of the stereotype I had towards Japanese. She is neither quiet or shy, nor she obeys to the older generation of what to like or what to do. Instead she just have all the time staring at the cell phone or sleeping on the couch while the TV is still on, which all convinced me this is how young generation in Japan changes foreigner's view of Japanese being over-polite and tame - at least, not at their homes!

Yuka: Peace! :=)

Neighborhood Fukakusa

My host family is in Fukakusa in Kyoto, which is 30 minutes away from Hirakata-shi station. Fukakusa is a area under Kyoto-shi, by train it still takes a while to get to Gion-shijo station, a centre station of Kyoto-shi.

           Fukakusa is relatively quiet as mostly it is a residential area. The three-story house of my host family is right next to the Fukakusa station, the trains come about every 5 to 10 minutes, and depending on the speed of the train there are different volume of the noise coming through and vibration passed on the building floors. I have been waking up in the early morning thinking it was thundering outside, and then figured it was a 110/km Limited Express train passing by (Only sub.Express and Local train stop at Fukakusa as it is not a major station). No matter what, I feel lucky to have such an transportation-friendly accommodation. After a month of living beside it, the noise from the trains became less noticeable and sometimes it even comforts me. One thing worth to mention is that the punctuality of the trains, or not only the trains but almost all kinds of public transportation. They also come very often. No wonder not many people here drive to work or even own a car. They just simply do not need to bother maintaining a vehicle while there is such a convenient and fast commute tool.

(Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Keihan8000-newcolor.JPG)
Salon 8000 series trains serve the Limit Express, operates between Kyoto and Osaka and only stops at some main stations. Some cars are double decked and the seats are very comfortable.

             Interestingly there is a place for people to park their bikes in front of the train station, and there is also a sign beside it telling people where to get their misplaced bikes which are took away by the government. It is strictly stipulated where you can and cannot leave your bike, and if you do not follow the instruction someday and once a while the government will take your bike and cost you a fortune and lots of apology to get it back. It is also not allowed to take the bike on the train as the saved space could be used by more people. So I think there is a basic rule: Bother others as less as possible, and this seems to be very important in Japanese culture.   

By the entrance of the Fukakusa station, machines and bicycles.

             Apart from the train station, another feature of this neighborhood is Ryukoku University. One day at dinner, my sister Yuka told me that there is actually quite many Chinese students live nearby as there is a Japanese language school, and they are in hope to go to Ryokoku University after their study at language school so they do not need to move again. The number of foreign students grows as the founding of new language school, and rental offices are also getting busier than before.

A gate of Ryukoku University with a welcome sign written in English.

Rental agency offices and a Chinese restaurant over the way of the University.

              On one hand, this part of town is an ordinary Japanese dense but quiet residential area. On the other hand, it is also an area where people are gathered by public facilities like schools and transportation. The quiet and peaceful area is suitable for schools, and the relatively dense population requires convenient transportation. There is a interaction underneath all the placidity.

A seemingly shop which I could not tell where is the entrance and how do they sell.

An empty old house near my host family house. It has all the windows shielded and the gate closed all time.

            

              Fukakusa is merely a suburban area of Kyoto-shi, most of the families have been living here for a long time and rebuilding their houses throughout the history. As most of the Japanese residents I saw here were elders, Fukakusa seems to be a place where young generation keeps moving out for big cities while the older generation stays for retirement. I guess the empty house near my host family house is also belonged to a family which suddenly moved out of the area but may still want to save the place and rebuild for later use.
              As the Fukakusa campus of Ryukoku University and the Keihan Fukakusa station were built 50 years ago in fact, so what is the new blood to the area is actually foreigners who work and study here. Each time I went to the nearest and only Fresco in the community, I got to see people from other countries. The interaction taking place here is that, the schools and transportation are mainly responsible for bringing new population, while the new-coming population is also bringing changes to the area, as seen as more and more foreign restaurant (“Café Corolado” and western style live house bar) and Japanese language schools. These changes are not temporary and will continue to live with the community as they are becoming important elements in consisting and shaping the neighborhood Fukakusa.