Neighborhood Hirakata

Sub-urban Hirakata

The first impressions about my new home-environment have been only positive. In words, I would describe the place I live as a beautiful sub-urban area which is peaceful, pretty, traditional, quiet, cozy, pleasant, comfortable, safe, though you can find Hirakata City center lively as well. 

Street view of Hirakata

Neighborhood I live now is easy to get accustomed to, adapt and I think it is just perfect place to my stay.  Actually, now when I think about it I don’t believe there is any better place to spend my exchange student semester. From here, many big cities are not far away, so also the geographical location is great. 

Beautiful entrance to Japanese home

Hirakata City Hall

In September 2007 Hirakata City has published The introduction of the Hirakata City civil Protection Plan. It has been prepared to protect lives and property of the residents from terrorist attacks. It also gives an explanation and understanding of the Civil law and a civil protection. In basic policies there are also foreigners taken into consideration. The content of the Civil Protection Measures gives the instructions, how to behave in case of emergency situations. There are mentioned lots of sources where to get more information, if needed. I definitely found this plan very important for just-in-case. You will never know what will happen and it definitely shows that Hirakata City cares deeply for their residents. This without doubt made me feel safer and even more like home.  

An old Japanese entrance

I didn’t expect to get this bonded to my living area in relatively short period of time, but yes  I feel like home! 

A rainy day's promise of blossoming in Hirakata

http://www.city.hirakata.osaka.jp/freepage/gyousei/hpcontent/eng/pdf/The%20introduction%20of%20the%20Hirakata%20City%20Civil%20Protection%20Plan.pdf

Arrival to Japanland

 I have spent almost three weeks now in Japan Osaka, Hirakata. My Visual Anthropology course’s blog, which I will update at least for the next four months, will be my tool for describing my observations and the new environment I live now. 

A view over the Hirakata, Osaka.

Street beauty in my new hometown.

In this first post I introduce my new home town and some basic needs for living (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs first step; food, sleep, shelter). Things that are obvious at your home, but in a different environment basic needs to be filled in a kind of new way of thinking. For example sleeping on a futon takes some time to adjust and because of my limited Japanese language skills, buying food can be tricky also. 

My room with eight tatami mats.

Definately rich and delicious dinner after all.

Japan, truly a land of the rising sun.

I believe that during my journey here in Japan I slowly but surely claim the steps all way to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and will be able to self actualization, noticing how much I have learned about Japanese ways of life and how much creativity and new kind of problem solving have I managed to achieve.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

http://www.astd2007.ast.org/publications/Journal%20Archive/2009/8_August_2009/CE.pdf