商店街 / Shopping Arcades

買い物苦手な私はスーパーやショッピングセンターへ買い物に足を運びますが、商店街で買い物する魅力にはやっぱり負けます。近年商店街ではシャッターが下ろしている店が多いです。活気のある商店街を歩きましたら、好奇心が湧きます。色々な店を除いたり、美味しそうな香りに誘惑されたりします。先日京都で時間を潰すために駅までぶらぶらと遠回りしました。生チョコの香りに引かれて、チョコレート屋を覗きましたら、店長に「見るだけでも良いですよ」と。作っている純米ココア酒について色々と話してくれました。次は煎餅屋さんで美味しい煎餅を三袋買いました。以外と楽しく買い物しました。

I don’t really like shopping. I go to the supermarket or shopping centre to buy what I need. Window shopping bores me. A work meeting, the other day, finished earlier than expected, so I had time on my hands. I decided to take the long way to the station and walk through the shopping arcade. In recent years, many stores in shopping arcades across Japan have shut their roller doors for good. The deeper I walked through the lively arcade along Sanjo, central Kyoto, the more my curiosity was piqued. Tempting, delicious aromas wafted out of shop fronts as I passed. One aroma emitting from a chocolate shop drew me in. The shop owner struck up a conversation with me and gave me a taste of his cocoa sake. Next, I bought three bags of rice-crackers from the friendly old guy who runs the cracker shop. I actually enjoyed window shopping, that day. Shopping arcades are definitely more appealing than huge shopping centres. If only everyone else agreed, a lot of them would not be ghost towns.

The Japanese version first appeared in the March 2013 issue of the goodspeed monthly newsletter.
日本語バージョンはグッドスピードレター2013年3月号に掲載されました。

椅子 – Chairs

1日何時間座っているか考えたことがありますか。現代人は昔の人と比べましたら、座っている時間が長いです。運動するだけで身体が自分で歪んでいる腰等を随時に調整していますが、座ることが多い程、しっかりと座らないと腰や身体に大きい影響が与えられます。今座っているオフィスチェアは調子が悪くて、そろそろ買い替えしないと仕事の効率が落ちます。先日同じく探している友人と一緒にショールームへ。座り換えるほど頭が混乱しますが、腰に合わない椅子はすぐ分かります。座り心地が良い椅子は機能が良いですが、値段が高いです。しかしここでケチったらアカンな。

Have you ever wondered how many hours of the day you spend sitting? Modern people sit for long hours, compared to people living in days gone by. Exercise will naturally adjust a crooked back, but sitting in a bad posture for extended periods will have long-term repercussions on your lower back and body. The office chair I’m now sitting on is rickety, so I decided to get a new one before my productivity dropped. The other day, I went office chair shopping with a friend who was also looking for a new one. After a while one chair felt like the next – I sat on so many– but I could discern one that ill matched my physique the moment I sat into it. The chair I found most comfortable was quite functional, but it came with a price tag to match. But we mustn’t spare the expense when it comes to our health, should we?

The Japanese version appeared in the December 2012 issue of the goodspeed monthly newsletter. 日本語バージョンはグッドスピードレター2012年12月号に掲載されました。

Wood Block Prints & Antique Books

Until a year ago, there was a two-storey secondhand bookshop in the Center-Gai shopping arcade in Sannomiya that carried a large range of ukiyoe (wood block prints) at various prices and in various conditions. I went there often to buy presents for people’s birthdays and used to enjoy poring through the ukiyoe looking for just the right one. They make ideal gifts, because are light to carry overseas—though you do need to be careful not to crush them. (Go to a 100-yen shop and buy a tube.) Since then I have searched in vain for other shops that carry old ukiyoe in Sannomiya, but to no avail. The area behind Daiei supermarket—to the west of JR Sannomiya Stn—used to have many secondhand bookshops hidden in the warren of streets, but the earthquake put most of them out of business and those that survived eventually closed down.

So, where do you go to buy original ukiyoe replicas? (Good luck in finding an original original.) By original I mean one that has not come off the printing press, but one authentically cut from a block. Before the age of the printing press, making replicas and selling them was big business—the only way to own your own Hokusai to adorn your wall. Some have been handed down a few generations and have found their way to the secondhand shops.

If you are visiting Kobe, then you will probably be passing through Osaka, or even sightseeing there. Inevitably, you will pass through the Umeda area—JR Osaka Stn, Hankyu Umeda Stn, Hanshin Umeda Stn, and Subway Umeda, Higashi-umeda and Nishi-umeda Stns. Here, you will find a few shops that will save your feet.

Under the Hankyu tracks to the north of Umeda—behind Kiddyland—is Kappa Yokocho Furushonomachi (Kappa* Alley Antique Book Market). Not only will you find secondhand bookshops here, but also shops that specialise in musical scores, musical instruments and antique (and not-so-antique) Japanese art. I have found some great pieces here, especially in the shop beside the music shop (shown on the right). The prices of some of the old books and paintings may surprise you, but if you are interested in Japanese art, this is a good place to spend a couple of hours while your travel companions are shopping in the modern meccas of Kiddyland and LOFT.

Access: 
Once you get to Umeda, ask people where Kiddyland is. If you find someone who does not know, then they are from out of town. Once you get to Kiddyland (which is below ground), keep heading above ground under the Hankyu train tracks. Another landmark to watch out for is D•D House. If you find that, then Kappa Yokocho is directly opposite under the train tracks. Likewise, if you find NU•chayamachi, it is just across the street from the main entrance.

Business Hours:
11 a.m. ~ 8 p.m. (The restaurants are open until 11 p.m.)
Closed: 3rd Wednesday in February, April, June, September and November.

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* You will see a green frog-like creature in the entrance. This is the legendary Japanese creature, the kappa.

Japanese Souvenirs for All Seasons

Looking for the perfect Japanese gift or souvenir can be hard, because the shops that do carry traditional-like Japanese products are hard to find. Hukujungo (福順号), east of JR Sannomiya Stn (in the building to the east of Daiei), not only deals in traditional Japanese merchandise, but its display changes with the seasons. 

From January through early March, they have a large selection of quality hina dolls on display for Girl’s Day (March 3rd). The price tags may bend your credit card so far it would break, but they do stock smaller, lower quality dolls, too. On the heels of Girl’s Day is Children’s Day (formerly known as Boy’s Day), and the display changes to miniature full samurai regalia, helmets and warrior boy dolls in early March. Once again, mind your credit card doesn't snap. 

As summer approaches and everyone is spending more time outdoors picnicking and barbequing, Hukujungo sells a wide variety of fireworks and Japanese uchiwa fans (at reasonable prices) from June through September. The array of fireworks readily available is mindboggling for an Australian like myself, because fireworks are banned there. One reason for Australians to visit Japan in summer.  (Note: Most parks, beaches, rivers and other public places restrict the use of fireworks to 9 or 10 p.m., and some locations restrict the use of rocket fireworks.)

Hit October, and everyone begins wondering where the year went.  The display of hagoita and other items displayed at New Year in Japan fill the shelves from late October. Soon after New Year’s Day, the display reverts to the hina dolls and the cycle begins again.

I found the clerk, who speaks English well, to be very friendly and willing to explain the various aspects of the goods on display--their meaning, use and significance. Of course, window shopping is no problem. Go in a browse and learn a bit about Japanese culture while you are there. Some dolls are displayed at the back of the shop year round. You may be able to pick up an off-season bargain, like I did in Matsuyamachi (Osaka’s doll district) many years back.

Web site (http://www.hukujungo.com/)

Business Hours:

10 a.m. ~ 7 p.m. Closed Thursday (Not closed during the busy seasons January~April, July~August, but closed for most of May and October.)

Address: 5-3 Kumoidori, Chuo-ku, Kobe

Phone: 078-221-1992

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