Why did I actually choose to spend my last academic year in Japan? The answer is pretty easy: I was looking forward to experiencing international campus life in a culture far away from home. Kansai Gaidai suits my expectations very well. The reason which drew my attention to this University was its extraordinary study abroad program, officially known as Asian Studies Program. It gives me the possibility to experience Japanese culture both inside and outside of the courses I’m participating in. Furthermore the university’s unique location helped fix my decision. Kansai Gaidai Daigaku [i] is located in Hirakata City, which is in between Kyoto, Nara (Japan’s ancient capitals) and Osaka (second largest metropolis of the country) [ii]. Hirakata holds approximately 410.000 citizens within a domain of about 65 km². The city is famous for the Yodo river and Komatsu Osaka plant. The official website characterizes Hirakata as a university city [iii]. The municipal heads are working on a system that fosters and maintains good relations between the universities, students, and the local population [iv].
(Library and Multimedia Hall of KGU, borrowed from the website of the Asian Studies Program)
(Sunset over Yodo river)
I live in a place called Katahoko, across the east gate of Kansai Gaidai. I haven’t had the chance yet to observe my neighborhood very often, because recently I have spent most of my time travelling through the country or staying on the campus. At first sight there is nothing special about this area. But what I have indeed recognized on my daily trips to Kansai Gaidai is a big difference between resident-interactions on main streets and back alleys. The people in the lanes know each other, frequently chat with each other intimately and try to help those who need it [v]. However, there is one place constituting not only a meeting point for the Katahoko inhabitants, but also for the international students: a little park next to the central library. It would be interesting to focus my attention towards the interactions between the seminar house [vi] residents and the inhabitants and how they get along with one another. I will comment on this topic once in a while, as soon as I observe something interesting.
(View over the central library and the park in Katahoko)
(Viewpoint from a bridge next to the park) Endnotes
[i] Japanese for University of Kansai Gaidai
[ii] This triangle is also called Kansai area
[iii] There are six universities
[iv] cf.: University city Hirakata
[v] cf.: Bestor, Theodore C. (1989): Neighborhood Tokyo, p. 23
[vi] This is where most of the international students live.
Recommended Reading
How to survive in Hirakata (as an alien)
Pics will follow tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteYou are missing one of your own original photos. Remember you are to post two original photos each week; you can add whatever on top of that.
ReplyDeleteI would have liked to read more about your actual neighborhood, that is Katahoko, rather than the long introduction about Gaidai. I think it is an interesting approach to write about the interactions between the people that live there year round and those students who are there for only a short period of time. I hope the interactions are good ones...
I like your use of references and links - very helpful.
Unfortunately the interactions are not really good ones. Maybe it coheres with the past experiences the locals had with the students. Therefore I can't understand why somebody would build right away four dormitories in a living area where many old people live. The beer vending machine doesn't help either...
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