Author: Olivia Dausch

Location: Hirakata, Japan

Pronouns: They/Them

In my first blog post, I said I wanted to explore more of Hirakata to see everything it has in store. I can definitely say that I learned a lot about this little city. It has a lot to offer, even though it doesn’t seem like much at first.

Hirakata has a lot of train stations, the largest one being Hirakata Station. It mostly gets express trains during the day, and local trains closer to midnight. Closer to campus, there is Gotenyama Station. It’s smaller and only has local trains, but it will get you where you need to go. Halfway between campus and Hirakata Station is Makino Station. It’s also a smaller station. All three are on the Keihan line, which can get you just about anywhere in the Kansai Region. If you transfer to a different line, getting anywhere in Japan is possible, but also very expensive.

My favorite route to travel is from Hirakata Station to Kyobashi, the connecting stop for the Osaka Loop Line. The loop can get you to a lot of amazing places in Osaka, like Osaka Castle, Tsuruhashi, and even Tennoji.

As for things to do in Hirakata, there are a lot of cool stores to go to. Just past Lawson, there is a road branching to the right, leading to an entrance to a grocery store. That street has a few cool stores, but my favorite is down an alley to the left. There is a tiny secondhand store selling really cool items for almost pennies. I was able to get a pack of Pokemon cards for my nephew for less than $1.50. There is a lot of cool things in that store, I recommend checking it out at least once.

The second store I’d recommend is Aeon Mall. It’s where my friend and I do most of out grocery shopping, especially since there is an ATM that allows us to take out money from our international accounts in less than $100 increments. There’s also an arcade on the 4th floor, as well as a dollar store that has a lot of cool stuff. There are clothing stores, grocery stores, and art stores in this mall. If you head down to the station, it’s definitely worth finding Aeon Mall.

Finally, for really cheap groceries in bulk, there’s a grocery store on the way to the station called Gyomu Super (業務スーパー). It sells a lot of groceries in bulk, including things that are generally difficult to find in Japan, like cheese.

If you want to eat out, there are quite a few options. On the way to Hirakata Station, there’s a fork in the road. Right before Gyomu Super, there’s a little curry shop. I haven’t been in it yet, but it always smells amazing when I pass it.

Similarly, there’s CoCo Ichibanya. If you turn left at the light on the way to the station, it’s on the left. I talked about it in my last post, so there’s not much else to say about it. The price varies greatly, but it will most often be less than $10.

Finally, there’s a little Ramen shop next to Lawson called Ramen Kurawanka that’s amazing. I’ve been there a couple times and I was always satisfied. If you show your student ID, you can get a size up for free. The average price there is about $8. I definitely recommend getting the Aji-tama (seasoned soft-boiled egg) with it. It makes any ramen dish so much better.

Author: Olivia Dausch

Location: Osaka, Japan

Pronouns: They/them

Being anywhere for a few months is bound to make a person form amazing memories, especially in a foreign country. Even if they’re small, I’m going to treasure them

1. Incheon Airport/The flight to Japan

My trip to Japan marks the first time I’ve been in a plane since I was a baby. I was proud of myself for being able to find my way around an airport on my own, especially with the threat of a typhoon on the other end of the trip.

Landing in Korea was stressful. Since there was a chance the flight from Incheon to Kansai would be cancelled, O’Hare only gave me the ticket to Korea. Fortunately, there were others heading to Kansai Gaidai in the same boat, so we were all able to get our tickets and relax.

We walked through the airport together, as we waited for our delayed flight.

I was fortunate enough to get a window seat, so I was able to see the ocean and Japan eventually coming into view. The second flight was much more enjoyable than the first, which was at midnight. While the flight into Japan was early, it was still easier to get through. While looking out the window, the thought hit me that some people saw the view over the ocean so often, it lost its wonder. It made me a bit sad, but I knew I would never forget how I felt that entire flight.

       2. Opening Ceremony

One of the last events of orientation week was the Opening Ceremony. All of the international students met in the library on Nakamiya Campus, where we were welcomed by the faculty of the Asian Studies Program. I was surprised by how emotional I felt. It came almost out of nowhere and for no reason. Seeing everyone’s flags on the wall and the realization that I was actually there really struck me in that moment.

3. Typhoon Jebi

The second day of classes, Typhoon Jebi struck Japan. Classes were cancelled, and we were all told to stay in the dorm. Since the area around the hallways was completely glass, I was a bit worried, especially because the trees in the courtyard were bending. The power went out a few times, but it turned out mostly alright. None of the buildings on campus had any damage, but there were some trees that fell. Fortunately, that was the extent of the damage on either campus. There were some buildings around the city that needed repairs, but they were fixed quickly.

       4. Tsuruhashi and CoCo Ichibanya

One of my favorite places to go in Osaka was one my friend showed me. Tsuruhashi, known as Korea Town, is a very interesting place. Once you step out of the station, you are thrown into an alley full of shops, some selling clothes, others selling food. It’s like a maze. Once you get out, the main street is lined with restaurants. My friend and I always went to a more remote part of the area. It was still just as crowded, since the stores on that side of town sold K-Pop merchandise, usually a bit cheaper than they can be found in other places.

Our first time there, once we were done, we went to a restaurant that quickly became our favorite. About halfway between the shops and the station, there was a little restaurant called CoCo Ichibanya. It’s a mildly famous curry restaurant that’s wildly customizable. You control the level of spice, the amount of rice, the toppings, and anything extra you put on it. Usually, I get curry with the standard amount of rice, regular spice, and topped with fried fish. My friend always got the standard amount of rice, mild spice, with chicken on top.

Once we found out there was one in Hirakata, we had to fight to keep from going there on our limited budgets.

There are a lot more memories I’d like to talk about, but some of them are too long to explain, or I’ve talked about in previous posts, like Osaka Castle, Arashiyama, and Nara. I would like to stay a bit longer (if only to find more places to make memories) but I’m satisfied with what memories I have.