Explore everyday life in Japan
If you find yourself in a small to mid-size city in Japan, and, depending on the neighborhood, a larger city as well, at some point you will probably find yourself walking through a covered arcade that is lined with various shops, sculptures, benches, flower displays, and fountains. Speakers will most likely be attached to the pillars that support the glass ceiling and music will be playing—sometimes you will hear jazz, other times you will hear enka or traditional Japanese music, still other times you may find yourself walking through Japan to the soundtrack of an easy listening version of Smells Like Teen Spirit. And if you happen to be in Japan during November and December, be prepared, ten or more versions of the song Last Christmas is guaranteed to be the default soundtrack of your trip.
Japan has its fair share of harsh weather—heavy rains, strong winds, and snow—so these covered arcades are really nice to have access to. Regardless of the day, you can take a walk, visit a flower shop or a vegetable market, go out to lunch, get your haircut, or do some shopping all without worrying too much about getting soaked by rain or slipping on icy sidewalks. Depending on the city, of course, you will still have to find a good way to get to the arcades themselves, but some cities have been planned very well and you can walk out of a station, cross a single street, and find yourself in a large complex of covered walkways, safe from the weather.
Many of these arcades also have special events that make them fun to walk through. On any given weekend, you may find the open space in the middle of the arcade filled with chairs, tables, and vendors selling craft beers, regional food dishes, local crafts, or vintage and secondhand goods. One nice thing about Japan is that there aren’t any open container laws, so you can buy a beer and sip it as you walk through the arcade enjoying the scenery.
While doing so, you may also find a stage surrounded by sweaty middle-aged men carrying glow sticks and various band paraphernalia who are all doing the same dance-like movements and shouting the same rhythmic chants. If so, you have stumbled upon what is known in Japan as ‘Otaku’, and you are sure to find a local ‘idol’ group performing in their midst. Enjoy the spectacle!
This is an ongoing series that will explore various aspects of daily life in Japan. My hope is that this series will not only reveal to its followers, image by image, what Japan looks like, but that it will also inform its followers about unique Japanese items and various cultural and societal practices. If you are interested in getting daily updates about life in Japan, please consider following me. If you have any questions about life in Japan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer all of your questions.