The Hirakata Chronicles

Stuck in the Seminar House, the university housing, on most evenings, you find several students getting their fix of Manga in or playing the latest FPS or their favorite RPG. They use strategy on screen, but this selective use of strategy seems to be counter-productive to having the best strategy to make the most of one's time in Nihon. Welcome to Hirakata: home of Kansai Gaidai University. The very fact that KGU is located in Hirakata adds quite a twist to the dynamic of both the demographics and culture of the town. There is a static element in all of my interactions with the local residents and store owners. “Doka kara kimashitaka?” they ask me every time. “Where are you from?” Looking foreign even in America, I haven’t encountered the question nearly as much. The language and cultural barriers create a very apparent divide in Hirakata. Here you have the local community and an influx of foreigners. In front of the Seminar Houses there is a park buzzing with activity from dawn til dusk. Children playing along with the elderly taking walks and massaging their feet on a surface provided, equipped with a rail to hold on to. Across from this park lies a small corner shop with vending machines where it is not uncommon to find someone drinking a warm coffee or purchasing cigarettes. Since the nearest trash is located right by the vending machine, it would be ridiculous to do anything but consume your beverage right there and continue with your activities after, right? Katahokohigashimachi is a small area with not too much activity, but move closer to the university and right across the East Gate, you will find Café Istanbul and Seven Gods, a melting pot for foreigners and locals where the KGU internationals learn the Osaka dialect and the Locals learn phrases in several foreign tongues.