Blog by Shigeki Takeguchi, sharing city walks and walking videos.

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For the first time in about 30 years, I walked through the neighborhood where I grew up.
Maruyama — a small district tucked into the northernmost part of Nagata Ward, Kobe. I lived here until I was 18. I've been in Tokyo for nearly 15 years now, and I've never stayed in the same neighborhood for more than a decade, which means this place still holds the record as the longest I've ever lived anywhere.
I call it a neighborhood, though that might be generous. It's really just a cluster of houses, a co-op, and a handful of small shops — barely enough to qualify as a town. Nagata is known for its old working-class atmosphere, and while Maruyama sits to the north of it up in the hills, the "uptown" label is misleading. Geographically it clings to a narrow valley, and the feeling is very much the same as the flatlands below.
What's striking is how much the Showa-era atmosphere survives here. The Great Hanshin Earthquake forced Nagata to rebuild itself almost from scratch, but Maruyama was spared comparatively, and that time capsule quality shows. Growing up here around 40 years ago, I'd visit a friend's house and find his mother or grandmother doing piecework — sewing shoes at the kitchen table. You'd glance through a neighbor's front door and see rows of half-finished shoes lined up on the floor.
It was a rough area by reputation. The running joke — half urban legend by the time I was in junior high — was that not a day went by at school without someone bleeding. Quite a few classmates went straight to work after finishing junior high, and stories of kids dropping out of not-so-reputable high schools weren't exactly rare.
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Climbing the hills with all of that flooding back, I was breathing hard within minutes.
"The hills of Kobe" sounds picturesque, but what it really means is that everything is a slope. After 15 years of walking the flat streets of Tokyo, these inclines are brutal. I honestly can't imagine how I ran around here as a kid. And where the terrain is too steep even for a slope, the only option is stairs — steep, narrow stairs that I suspect must be genuinely difficult for the older residents who still live here.
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The staircase in this photo has barely changed in 40 years, which genuinely surprised me. As a child I always thought it looked like someone had thrown it together without much care — and here it is, still standing, still in use.
It's not just this staircase. Almost everywhere I looked, the details I'd absorbed as a child — through my feet, my hands, my whole body — were exactly as I remembered them. Part of me wonders if nothing changing is really okay. But then again, maybe that's just what happens when you spend a long time in Tokyo, where everything, down to the smallest corner, seems to be in constant flux.
To be continued.

Walking through the city where I was born and raised, Kobe from Maruyama, Nagata Ward to Hiyodorigoeshi (1)

Heading to Okayama Airport to return to Tokyo.
When I got there, the Boeing 787 departure was delayed. 
Does it have many problems? So the area in front of the boarding gate was incredibly crowded. 
I happened to take the next flight, but that flight ended up leaving first, so I filmed it.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/shigeki_takeguchi/6388782493/" title="Untitled by shigeki.takeguchi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6388782493_ecea3b0c4f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt=""></a>
I think the aircraft's shape is beautiful.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/shigeki_takeguchi/6388785527/" title="Untitled by shigeki.takeguchi, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6388785527_5cf7a5a140.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt=""></a>

Boeing 787 - Does it have many problems?

As a study for reporting on travel, I'll introduce the route from Okayama Station to Okayama Castle. 
Many people go by streetcar, but it's a walkable distance. About 20-30 minutes. 
A bit less than 2 kilometers? (Google Maps route search shows 1.8km) 
JR Okayama Station. The Shinkansen and conventional lines are in the same station. The station facility "Sansute" is well-equipped. Convenient for travelers for souvenirs and meals. 
There's also a supermarket, Muji, bookstore, etc., and I think many people use it regularly.

<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6210/6098875422_970da652a4.jpg" alt="">
Exiting the east exit, you can see Takashimaya on the right and Bic Camera on the left. (Incidentally, the west exit has ANA Hotel and a highway bus terminal.) The station square often has events. In the photo, it's small and hard to see, but there's a statue of Momotaro and his companions, and a fountain with an unusual shape. Someone uploaded a video.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGJ1Zt0dZ98" title="Okayama Station Square Fountain" target="_blank">Okayama Station Square Fountain (YouTube)</a>
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6081/6098338309_a3c388f3df.jpg" alt="">
The streetcar stop at Okayama Station. There are 2 lines: "Higashiyama Line" and "Seikibashi Line." When going to the castle, take the "Higashiyama Line." The one in front is the Seikibashi Line with the new streetcar "MOMO." Okayama's streetcars have <a href="https://www.okayama-kido.co.jp/tramway/iroiro.html" title="various trains" target="_blank">various trains</a> like this.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6098887360_92e759fd85.jpg" alt="">
Momotaro-dori. Bic Camera on the left, streetcar on the right. Walk straight on this Momotaro-dori to the castle.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6182/6098891542_74a6b60dd4.jpg" alt="">
The sidewalk is wide and tiled, making it easy to walk. You should watch out for bicycles.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6194/6098577835_a44df52f43.jpg" alt="">
Walking for a while, you cross Nishikawa Greenway Park, a park that continues along a river. There's a fountain on the left. On the opposite side after crossing the road, there's a police box.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6068/6098579711_2810ce78e2.jpg" alt="">
You come to a large intersection called Yanagawa. About halfway between the castle and the station.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6077/6099128914_6a5bf1170d.jpg" alt="">
Approaching the streetcar "Joka" stop. There's an underground parking lot, and you can see <a href="https://www.okayama-symphonyhall.or.jp/" title="Okayama Symphony Hall" target="_blank">Okayama Symphony Hall</a> with a lavender-colored lower structure.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6197/6098582883_c6372dffe3.jpg" alt="">
On the left is "Tenjin Ramen," an old-fashioned ramen shop typical of Okayama. I haven't eaten there yet. It seems to be open until around 2:30 PM, so there aren't many chances to eat.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6197/6099132258_0e9062e788.jpg" alt="">
The streetcar "Joka" stop and Okayama Symphony Hall. If you take the streetcar to the castle, get off at this stop. I think it was 100 yen from the station.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6098588063_648a240720.jpg" alt="">
A slight slope from Joka to the castle. There's a stone monument saying "Crow Castle Road." Okayama Castle is also called "Crow Castle" (Ujo).
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6207/6098592405_177c0b408e.jpg" alt="">
Going up "Crow Castle Road" a bit, you come to a park-like entrance with Korakuen on the left and the castle on the right. Just a bit more.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6090/6099141654_4295dbdfb5.jpg" alt="">
The moat is the Asahi River. Crossing the bridge over that river leads to Korakuen.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6063/6098595279_2150a582a9.jpg" alt="">
It's characterized by black lacquered weatherboards. So the overall impression is of a black castle. This castle also seems to have burned in the war, so it's made of concrete.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6086/6098596621_10d3995863.jpg" alt="">
The stone walls are beautiful because islands in the Seto Inland Sea, which is a source of stone, were territories or nearby.
<img src="https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6098599393_055c432747.jpg" alt="">
The beauty of the stone walls is recommended. Also, it's good that the castle isn't over-maintained. Of course, Korakuen can be enjoyed in each season, so I definitely want to visit in autumn too.

Boeing 787 - Does it have many problems?

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