Neighborhood Hotani

Hotani, where I live now, is not so far from the center of Hirakata, and it is conveniently located on a hill overlooking several towns of three prefectures: Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. So, this provides opportunities to go out to any urban area or famous tourist spots in the Kansai region, such as Todai-ji temple in Nara and Gion in Kyoto. However, because Hotani is not so much a quiet residential area as a very small settlement, there is little chance to see many local people with exception of students who are temporarily living there. Therefore, the community in Hotani is relatively limited, with mostly elderly residents, while some locals have contact with others from outside the prefecture. 

There does not seem to be any festivals or remarkable events but the weekly morning market. On Sunday the agricultural group, consisting of less than twenty farmers, hold the vegetable and flower markets at 7:45 in the parking lot near the shrine. Many people come from both the neighborhood and the surrounding community in the early morning. Customers are supposed to take a number card in order of arrival, as products are limited in quantity. The number cards are color coded and separated into three parts, and each part has twenty to forty cards, although, I am not sure if the sellers really need more than 100 cards. The cards are also in very bad condition as they are quite old. 

The most evident characteristic of the market is what they sell; which is all organic vegetables. Those grown without any agricultural chemicals are very popular because of their good taste and safety. Of course, there are situations in which winter yields significantly decrease. Because of the unstable supply, the market cannot be held during these times. Quite a few people rush to the market from comparatively far areas, which take them nearly one hour by car. They feel the value is worth their time. An elderly man who often comes to the market said, "Once you eat a vegetable sold here, you will not eat others like the ones in the supermarket any more." 

The market is also a valuable place for communication among neighbors. As I mentioned above, because all vegetables or flowers are sold on a first come, first serve basis, people tend to arrive very early, before 7:00 a.m., to take a number. Therefore, some of them, including, not only customers but also the sellers will chat together sitting around a stove until the market starts. They know much about each other, even things such as the other’s family members, hobbies, and details about their lives. They are so organized and have such a strong connection. When an elderly person comes to the market to sell their goods, some customers stand up and offer help. This shows that the market is more than just a business for the neighbors.  

Hotani is a really nice place to live in. Compared to Nakamiya in Hirakata, in which lots of international students live, Hotani is much smaller and calmer. There are no theme parks or exciting spots like karaoke, but you cannot imagine how much I can relax there. Going to the market to buy good vegetables and communicating with local residents, you can feel a sense of a warm community and strong connections, not because of the stove, but merely from conversation.