"Hirakata isn't a place - it's a state of mind"

As far as neighbourhood Hirakata goes, I've spent most of my time in Japan outside of the town I'm living in - but all of my experiences in Hirakata have certainly been memorable.

The area of Hirakata around Kansai Gaidai seems quiet and serene, full of friendly neighbours who will nod towards you in the morning and stop and chat in the evenings. I've been introduced to more dogs in Hirakata than in England and America combined. There are also security guards around who appear stoic at first, but eventually start grinning if you wear them down enough. (losing one of your shoes whilst cycling to school is a good ice-breaker, if you don't mind a dignity-free introduction).

View of the cycle route to Kansai Gaidai, through the quieter streets of Hirakata

Around the Kansai Gaidai campus, there are many small bars and restaurants that are favourites of both the Japanese students and ryugakusei. There's the New Delhi restaurant that some Japanese friends introduced me to, the Nose Ride cafe where they will name cocktails after you and you can always find some international students and Kazuya is a small place, but will serve you the best Takuyaki you could imagine.

Kazuya restaurant at lunch time

The other side of Hirakata is the slightly more fast-paced world around Hirakatashi - with Izakayas, Nomihodais and 24-hour Karaoke bars aplenty. A very concentrated but diverse entertainment district where the question is never what you should do, but what you should do first.

An average night out in your local Hirakata Izakaya

Kiddyland, just under Hirakatashi. A haven for some, scary for others.

And last but not least - if you're talking about Hirakata, then, to a ryugakusei, you're also talking about Kansai Gaidai. Which, to many is synonymous with the CIE lounge. A meeting place, a study lounge, convenient nap location - it's anything you want it to be and more.

relaxing in the CIE lounge

The Juice Tram

Before I tell you my early impressions of Japan, I feel obliged to admit to my preconceived notions.

I had never been to Japan before - nor had I really been exposed to much Japanese culture. I'd seen photos of large, metropolitan cities and heard rumours of technological gadgets bordering on science fiction. I knew of the rural, quiet Japan as Japanese gardens and Shinto temples. I suppose I was expecting to find cities filled with robots and mountain villages with monks in abundance, but no Internet access.

Silly Gaijin.

The first thing that I noticed about Japan is the fact that they have their past and their future more closely and successfully entwined than any other country I've been to. In hirakata, it seems that whether your house is more modern or traditional is mainly based on personal preference, and every street you go down has a fascinating mix of both. In Kyoto, you can dress up as Maiko-san (an apprentice Geisha) and walk around the city. In Osaka, you can go to the re-creation of an ancient castle - and go inside to find an air-conditioned museum. You would think that these two very different sides of Japan would seem jarring so close together, but it's so seamless that you begin to not even notice it.

View from a Buddhist temple with Kyoto in the distance

This is Maiko-san. Don't call her "Maiko-chan" unless you want your Japanese friends to laugh at you. Trust me.

Japanese popular culture has also made one of the biggest impressions on me. In Japan, if you own a phone, you own a little jingly keychain for it. I've owned many phones in my life, but never before Japan did I consider finding some pretty string with a toy on the end and then tying that string to my phone. Now I see phones without them and say "what? where's your keychain?"

It seems to be a process of making everything beautiful. There are ugly things in Japan, there are telephone lines and giant pylons - but there are also gutters that are hidden from view with cute little cartoons, public pavements with mermaids drawn on and no litter on the ground (despite the fact that Hirakata has about 3 public bins for the whole town).

This is how the grapefruit is prepared in the University Cafeteria. I felt bad eating it.

These are some of my early impressions of Japan, and every day they change as I learn more. But I have to be honest - I'm still on the lookout for at least one robot.