I like to visit shopping arcades. Every time I visit a different city in Japan, I walk around the train station area and look for the local shopping arcade. When I can walk through the arcade, I can imagine life in the city.

In my hometown of Honolulu, there are shopping malls just like Aeon malls. When I go to a shopping mall in Japan, it feels like I am in America again. But when I walk around shopping arcades, I feel different.

Big shopping arcades, like in Tenjinbashi-suji or Shinsaibashi, are fine, but I like the local ones more. I use the Keihan main line, so I often go to the shopping arcades in Senbayashi and Doi.

Unfortunately, I have seen some stores in the shopping arcades close. Every year, there are less and less shops to visit, and I see more and more shutters.

So I think that we all should support local shopping arcades. I try to buy something every week in Senbayashi and Doi. For example, I buy rice at a rice shop in Doi, and I buy doughnuts in Senbayashi. How about you? Do you go to a shopping arcade every week?

shopping arcade 商店街
shutter シャッター
support 応援する