Minamikawachi

I’m in Japan!

It was hard for me to forecast how I was going to react to this trip. I anticipated the worst – "Will I be anxious? Nervous? Terrified?" No.

I haven’t spent the last few days in terror - I’ve spent them in awe. This place is amazing.

Minamakawachi is a working town. Just outside my building there is a construction yard. Walk down the street and you’ll see working farms the size of back yards, tiny family owned bars, and a police station the size of a clubhouse.

Keep going and you’ll reach a beautiful park next to a river with a bike trail – used by spandexed bikers and rickety old ladies alike. Look by the bank and you’ll see a small outdoor kitchen - set up by the homeless man who lives there. Don’t be alarmed if you see clothes lying on the rocks, he’s probably just doing his laundry.


Minamikawachi feels more real to me than any of Long Island’s urban developments. This isn’t some perfectly planned out college town or grid-mapped city; it’s a bizarre little working town that has survived with its idiosyncrasies intact. Streets stop suddenly, sidewalks disappear, and roads branch off into cement pathways only usable by bike.

I’ve gotten lost three times now while trying to find my apartment. Each time I lose my way I discover something else amazing. I’m so fascinated by the character of these ramshackle little streets that I feel fortunate just to walk them. Now that I know my way I've begun getting lost on purpose.
I feel like most everything here is gorgeous, and the things that aren't are fascinating. I'll do my best to document both.

Oh, and I've updated the map with some more locations and my commute to school. Check it out.