I Love My Neighborhood: Midorigaoka, Chofu (Japan)

Welcome to another edition of “I Love My Neighborhood”, where I ask expats from across the globe to share the joys of local life they’ve found in their corner of the world.

If you’re just joining in now, check out the other cities that have been covered so far here.

Today’s guest post comes from Erica, an American in Japan. I first met Erica through her blog, which is an often-comical look into her travels and life as an expat in Japan — from hug-deprivation and ski trips, to macarons and the other happy little things in life. Her posts are always so cheerful — and after reading the following post, I wonder if it isn’t because she’s living in such a charming neighborhood.

Erica of Kizzling Around: Why I Love Midorigaoka

As any Tokyo brat would tell you, I do not live in metropolitan Tokyo. Tokyo prefecture is divided into 23 wards and 26 cities. The wards are considered the metropolitan areas you see in all the travel magazines. I live in Chofu city in an area called Midorigaoka, about 25 minutes by train from metropolitan Tokyo.

Though there are traces of civilization that date back to the Japanese Paleolithic Era in this area, Chofu was not established as a city until 1955. I have a hunch that this area has been suburban for quite some time. In the Muromachi Era there was a castle nearby, in the Edo Era, it was used as a post station where travelers could rest on their way to the city, and now it enjoys its current commuter city status.

However, the suburbs here look a bit different than they do in other parts of the world. I’ve had several friends visit and comment that it still looks like we’re in the city. That’s when I make sure to mention all the trees, relatively low buildings and a semblance of personal space.

To me, Midorigaoka has successfully found the balance between the convenience of living in the city with the at home feel of a small town. It’s big enough to have three post offices within walking distance, but small enough that the employees of the one I frequent wave when greeting me. In fact, the area around Sengawa Station (Midorigaoka included) has been highlighted, especially on TV, several times in the last year as one of the best areas to live in Toyko.

Proximity to Everything

Having grown up in a suburb of Seattle, I love suburban life. Taking a 25-minute nap on the train gets me to metropolitan Tokyo, while an hour nap will get me to Mt. Takao, an easy 1-hour hike that lets me surround myself with the trees and nature that’s so often missing, even in the suburbs. Most of my errands can be accomplished by going to neighboring Sengawa, which is only about a 10-minute walk from my apartment. There are definitely times that I wish I could be in the city, where the last train isn’t at 12:14 am and where most of the action happens, but when I see how small the grocery stores are and how tightly packed all the living space is, not to mention the crowds, I don’t mind the slight inconveniences. I also live on one of the cheapest train lines, which is always a plus.

Side Dish Stores
Traditionally, Japanese meals are composed of many small dishes. Side dish stores make it easy for you to enjoy this treat without slaving in your kitchen for days. They’re also handy when you forget to pack a lunch. Unfortunately, since it has to do with food, I get a little too attached. There’s one right by the entrance of the school where I work that’s closing at the end of the month. I will probably drop off the face of the blogosphere come June because I’ve starved to death without them and their freshly prepared eats. We’d finally gotten to the point where they would sneak in a little extra for me since I never asked for chopsticks or a plastic bag, and we always greeted each other when I walked by.

The Nature

Tokyo tends to be quite the concrete jungle, making it often necessary to go to a park to see more than one tree in a planter. This is not the case in Midorigaoka, where there are small groves, a community garden and a river lined with trees. This is an especially beautiful walk when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. The branches hang over the walkway and surround you with the delicate light pink petals.

Train Tracks
Many stations have crossings on either side, congesting any form of traffic. They’re like a warzone between people, bicycles and cars. The station servicing Midorigaoka glides over this problem with a simple solution: bridges. These bridges also allow for the cutest scenes in the world: little kids tugging their immaculately dressed mothers to the bridge so they can watch the trains go by. There’s nothing cuter than a child clinging to fencing screaming, “Trains are so cool!” at the top of their lungs. On the weekends, they line the fencing in anticipation for a train to go by, which they do at about five-minute intervals.

The Tea Grandmas
There are some small tea shops within the shopping arcade in neighboring Sengawa. If I need tea to send to someone, I go to the shop with the four grandmas. They always help me pick out the perfect tea and throw in some extras for both the recipient and myself and make sure that the tea is perfectly wrapped and ready to send. They’re fun to talk to because they like to give each other a hard time and this shop is their front porch, where they sit and people-watch all day while gossiping.

My Baker

There’s a tiny bakery tucked in between houses a hop, skip, and a jump away from my apartment. This has proven very handy on days that I am either too lazy or sick to think about doing anything useful in my kitchen. Whoever said that bachelor pads were worthless for food has never seen me live solo. The baker and I have become friends the last couple years and I’m usually there for at least half an hour chatting if there are no other customers. The last time I was sick and out of food, she disappeared for a moment, came back with some sour plums and told me to go home and make congee instead of eating bread because it would be easier for my stomach to digest. Being sick when living alone tends to take an emotional toll as well, so kindness like this really means a lot.

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About Erica: Erica is the most prepared hot mess you’ll ever meet. An adventurous sloth, she either spends her days running around, planner and train map in hand, or wasting away in her apartment pretending to be productive by attempting to draw or make ice cream. Regardless of whether it’s an adventurous day, her camera will surely be in hand and she’ll tell you about it on her blog, Kizzling Around. She can also be found on twitter, facebook and pinterest.

All photos courtesy of the author.