neighborhood hirakata

The neighborhood of Hirakata is one I am growing to learn intimately. Narrow winding streets connect small locally owned businesses such as the bike shop shown in the first picture. Husbands and wives work side by side to humbly provide the services that keep the city up and running. Unlike the modest advertising, the assistance you receive once inside leaves nothing to be desired. Whether it's polishing a bicycle or creating a meal, the workers of Hirakata take painful attention to detail to make sure you leave with everything you need and a little more. Besides the endless generosity, another perk of living in the Hirakata neighborhood, is the accessibility of everything by bicycle. Shown in the second picture, foreigners and locals alike are seen doing their daily commute and errands atop two wheels with everything they need fitting nicely in their basket. Navigating the city fully exposed to the elements, the people of Hirakata connect with their neighborhood in a way that many people never will. But as more and more days and miles go by, I hope to know my new neighborhood just as they do.