My Flipboard feed turned up an article on ekinaka at nippon.com. It was not a new idea me because I’ve seen such ekinaka first-hand on my visits to Japan. However, the term is new to me. Ekinaka literally means “inside the station.”
Continue reading ““Ekinaka” – Shopping complexes at Japanese train stations”
We had finished our first week of Japanese language classes at JaLS and we were upon our first full weekend in Hokkaido. We originally tried to get bus tickets to Hakodate for the Saturday, but all the times we wanted to take were sold out. So we decided to visit Otaru this Saturday instead.
Otaru is a about a 40-60 minute train ride on the JR train. If you grab the Local train, then it stops at every single station. However, if timing works for you, then you can grab one of the express trains and bypass all the smaller stations. Regardless of the speed of the train, the ticket still costs ¥640 for a one-way ticket. The ride from Sapporo to Teine is all above ground and offers a view of the city from high above the streets. However, soon after Teine station, we are travelling right along the coastline of Ishikari Bay until we reach Otaru.
We got back into our car and drove over a few blocks to Hawthorne Street. I thought Belmont Street was a little small, quiet and empty, but Hawthorne was filled with stores for a few blocks and was starting to buzz with activity in the late morning. I really like the feel of Hawthorne. It feels like a bigger street than Belmont with more shops … Continue reading PDX – Hawthorne Boulevard
This post is not the most urban shopping you can do in Portland, but it is a common shopping experience for most Americans and for many Canadians who decide to drive south of the 49. Oh the allure of no sales tax. Alberta has it. How those of in BC envy our neighbours on the other side of the Rockies. Well, Oregon enjoys the lack … Continue reading PDX – Suburban Shopping
As a Canadian travelling into the US, one of the things that figures big on the itinerary is shopping. Even with the exchange as bad as it is now (CAD$1.00 = ~US$0.80), we are still enticed by the great deals and discounts, as well as the larger selection. I guess this is the consumerist part of me that I can’t really get rid of because it’s … Continue reading Portland – Shopping
metro babel 