We come across a small Korean space in Yamaguchi Prefecture within the metropolis linked to Busan, Korea by ferry.
When our travel-loving, Japanese-language reporter Ikuna Kamezawa arrived at Shimonoseki Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture on November 22, she noticed a poster for the twenty second Little Busan Competition to be held the next day in an space of the town referred to as Shimonoseki Koreantown Inexperienced Mall. She’d had no concept that this occasion was about to happen, and whereas she sadly wouldn’t have the ability to attend, she was curious to take a look at the realm the place it will be held.
Ikuna was curious to see what Shimonoseki’s Koreantown (sure, the spelling is totally different from the same old “Koreatown”), nicknamed “Little Busan,” was like. In any case, the most important port cities of Shimonoseki, Japan and Busan, Korea are solely about 200 kilometers (124.3 miles) aside and are official sister cities.
▼ A one-way ferry trip between the 2 cities/nations was being marketed for six,300 yen (US$41).
Fortunately, when she exited Shimonoseki Station, she was greeted by a giant welcome signal to the town on the left.
When she squinted just a bit bit farther away, nonetheless, she noticed one thing that piqued her curiosity much more.
It was Busan Gate–a gateway that pays homage to conventional Korean aesthetics.
In truth, it strongly resembles the doorway to the Ikuno Koreatown in Osaka which Ikuna has beforehand visited.
▼ The doorway to Osaka’s Ikuno Koreatown
The gateway additionally serves as the doorway to the Shimonoseki Koreantown Inexperienced Mall purchasing space that extends from the station and would host the Little Busan Competition the following day. It was time for Ikuna to get strolling.
At first, it didn’t give off a lot of a Korean vibe, however there have been additionally a superb variety of outlets that have been nonetheless shuttered.
Simply as she was starting to surprise if this have been actually Koreantown, she started to glimpse some eateries popping up right here and there. None of them have been open, nonetheless, possible as a result of it was round 3 p.m., a time when many eating places shut between the lunch and the dinner rush.
Solely the purple poles supporting the awning indicated that she was nonetheless within the designated Inexperienced Mall space. The folks she sometimes handed additionally had the look not of vacationers, however of locals.
It was straightforward to guess from the marginally retro environment that this space had been round for some time and was in all probability previous its heyday. It in all probability wouldn’t draw most of the youthful crowds hooked on Okay-pop and different Korean popular culture, however it was intriguing otherwise for somebody with an curiosity in native histories like Ikuna.
At one level she got here throughout a big signal with a map of the Inexperienced Mall space. Thank goodness–she was nonetheless in the appropriate place in spite of everything.
Sadly, a potted plant was rising proper towards the map, obscuring a part of it from view. She figured this type of factor wouldn’t occur in additional bustling Korea-centric areas of Japan similar to Tokyo’s Shin-Okubo neighborhood or Osaka’s Tsuruhashi, however right here, it in some way didn’t appear misplaced.
Lastly she arrived at a spot that appeared to sign the top of the purchasing road. From the station thus far, it had taken about 20 minutes of strolling.
She determined to make the return journey on the opposite facet of the street for some barely totally different surroundings. From afar, this facet had appeared deserted. Nevertheless, she now observed that there have been certainly indicators exhibiting that companies have been open, however she lacked the braveness to go in as a result of there have been so few folks round.
One discovery that she was glad to make was the presence of a number of small grocery shops, every staffed by a single aged man or girl. All of them bought loads of tasty Korean snacks and different foodstuffs. In commemoration, she went inside one and bought a pack of Shin Ramyun for later.
All in all, Shimonoseki’s Koreantown is a far cry from the Korean cosmetics, Okay-pop items, and road meals mecca of different Koreatowns in Japan. This isn’t a spot the place you’ll see throngs of youngsters strolling down the road whereas consuming a spicy batch of tteokbboki or a piping-hot hotteok.
As a substitute, the neighborhood gave Ikuna the sensation that it’s the final vestiges of a as soon as bustling city from the previous. It has historic allure in a special sort of means from the cosmopolitan streets of different cities. In any case, the following time she’s craving some Korean road meals, it will be straightforward sufficient to prepare dinner up some trending recipes at dwelling.
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