Afternoon Stroll and the Bustle of the Minatogawa Foreigner Housing District

🕒 After seeing Mom off, a long-awaited afternoon walk

🕒 After seeing Mom off, a long-awaited afternoon walk

Mom heads to daycare around 1:30 PM and enjoys exercise and chatting until about 5:00 PM. Lately, I hadn’t been out much except for errands or shopping, so today I decided to take a little walk.

📸 The “Instagrammable Spot” Behind My Home: Minatogawa Foreigner Housing District

Passing through the back gate of my apartment building’s parking lot, you immediately reach the Minatogawa Foreigner Housing District. It’s a spot popular with young people, lined with cafes and variety stores, constantly visited by tourists from both Japan and abroad.

The Foreigners’ Housing District was developed for foreigners working at nearby Camp Kinzer, with construction starting around the 1960s. After the 1972 reversion, demand decreased, and Okinawans began living there. In recent years, many homes have been renovated and converted into shops.

🚗 Full Coin Parking Lots and a Multinational Street

During my walk, every coin parking lot was full. The streets were packed with people, so crowded you couldn’t walk straight. Conversations passing by were mostly in Chinese or Korean, suggesting many tourists from Taiwan and South Korea visit this season. Of course, Japanese could be heard too, giving the street a distinctly multicultural vibe.

🌼 Just Peeking at the Stylish Shops from Outside

I glanced at the shops as I walked by. They were bustling with a layout popular with young people. Since places like that aren’t really my thing, I just peeked in from outside. I enjoyed my walk, taking pictures of the flower beds instead.

🌸 Feeling the Season in the Leisurely Blooming Cherry Blossoms

Before heading out for my walk, I went to see the cherry tree that had been heavily pruned last December. I wondered if it would bloom this year, but a few blossoms had appeared. As usual, it’s a leisurely type of cherry tree, blooming when everyone else is putting out new leaves. I wonder if cherry trees have personalities too.