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Despite having visited Gose Station many times before, this was my first time actually exploring “Gose-machi,” a traditional Jinya (estate) town. While the historic streetscapes of Japan’s regional cities are rapidly disappearing due to depopulation and an aging society, many Edo-period buildings still remain here. As I walked, I couldn’t help but notice the retro signs attached to the old structures.
Regional cities often lose their cultural and intellectual vibrancy as the “straw effect” drains economic power and talent toward the Tokyo metropolitan area. Even so, the stone and wooden townscape, combined with the rural scenery—entirely free from crowds—is incredibly soothing.
To the west of town lies Mount Katsuragi. This time, I headed for the Katsuragi-kodo Path, which runs north to south along its foothills. As I walked through the farming villages, I listened to a radio program on YouTube about deriving “logical analysis.” Back in my junior high and high school days, I used to struggle to catch weak signals from Tokyo radio stations in addition to the local Kansai ones; now, I can listen to radio from all over the world while on the move.
Except on particularly freezing days, a winter in Kansai is comfortable enough for a walk if you have an outdoor fleece and a GORE-TEX jacket. Passing by harvested rice stalks and the ripe fruit of Japanese snake gourds, I made my way past the Roku Jizo (Six Statues of Jizo) and Hitokotonushi Shrine before returning to Gose Station.
Music: Elegy
By Music Atelier Amacha
https://amachamusic.chagasi.com/