The elder of the neighborhood playing Power Golf and a little chatting
Hirakata is a city noticeable for its university and the many, many foreigners that reside here – temporary or long term. But other than that Hirakata is a rather average city. As so almost one fourth of the city population has passed the age of 65[1], if it follows the static’s for Japan as a nation.
And as a fact in a little corner of Hirakata, near the supermarket named Sanko and around 15 minutes on foot from Makino station, a group of elderly Japanese men and women gather. It is 8 in the morning and for the next hours or so they will enjoy each other’s company and a game of Power Golf. They meet 3 times a week (among these days is Saturday where I had the opportunity to meet them) and practice for the tournaments, they tell me. It is not a group only for elderly, but it has just become so, one of men says.
The Power Golf group is not the only group of elder Japanese that have close bounds. It seems that the importance of sticking together is still strong among the seniors. My host mother tells me that around 20 elderly men and women live on their own in the neighborhood, but they are never lonely. The youngest of the seniors will go for planed visits once a week. It is no something they are forced to do, but something they enjoy to do. Everybody keeps an eye out for each other in their little network. Even though a man or woman has no family nearby, they still have they neighbors. Just like the Power Golfing group will keep each other at company, while all the youngsters are studying, working or just out and about.
[1] https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2010.html
Hirakata as a rather average city? Really? Actually I was hoping for more of a focus on the little corner of Hirakata where you live - your neighborhood. I like that you focus on the activities of some of the people that live there. But aren't they playing gate ball?
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