Okamoto, where my English School is located, is known as a fashionable town. There are many upscale shops and the streets are covered in white pavers arranged in interesting patterns. Okamoto denizens take pride in their town and try to keep it clean and lively, holding many festivals throughout the year for the residents and visitors.
Kobe Okamoto is a very lively town having 3 universities within walking distance of the main stations (Hankyu Okamoto Station and JR Settsu-Motoyama Station). Thousands of college students from Konan University, Konan Women’s University and Kobe Pharmaceutical University live in or pass through the streets of Okamoto each day. Combine all those students with thousands of people heading off to their jobs in Osaka, other parts of Kobe and even faraway Kyoto in the morning and returning in the evening and you can understand how hustling and bustling Okamoto is. Taking pictures of streetscapes there while trying to avoid taking pictures of the faces of passersby is quite a challenge! Nevertheless, I still wanted to share a few pictures of the cityscapes of Kobe Okamoto. I hope you will be able to see how pleasant and lively Okamoto is and perhaps you’ll decide to visit sometime and take in its true ambience
Some of the places I chose to photograph are the Tully’s Coffee shop diagonally across from Hankyu Okamoto Station and the street near my school where Shunju Cafe and an elegant florist and flower school are located. The location of Tully’s Coffee used to be Hagen Daz Ice Cream. I miss the ice cream shop and was very shocked when it closed but the space was soon renovated and occupied by Tully’s Coffee. Just a piece of trivia about Okamoto: the location across from the Hankyu station used to be a photography shop which was closed and reopened as a bakery shop call Rogen Meyer rents for 800,000 Yen per month (over $8,000/mo.). For that size of space I was told that the rent is higher than a similar space in Kobe Sannomiya which is more centrally located in Kobe! Wow!
The picture showing the florist and flower shop which are next to Shunju Cafe is my favorite. I just love the door design of the flower school and florist! If you have not visited Shunju Cafe, you are missing a nice experience! I often go there after passing out some flyers near the station. Their breakfast sets are tasty and really hit the spot! The coffee is excellent too!
Smith’s School of English – Kobe Okamoto (Al Bartle, Owner and Head Teacher)
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