Toyota City: Route 248

Koda Kumi - Driving

This is my final week living in Toyota City. I've been living here for over two years now but it only seems like I moved here last month. Many people have many opinions, but I love it here.

It may not have the decadence of Tokyo, it may not have the mystique of Kyoto, nor may it have the energy of Osaka, but it has an amazing character. Knowing that I have to leave, all this time living here it still feels like it's not enough. Going past the unexplored little bars, shops and parks just makes it even harder and it feels like I've wasted so much time not having put more effort into exploring.

This is route 248, a massive road that goes through Toyota city. I remember the first time I walked here and there was a lot of construction and gravel everywhere. Passing many closing and opening shops was so exciting. There was an old video game shop that back in its heyday had video game tournaments with a massive screen and seats for viewers, now taken over by massive bookstore. A Donki-Hotte opened up on the road which is a 24 hour "everything" shop and a bunch of fast-food restaurants and furniture shops, not to mention pachinko parlours and sushi belt restaurants. Most cities have one of these sort of places, but for whatever reason it's special to me.

There's a 24 hour service station which has a Doutor cafe. Although it isn't as good as Starbucks or any chain cafe say (the people who work there are mostly people from the Sports Centre / College nearby) it was a place for my twilight refuges and study sessions with my Toyota friends. There's a 24 hour supermarket too.

Somehow just knowing that I have to leave, I'm scrambling to recollect as many memories as possible; furiously ravaging through the corners of my mind to hopefully "find the feeling" again. I'm going to miss walking through it, gazing at the sparce, bright neon lights. I blame it on the fact this is the first city I have lived in in Japan.