Source: utoi うとい (@namekotake) - image used with permission

Photos of bleak shopping arcade and contrasting entrance sign shocks Japanese Twitter users

For many who have visited or lived in Japan, the word shōtengai 商店街 (shopping street or shopping arcade) evokes small shops competing for shoppers' attention and sometimes a somewhat nostalgic, maybe even Showa Era mood.

In many cities big and small, they're still at the heart of the neighborhood, an essential center of commercial activity and a symbol of everyday life.

For example, here is the thriving Kuromon Market shopping arcade in Osaka:

Machaa | © PIXTA

It's not uncommon for Japanese people, when visiting a new place, to make a point of visiting the local shōtengai to take a stroll. While large arcades like the one above have plenty of interest, there's also something exciting about discovering small, narrow shopping arcades as well.

Twitter user Utoi うとい (@namekotake) posted a picture of a shōtengai in his hometown, and it has become quite the topic of conversation, garnering over 72,500 likes and 1,200 retweets at the time of writing.

Under the "Bright Shopping Arcade" sign...

"I'll just post (some pictures) of this dead shopping arcade in my hometown"

The sign at the entrance says 明るい商店街 akarui shōtengai, meaning "bright shopping arcade," so you might imagine customers coming and going, shopkeepers cheerfully serving customers, and so on...

But this is the reality...

Reproduced with permission from utoi うとい (@namekotake)

There are no lights on, and the shops don't appear to be open for business. The whole arcade is dimly lit, and the mood is rather depressing...

We can only wonder if this was a pattern sadly seen in many areas of Japan where the exodus of the population to the cities and the arrival of megastores has resulted in waning business for local shōtengai...

Reproduced with permission from utoi うとい (@namekotake)

The gap between the sign and the reality of the arcade behind it created a surreal sight for many people on Twitter, eliciting comments such as:

  • "It's a complete contradiction between the sign and reality, but I feel there's something sentimental about it."
  • "It has the mood of an entrance to a dungeon... I feel like I'll be transported to another world if I enter!"
  • "I like places where the sign says 'bright' but the area is 'dark.' It has the feel of a hidden place!"

Shopping streets and arcades in Japan sometimes come back to life through local revitalization efforts. For example, the National Federation of Shopping Center Promotion Associations lists successful cases. Sadly, however, the "bright shopping arcade" isn't one of them. Some time after Utoi visited, it was demolished and replaced by a parking lot.

Nevertheless, through the internet and these photos, it will hopefully not be forgotten...

By - Ben K.

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