I have lived most of my life in Tokyo, but this is my first time ever to live in the east side of Tokyo. Even though Tokyo is the fourth smallest prefecture in Japan, there are various surroundings in each area. The place I live now is so-called "shitamachi (old town)," and it has different atmosphere and culture from my hometown. Where I used to live was developed in relatively recent years, so there are mountains, woods, big supermarkets, and lots and lots of houses in particular places. The current neighbourhood also has lot of houses and woods (but no mountains), but there are many small shops in the residential area, such as a butcher, bakery, Japanese sweets shop, candy shop, produce market, and so on.
On Saturdays, I can't sleep in too long because I have to put out my plastic garbage by 9, so I have no choice but start my day in the morning. (Before I moved in here, I wouldn't leave home until late afternoon, or sometimes never!) Sometimes, I take my steps further than the garbage dump, and go out for grocery shopping. You will be surprised to see how lively and crowded the markets are in Saturday morning! There are a lot of housewives looking for fresh vegetables, and the shops are filled with newly stacked food. It's really exciting to see a store full of fresh produce.
I started to like my neighbourhood even more ;)
