中華街へようこそ！(Welcome to Chuukagai!)

No more than an hour from where I live lies a place in Yokohama that has been one of my favorites to visit. This place is called 中華街(chuukagai) and is a Chinatown of sorts near Tokyo.

It’s a nice change of pace from what you usually see in the Tokyo area. The area is covered in reds, greens, and yellow colors. The buildings, naturally, have a heavy Chinese influence that makes this place unique.

The first time I went was about a week after I arrived. I went with a group of foreigners in the dorms. We were all eager to explore Japan. One of the people, who is now a close friend of mine, was a person who had already been here for a few months before the rest of us. He showed us around the place and took us to a restaurant that is a favorite of his. It was nice. The atmosphere was very different from Japanese restaurants and the table spun around so that we can share food easily.

A few weeks later, I went there with another group. In this group were my Chinese friend, Japanese friend, and French friend. My Chinese friend seemed very familiar with the place, more than the rest of us at least. Like my friend from last time, she also took us to a restaurant she knew of. However, this restaurant wasn’t as extravagant as the other one. It seemed more like a regular restaurant. And you know what? I liked that it wasn’t as fancy. It gave it a more personal feel. When she ordered, she spoke in Chinese to the worker. It seems that there was a mix of Chinese and Japanese workers in the area. I enjoyed the food, although my Chinese friend told us that it wasn’t entirely authentic as it was adapted to suit Japanese people. One big difference was the spice. Chinese cuisine often uses spice whereas Japanese cuisine does not. So Japanese people aren’t that enthusiastic about spice. As a result, the Chinese food served here tends to have less spice than it normally would have.

As the day began to near its end, I saw another side of chuukagai. The lights came on and the colorful buildings contrasted against the normal buildings surrounding the area. As I walked through the streets, I came across a beautiful narrow alleyway filled with Chinese lanterns.

It was nice to experience something new. I can imagine this place helps the Chinese people living here find their own community and sense of home. Like a safe haven of some sort. This was the closest I ever got to China, both in distance and atmosphere. It was nice to experience and the conversations I had with my Chinese friend helped me learn more about Chinese culture. Perhaps one day I will be able to see China with my own eyes!