The History of Kawahara-cho Shopping Street
Kawahara-cho shopping Street was established back in 1967. At that time, it was just a small shopping street where some stationery stores and drug stores were running their business.
Thereafter, the number of stores gradually increased, and in 2009, it had developed into one of Hirakata’s most popular shopping streets where various restaurants and dinings gathers such as Izakaya, Snack Bar, Lounges, Bars, Clubs, Chinese cuisine, Italian cuisine, Korean cuisine, Japanese cuisine, Yakiniku, Sushi, Yakitori, Kushikatsu and Girls bar…etc.
We are very much look forward to seeing the future development further more of Kawara-cho Shopping street from now on!
Photos provided by Hirakata Central Library · City History Museum (-Prohibited copy-)
Overview of Kawahara-cho Shopping Street
An association which stores doing business in Kawahara-cho gathered and formed
Idea
We will run sound business in Kawahara-cho, aiming for safe and lively city planning.
Activity content
- Security maintenance:
In collaboration with police stations and city hall, exchange information such as crime prevention measures in maintaining security. - Collaboration with the region:
Exchange with local self-government association, Seniors association, children association, etc. - Cleaning activities:
Regional cleaning - Event planning and management:
Yukata festival etc.
Benefits of Stores Association
- Street lights help crime prevention and security maintenance by illuminating the night road which customers always use.
- There are a variety of stores, which are easy for people to access.
- Members of store association can get cash discounts such as cable broadcasting, driving agency…etc.
Future initiatives of Kawahara-cho Store Association
- Security camera installation (crime prevention measures)
- Replacement of lighting with LED (Measures to reduce electricity cost)
- Enriching the festival (revititalizing the region)
We are planning to work on these initiatives above.
It is because each member cooperates and the Store Association is functioning that maintaining these benefits and getting cooperative funds.
Your cooperation will gradually improve this city.
Please join us at the Kawahara-cho Store Association by all means.
– Kawahara-cho Store Association –
The Kawahara-cho Store Association declares “eradication of drink-driving”!
On September 14, Governer of Osaka prefecture declared “eradication of drink-driving”.
Death accidents caused by drink-driving are increasing !
16 deaths, by the end of October ( +7 people compared with the previous year.)
Strengthening regulations on drink-driving
- Implementation of simultaneous drink-drinking inspection in all Osaka Prefecture and early morning inspection etc.
- Thorough investigation of three drinking alcohol offenses (offering vehicles, providing alcoholic beverages, passengers).
- Thorough safety management.
- Alcohol check at the time of calling.
- Promotion of “steering keeper activity”
-Osaka Prefectural Police-
To aim for the world’s best Kawahara-cho Shopping Street
“Kawahara-cho Shopping Street”, in front of Hirakata-shi station.
What kind of impression do you all have in this word?
There are a lot of stores which you cannot see the inside of from the street, and then this may cause a slightly inaccessible impression for you, However, there actually are a lot of interesting stores in Kawahara-cho Shopping Street and recently introduced in Hiratsu’s “Show your store” program.
Recently, new moves by young shopkeepers are getting more active in this Kawahara-cho Shopping Street.
Kawahara-cho Shopping Street has a long history (It was so croweded hustle and bustle in early days that people could not walk without the shoulder stricking with other people !), however, the activities as a whole shopping street had not been very active and there had been no events. So three years ago, the four shopkeepers of “Yakitori Yamakura”, “Izakaya On”, “Steakhouse amoretto (Amaretto)” and “Sumika” founded the “Youth Department”, another more shopkeepers such as
“Bar de Moo” and “Kuroge Wagyu Hirakata” joined it and it gradually became a big movement. And now, “Yama-kura” is responsible for the chairman of the Store Association itself, instead of the Youth Department.
As a shopping street, various ideas come out every day and discussed, this time we looked at some of them.
Memo written by “Kuroge Wagyu Hirakata” says the idea of what Kawahara-cho should do in order to be “the world’s best shopping street” in 100 years later.
Various ideas are written, such as music event and creating something utilizing the legend of milky way in Hirakata or about using the vacant room in Kawahara-cho as a guest…etc with three pillar of concepts “Art”, “Event” and “Support”.
However, in recent years, large shopping malls are increasing more and more, it seems there is an image when it comes to shopping streets is decreasing and loosing its popularity. In such a situation, “World’s No.1 shopping street” seems somehow to be too big goal, but looking at the top right of the memo… it says…
- Places of contact beyond generations
- Community-based city
→ be a worldwide model of shoping street
We do not aim for the world’s biggest in terms of size and things, We rather aim to become one as shopping street, focused attention from the world by enhancing the quality of the heart such as people’s interaction.
If so, it is not an impossible goal.
Kawahara-cho’s new concept is …
It is old and new. There have been from old times, but we can find new discoveries in it. It means various new and old stores interwoven and they create an unique taste of the whole city.
In the above note, the key words such as “back street” and “hole-in-the-wall” are written, but there are also images of “adult” and “class”. “Old New” is an exactly the perfect expression for Kawahara-cho.
Based on this concept, we are planning various events such as art, aiming to be a place for people to interact and to be rooted in the area further.
* Source: Hirakata Communication 1/9/2014 Article 12/1/2016 cited