A Random Walk Down Sakata Street

Rural Japan Photo Essay #5

Nov 07, 2025

I’ve “written” a few of these photo essays over the past few years.

The simple reason?

I’m lazy.

But I also think photos can portray so much more than the written word.

Like this:

This is Sakata City’s main strip, the place we call Nakamachi, literally “Central Town”. And this was on a Sunday morning right when the Sunday market was closing up shop (so you’d expect there to be more than two people).

To the left of this photo is the department store Shimizuya. Or, I mean, was the department store Shimizuya. They closed up shop back in Reiwa 3, so four years ago. We walked past a former sushi shop inside. I was surprised because the plates and bowls were left behind as if someone was going to set up shop again.

But you know, I’ve been inside that building. I know enough to know it is very much not safe for earthquakes. A feeling I get when I go to AEON malls that were very clearly plonked in the middle of former rice fields. A simple ‘place the trolley in the middle of the aisle and see how far gravity takes it’ test shows exactly what I mean. In other words, the building has just been left there. And it will probably just be left there from now on.

Who really knows?

Other things to gain from this photo: it was big news when this part of the strip got a covered walkway. It was also big news that the part currently surrounded by cones was set up. In summer this is a little water fountain thing for kids to play in. Great if you’re a kid.

Bonus: You can also see some statues of Moshienon and Anonon, because of course Sakata City has mascots. (Fun fact, they are Shishi lions, and there are 16 of them dotted around Sakata City, because 4x4 (read shishi) =16.