世界には親心しかない in KOBE

I once posted about how easy it is to navigate the streets of Kobe, but Hyogo Ward is a different story. Today, I had some errands to run in Hyogo Ward. Up until the areas around Sannomiya and Motomachi, the roads were easy to understand, and I knew which direction I was heading. However, as I drove a bit further west, I started to lose my sense of direction. If I made a right-angle left turn, I could still tell which way I was going, but there are many roads that curve left diagonally or turn right diagonally backward, making it hard to keep track of directions. Later, when I checked Google Maps, I noticed a road cutting diagonally across the main roads. That was the Saigoku Kaido. It was because I was driving on this diagonal road that I lost my sense of direction. The Saigoku Kaido existed first, and the other main roads were built later. But why does the Saigoku Kaido wind so much in this area? I want to investigate this a bit more.

News has come in that former Governor Saito's re-election is now certain. I believe Japan is on the brink of change. In the Tokyo gubernatorial election held this summer, Yuriko Koike was elected. The battle was between the old type of Tokyo residents who rely solely on newspapers and TV, plus vested interest groups, and the new type of residents who gather information from the internet, including social media. The old type won in Tokyo, but in the Hyogo gubernatorial election, the new type emerged victorious. Compared to the Tokyo gubernatorial election, the Hyogo election seemed more straightforward. I can hardly remember what the issues were in the Tokyo election, but the Hyogo election was clear. The main issue was whether the power harassment allegations against Governor Saito were true or fabricated by those wanting to protect their vested interests. Takashi Tachibana supported Saito, and it seemed easier to fight on this front. Many people believed the power harassment alleg...

Yesterday, I went for early voting in the Hyogo gubernatorial election. Naturally, I voted for Mr. Saito. Recently, there was the Tokyo gubernatorial election, and now we have the Hyogo gubernatorial election. I believe this could significantly change local elections in Japan, mainly due to the growing influence of the internet on elections. Elderly people, who rely solely on TV and newspapers for information, seem to believe that former Governor Saito committed power harassment. Despite there being no evidence and the reports being almost fabricated, they still believe it. On the other hand, relatively younger people, up to around their 40s, primarily get their information from social media and the internet. There are many individuals and groups who benefit from the political system in Hyogo and oppose former Governor Saito. It seems that newspapers and TV stations have also been benefiting in the same way. Additionally, industry groups, prefectural employees, organizations with amaku...