Neighborhood Hirakata

(someday at 22:05 under Hirakata Shi station, two boys were performing guitar show)

If you go to the open area under the Hirakata Shi Station every night after 10p.m. or every Saturday and Sunday, you can always find some buskers performing guitar, dancing and bicycle no matter how weather is bad and how important the days are (like Valentine Day). In weekdays, they start their performance at around 10p.m. when many salary men are standing and waiting for taxis under the Hirakata City station; in weekends, they start performing at 1p.m. when many parents are taking their children to Hirakata City for holidays. In other words, their main audiences are someone waiting for taxi to go home and families enjoying their holidays.

Unlike the mid-aged buskers in Shinjuku, Tokyo, the buskers in Hirakata are look like they are in their 20s. They usually spend 1 to 3 hours a day to perform. For the dancers, they bring along with them big amplifiers to play some music while dancing; bicyclists just use their bikes to perform; guitarists bring along with them music notes and promotion leaflets. Unlike in Hong Kong and Mainland China, buskers in Hirakata perform not because of money, but they wish people could admire and enjoy their endowments. Like the cases of the guitarists and dancers, each time when they finish their performance (a song), their audiences though not many clap them. And afterwards, the buskers bow the audiences heavily to thank them. Sometimes, they will disturb their leaflets to the audiences to promote their crews. They will respect you a lot if you spend a few minutes to watch their shows (I spent 30 minutes to watch their performance and in return, they gave me an almost 90 degree bow) because appreciation is the biggest return for them.

(A band performing music on a Saturday)

(A family and some other audiences were enjoying their show)