My Poor Amagotta

There have been very few malls I've been to around the world that aren't forts protecting the kings of the the consumer industry. Industry giants who were once very well-intentioned, but now aim to rape and pillage the average person out of cash and soul.





Amagotta, a mall a little off the beaten path, close to the Hanshin-Amagasaki station in Amagasaki. It sits quietly next to a river that is overtaken by a lovely land-bridge wide and filled with fountains, greenery, benches and hang-abouts. This, if you have noticed, is not an evil place. I speak of it fondly.

Inside this quiet place, there sit grocery stores, bakeries, dry cleaners, clothing and stationary stores. Also, you can find a book store, a place to learn languages (that's me), hairteries, a massage spa, a restaurant and a place to learn that instrument you never did when you were a kid. Best of all, except for my place and Yamaha, every store is practically mom-and-pop. It's also wonderfully cheap.






Unfortunately, this quiet haven is all too quiet. People mostly crowd the supermarket and the bookstore and that's it. Therefore - way before the recent economic crash, and continually so - these wonderful little places that do not aim to destroy you monetarily are drying up at rabbit-quick speed.




The latest casualty, and the closest to my heart, is Thank You Mart. It's a chain that's quickly disappearing from view. Everything inside is the equivalent of four bucks. EVERYTHING. Junk. Clothing. A bit of nostalgia. And several weeks ago, the fog of unfortunate change has swept through and left only an empty lot, and my broken heart.

I shall miss you. I shall miss you all.