Episode 27: The Station Deity of Kanayama Station

Kanayama Station, a sub-center of Nagoya. With JR, Meitetsu, and subway lines intersecting, the station building is packed with movie theaters, live music venues, and izakayas. People come and go from morning till night, and it truly reigns as the "station that has everything."
The station deity who protects this place is a cheerful middle-aged man wearing a gold happi coat and holding a gunbai fan in his hand. According to him, "Since the name is Kanayama (Gold Mountain), it's gotta be gold-plated!"
"Alright, alright, let's boost not just financial luck, but people luck today too! Leave the flow of people to me!"
In the morning, a wave of commuters rushing to transfer from the JR line to the subway floods the station. The deity swung his gunbai fan down with a flourish. By chance, one escalator became empty, and the flow naturally dispersed. The transferring passengers moved smoothly.
"Yes, victory is mine! The congestion at Kanayama is solved in one go with just a wave of my fan!"
In the morning, tourists were lost at the ticket gate, wondering, "Which way is Nagoya Port?" The deity held up his fan and shouted powerfully.
"The port is this way! Dreams, dolphins, and the aquarium are waiting for you!"
Of course, they couldn't hear him. But at that exact moment, a child pointing at the route map shouted "This way!" energetically, and the whole family moved forward with smiles. The deity nodded with a grin.
"Children are the guides of the future!"
At noon, the restaurant floor in the station building was packed. Young people were agonizing over, "Miso katsu? Hitsumabushi? Tebasaki?" The deity waved his fan and prayed, "Go for all of them!" Then, they happened to spot a sign saying "Half-and-half sets available!" and the young people cheered as they entered the restaurant.
"This is the Kanayama specialty, the 'Greedy Set'!"
In the afternoon, young people leaving a live music venue were discussing in front of the ticket gate, "Where should we go for the after-party?" The deity flicked his fan. Then, the lantern of an izakaya in front of the station lit up, and the young people decided immediately, "This is the place!"
"Alright, banquet route confirmed! My fan never misses!"
In the evening, when the rush hour began, passengers transferring between the JR, Meitetsu, and subway lines all surged in at once, causing chaos. The deity, sweating on his forehead, struck his fan repeatedly.
"To the east! To the west! To the south! Yes, victory is mine!"
Strangely, the flow of people naturally split into three directions. A salaryman muttered, "It's crowded today, but it's strangely smooth," and the deity laughed triumphantly.
"This is the Kanayama-style 'Human Shogi'!"
Night. Couples returning from the movies, salarymen who drank too much at the izakaya, young people drenched in sweat from a concert—all sorts of people return to the station. The deity held his fan up on the beam, and while letting his gold-plated happi coat flutter, he shouted.
"Kanayama is a hodgepodge of people, train lines, and events! But that hodgepodge is what makes it good! Leave tomorrow's financial luck, people luck, and laughter luck all to me!"
That voice didn't reach the people. But on the faces of those leaving the station, a golden smile was somehow visible.