Episode 84: The Station God of Sannomiya Station

Sannomiya Station, the heart of Kobe. JR, Hankyu, Hanshin, and the subway lines crisscross here; go south and you reach the port, go north and you reach the mountains. The city's atmosphere is stylish, and there is supposed to be a certain laid-back charm typical of a port town... but the inside of the station is always packed with people.
The station god who protects Sannomiya is a cheerful young man wearing a sailor cap, fitting for a port town. He has an anchor brooch on his chest, and a parrot (a divine version, of course, invisible to humans) perched on his shoulder.
"Hey! Thanks for docking today! Everyone, make sure you don't get lost and proceed to the deck... I mean, the ticket gate!"
The morning rush. People trying to transfer from JR to Hankyu flow through the ticket gates. But one sleepy student is about to get sucked into the Hanshin gate. The god signals the parrot.
"Hey, to the right, to the right! Hankyu isn't that way!"
When the parrot squawks, "Right! Right!", the student realizes his mistake and turns back. The god gives a thumbs up and laughs contentedly, saying, "Good, course correction complete!"
At noon, a family of tourists stops in front of the station.
"Which way is the Kitano Foreigner's Residence?"
The god tilts his sailor cap and lets out a whistle. Just then, a tour bus stops in the direction of the mountains, and a guide waves a flag. The family shouts, "That way!" and runs off.
"Alright, safe sailing! Ride the Kobe breeze and have a great time!"
In the afternoon, some local Kobe high school girls are engrossed in a conversation about sweets inside the station.
"Pancakes, definitely?" "But I also want to eat xiaolongbao in Nankinmachi."
The god smiles wryly and wafts the scent of custard cream from his pocket. Just then, the girls happen to hear a shop clerk from a nearby pastry shop calling out, and they rush in with smiles, saying, "Let's go here!"
"Sweets are the pride of a port town. When in doubt, go for the sweet stuff!"
In the evening, as the rush hour begins, people scramble toward the Hanshin, Hankyu, and JR gates. The god hurriedly spreads his arms, gesturing to direct traffic.
"Yes, yes! Hankyu group to the right, Hanshin group to the left! JR, keep your course straight ahead!"
As if matching his exaggerated movements, the flow of people gradually organizes itself. In reality, it was just a series of coincidences, but the god puffs out his chest and shouts.
"I'm the one who runs the high seas of Sannomiya!"
At night. The illuminations in front of the station begin to shine, and young people walk toward the port. The god takes off his sailor cap, sits on a beam, and sighs.
"...Honestly, there are so many lines that even I get confused."
The parrot repeats, "Confused! Confused!" The god chuckles and pats its head.
"Well, I guess it's fine. Getting lost and taking detours are part of the fun of Kobe, after all."
And in the night, where the sound of trains mixes with the rustle of the sea breeze, the Sannomiya Station god shouts, "Good work!" along with his parrot, instead of using maracas.
[End]