Hasami Matsuri (and the rest of that day)

Chrys gave me a day off (11/13) to go wander on my own. With the lack of break in my day for her nap, I've been burning out a bit quicker. It was much needed and greatly appreciated.

I stopped first at the Isahaya flea market that was near the library. I didn't see anything overwhelming. There were some beautiful obi in one bin, lots of toys and stuffed animals and more clothing than you could shake a stick at. I almost got a couple of pairs of pants for RC, but decided she would live without them. The flea markets amuse me - food and tons of tarps with every variety of thing on them. It's a Japanese garage sale and there is rarely any rhyme or reason to what's out. Bargaining is anticipated and everyone is out to get you to look at their stuff. For me, their gimmick was showing off their Engrish skills - always a great treat, guaranteed to make me smile.

After leaving, I headed up to Hasami. I got there a bit late for lunch and seem to have missed the bulk of the purpose. At noon, their "restaurant" opened. It seems that you go up and get food that comes on porcelain plates. Whatever plate or set you get is yours to take home. There didn't seem to be much opportunity for careful selection, either, so it was kind of a random guess to see which you'd end up with. They had a few sinks set up on the perimeter so you could wash to take home. It was a really neat concept, but I'm not sorry I missed the random porcelain draw. I could have still gotten a coffee cup under the same system, but I wasn't that cold, yet, despite the damp day.

They also had oysters (kaki). It's oyster season here. Apparenly the waters of Omura Bay produce excellent ones in the winter months. At this festival, you could pick up a plate of raw for 1000円. Then you got to head over to the grills that were set up in the middle of the field and cook them yourself (with the provided gloves). It was quite popular.

Once I left there, I headed to my favorite shop in Arita. I had seen "the" plate there a couple of days prior and didn't want it to escape again. She still had it and I bought it. She pointed out the name on the back so I think it's signed by the designer, which is neat. It's also decorated on the back (just a few scattered sakura blossoms) which I didn't know about. I think it's a bit smaller than the one I saw at the festival, but it's no less gorgeous. She chided me about the size of my smile, but I didn't care. I am very excited about finding it a home on my wall in Austin.