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Gallery Home  ›  20061204-Tokyo
Gallery Home  ›  20061204-Tokyo
20061204-Tokyo
<p>The plastic ornaments are supposed to represent cherries and cherry blossoms. </p>
More Nakamise at Asakusa
 <p>On the Nakamise you can find chopsticks of all types. </p>
Chopsticks Galore
 <p>Japanese packaging is incredibly colorful, as shown here at a store specializing in dried rice-based snacks. </p>
And Rice Snacks Too
 <p>This man is making special baked pastries filled with yummy red bean paste. Definitely not good for low-carb diets. See the video of this process at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zPJ5L-L8jc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zPJ5L-L8jc</a> </p>
Red Bean Paste Treats
<p>Presentation in all things is a matter of Japanese cultural pride. This stand sells a variety of sweet treats made primarily with rice flour. Many of the items are quite glutinous and chewy, but tasty and satisfying. </p>
Rice Flour Treats
 <p>That would be me taking video footage of the pastry chef behind the window. See the video I shot at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zPJ5L-L8jc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zPJ5L-L8jc</a> </p>
Jake Shooting Video of Red Bean Pastry Production
 <p>This relates to the subsequent images of Mikoshis: </p> <p> “Mikoshi and Sanja Festival </p> <p> Mikoshi is a portable shrine that plays a significant role in Shinto festivals. God in a shrine is taken out to a Mikoshi which is then carred by people in the vicinity of the shrine. The divine power of Mikoshi is thought to bring peace and prosperity. </p> <p> Every year in mid-May, over a million spectators flock to Asakusa in celebration of Sanja festival. It is one of the grand festivals in Japan and nearly one hundred Mikoshi parade the streets. Displayed here is the Mikoshi of Nakamise area, handmade by Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten.” </p>
Plaque About the Sanja Festival
 <p>Here is a picture of the portable Mikoshi shrine used in the annual Sanja festival. </p>
The Nakamise Mikoshi
<p>It was pretty tasty. Nice to see food made before your very eyes and then be able to eat it. </p>
Jake Enjoying A Red Bean Paste Pastry
 <p>While it was early December, a time at which most trees back in the Northern U.S. would have already lost all their leaves, here in Tokyo, fall foliage was just taking place. </p>
Fall Foliage in Asakusa
 <p>Rice products abound in Tokyo and Japan in general. Here a vendor in the Nakamise area of Asakusa is selling fried rice flour pastries filled with various pastes. </p>
Fried Rice Pastries
 <p>This particular fried rice flour pastry was filled with a green tea-flavored bean paste. Also yummy. </p>
Green Tea Flavored Rice Pastry
<p>Towards the end of the Nakamise area, near the entrance to the shrines at Asakusa, is a small shop where a master craftsman makes specialized clay figurines of various animals doing human-type things. Pictured here are Bears, frogs, monkeys, and tigers - the latter carrying miniature Mikoshi shrines. These are not cheap either. One of the boat of bears runs about ¥45,000 - that’s over US$400. </p>
Nakamise Figurine Shop
 <p>Anyone know which Gods these are statues of? The bright yellow leaves in the background are from Ginkgo trees. </p>
Dressed Statue in Asakusa
 <p>Even though it was December, this orange tree was rife with ripe fruit. </p>
Orange Tree in Asakusa
 <p>For a donation of ¥100 you can get your fortune just outside the shrines at Asakusa. See next image for more information. </p>
Checking Your Luck
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