To Market, To Market

Longtime UNS Member, Sharon Meyers, is currently studying ceramics in Japan for several months. This is a glimpse into her world and journey.

Konichjwa!

What makes a place, its people and culture, meaningful when one wants to really connect? Markets! They are where community comes together to offer what they craft, create and collect. And, they are so full of vibrant life! Kyoto has markets of so much variety, while each location holds its market only one day each month, so I need to be mindful of where I want to explore and exactly when.

With a 400 year history as a fish market, Nishiki Market is the big exception here — it is open every single day, still run mostly by family owned small businesses. Locals call this market “Kyoto's Kitchen” as while its focus is on fresh fish specialties, it’s all about anything and everything related to local fare.  A daunting 130 vendors along a single, narrow walking lane four streets long, Nishiki opens surprisingly late — mid morning — so I enjoy the choices on display for a lunch time bite between studio classes. Fresh tempura on a stick? Sesame rice balls wrapped in seaweed? Miso soup? I've tried them all and so much more. It is impolite to eat while walking, so all nosh on what they purchase in front of each vendor who prepares what is selected: street food at its finest! Nishiki is always crowded, and often quite loud. It is not due to the many customers, but the vendors who announce what they are selling as a “call out” to the passersby.

Okazaki Market at Heian-jingu Shrine is a market of antiques — only, held on the 25th of each month. It is a delight of traditional teaware, lacquerware, glassware and ancient curiosities, such as octopus pots (pottery containers hung in vertical rows to catch the creatures), even a vessel that I spotted from 250 BCE!  This is a wonderland of all that is old, and for each new owner, the opportunity to “continue the story” of a cherished find. Despite the number of vendors on the grounds of this Shinto shrine, it is a serene experience in the open air, much like wandering through a park. Unlike so many markets I have explored in varied countries, there is no bargaining. Prices are set, prices are fair and vendors are agreeable, whether one buys or not. 

Kobo-san Market at Toji Temple may be my favorite market for its explosion of vendors (more than 1000!), held on the 21st of each month, and early, starting at 7 a.m.!  Antiques are plentiful, along with vintage textiles and kimono; seasonal foods (matcha tea, mochi sweets, tsukemono pickles, sun dried persimmon); kyoyasai/heirloom fruits and veg grown only in Kyoto Prefecture (saya Japanese radishes, kano eggplant, takagamine peppers); bonsai and religious items, both Buddhist and Shinto. The towering, iconic To ji Temple rises above it all, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of 17 designated historic monuments of ancient Kyoto. This alone makes it special.

Tezuburi-ici Market is my go-to market for handicrafts on the 15th of each month. So much tradition of both Kyoto and mountain villages reflect the materials of their making: scrolls of washi paper calligraphy, sensu folding fans of fragrant sandalwood, tatami rice straw mats, carved wooden toys and even small furnishings. This month, now that it is spring in Kyoto, I've picked up locally fermented miso, mountain honey and even bread (which otherwise is hard to find here). Market stalls are awarded by a lottery system, so goods change — always new and interesting!

What about night markets? There are occasional markets that open after sunset, while I have not experienced any of them. Days in studio are long and it is already dark when I return to my apartment. Teramachi offers a night market atmosphere that extends from morning til evening: a canopied lantern lit walkway of specialty shops, cafés and restaurants, and the locally favored “100 Yen” shop, where most every item cost 100 yen (70 cents). The low price does not reflect low quality — these are surprisingly well made, contemporary designs. I set up most of my apartment with “100 Yen” shop dishware, glassware, dish towels, hangers and hooks.

“To market, to market” is where I go for local life, all I need for daily life and so much more …

Arigato,
Sharon

Images:

• ancient vessel: 250 BCE, Okazaki Market at Heian-jingu Shrine
• giant shrimp tempura street food delight: Nishiki Market
• Japanese kawai/cute kitsch: Tezuburi-ici Market
• ceramics of Imperial history Kobo-san Market at Toji Temple
• octopus pots: Okazaki Market at Heian-jingu Shrine
• fresh spring seaweed: Kobo-san Market at Toji Temple

P.S. Please click the downloads below to read Sharon's recipe from Garden Chat.