Toji Temple ~ normally looks like this… serene and peaceful.
..
But today, it looks like THIS….
It’s Temple Market day at Toji Temple in Kyoto, and we travel here by train from Nara for an hour and half. Temple markets are only once a month and Ben says, not to be missed. This is the last big temple market for the year (2019) in the Kyoto / Nara region and we are both excited and eager to discover what Toji Temple’s market day brings.
There is a buzz of excitement in the air as people are pouring in through the temple gates, on the hunt for good food and special finds.
First impression of the market, is wow, there are a lot of people. And rows and rows of stalls in every direction, around the temple. And the stalls are extremely varied in terms of what is being sold, from plants, to antiques, to clothing, to street food.The ceramics! Japan is of course known for its pottery but still it was surprising to see how many different potters had stalls showcasing their ceramics for sale the temple market. The quality is not surprisingly, very high. Love the glaze drip technique on these vases.Not only are the individual pieces beautiful, but the way they are arranged adds to the overall aesthetic.Potter showcasing organic shaped bowls and platters and Japanese style place settings.
The temple itself is open to the public and there are calligraphers inside doing inscriptions in special temple booklets that visitors collect. There is also a gallery of paintings of the temple.
The monks share their sacred temple grounds with the market and there is a small section where prayers are in process.
The repetitive, chanting of Zen Buddhist priests adds to the Temple Market atmosphere
Delicious smells fill the air from the myriad of food vendors selling all sorts of Japanese food treats.
Tiny dried fish, each with a different flavoring and taste. This is a snack that is commonly eaten along with beer.Fresh honeycomb and honey. Tako. Small whole squids are cooked inside rice flour and egg batter, with the end product being a golf ball sized bite rich with chewy tentacles. Japanese pancakes okonomiyaki topped with eggsDried octopus in bundles for grilling. Similar to beef jerky texture, once cooked.Mochi which is made from rice flour, corn starch and sugar, comes in many different forms in Kyoto. Here it is cooked and served with a hot soup.Temple Markets are also the place to find authentic antiques. This stall is selling masks, ceramics and wooden artifacts.Japan is renowned for the best quality knives in the world. Knives a remnant of samurai swordsmanship and metalsmith work when the quality of Japan’s swords was unequaled.If one is in the market for chopsticks ~ and we are ~ this is the place. High quality chopsticks made of cedar, pine, mahogany and other fine woods. make it hard to choose.This Kansai pickle man specializes in all manners of marinated vegetables. Quite a character!Green tea flavored rice cakes, mochi, filled with red bean paste, on the grill. anyCooked oysters, an unusual street food (anywhere).Fish shaped waffle type treats, with red bean paste inside. A very traditional Japanese sweet biteAll right, yes, I’ll have one more mochi stick!
Evidence that we have been trying a lot of different types of mochi on this trip.
More pottery, but this time it’s bright red.Not sure exactly what is being sold here.Dried Persimmon fruit for 500 yen a tray ($5)Agreed… Japanese temple markets are not to be missed!
Interesting market. It took me a minute to work out why I found the photos slightly odd when it struck me I’m used to seeing you dressed for a hot climate, not bundled up against the cold!
Anabel, being in winter is definitely odd for us, as we do our best to avoid it. We both had 3 pairs of winter pants, 2-3 sweaters, jackets and that is what we lived in for 2 months. So you will be seeing a bunch of more “slightly odd” photos coming up in our next posts.
Louise, when we arrived in the morning it wasn’t too bad crowd wise, but later by the time we left, it was hard to move! You really get a sense of the population density of Japan. Well worth it though.
Ha ha that is too funny. Check out the second photo with the crowd shot and see if you can spot Waldo Ben. The interesting thing in addition to the quirky side of Japanese culture is how very orderly everything is. Rules, lines, no pushing, no one steals, everything is super clean and aesthetic. Thought of you at the market, you would have loved it!
You’ve found yet ANOTHER calling – food photographer! Those are my favorite photos (probably why I’m a bit over-weight . . . ) along with the pickle man.
Whatta market place – fabulous.
Ahhh yes, when it comes to food, we both love to eat and I also enjoy taking photos of food, obviously 🙂 We are both a bit overweight, eh, more than a bit, so now the work to try to reduce begins (new year resolution stuff and all that)….
Lovely! Thank you. Your photographs are real story-tellers. Even in winter, with not a lot of color to be had, except in this market. I loved the red pottery. Ben’s expression says both “let’s get some of these” and “must make some of these some day”!
Thank you for such a great compliment re the photographs. You read Ben’s expression completely right on. It makes no sense to buy pottery, it’s fragile and we have too much luggage, but we did buy one cup. We are also carrying in hand luggage two beautiful ceramic pieces made by my son in Chicago. He takes after his talented maternal grandmother who is an accomplished potter.
An amazing array of foods. I am astounded by the abundance of sea food. The prettiest food were the honey combs and small jars of beautiful honey. I thought it odd but I don’t think I saw hardly anything that was sweet.
The honey comb was absolutely delicious and we were tempted to buy some as well as some honey but then envisioned the jar breaking in our bag and having a sweet gooey mess everywhere, so no go. But yum.
The mochi can be quite sweet due to the red bean paste filling which no doubt has sugar added to it. Mochi is probably one of the most popular Japanese desserts in this region.
Oh this bought back such a lot of memories. I’ve got to get me back to Japan! If only to eat those bean paste filled waffles and get one of those calligraphy temple stamp books. I love the way they pay such aesthetic attention to detail. The way they’ve laid out the pottery. Isn’t it a fabulous country?
Tracey, I absolutely loved Japan and the sense of aesthetics everywhere! Very special place indeed. So much attention to detail and an overall sense of finesse in everything from the ceramics to the food to the gardens and all aspects of design actually. Yes, love the way the pottery was laid out ~ in every case it always looked beautiful. Like being in an open air art gallery.
Wow, Ms. Peta, very nice! I’ve never been to Japan and had no clue of what to expect. I love pottery, so those photos were especially interesting. As always, the food shots sparked my interest too. Thank you, Charles
Charles! I was just thinking about you… I know you love pottery, as do I and this was a real treat for that. Glad you enjoyed. I will send you some more via email, as for the blog we obviously tried to be very selective. Ahhh the food in Japan ~ sublime.
I smiled when I saw your first photo (ah, a serene post about the beauty in Japan) and grimaced when I scrolled down to the second. Being a bit of a claustrophobic (okay, more than a bit) I knew I’d avoid that market like …. like I avoid an American mall in December (okay, in any month of the year). But I was able to be there thanks to your marvelous photos.
I could almost smell the food, except I don’t know what dried octopus smells like (have you read the book “The Soul of the Octopus”?) nor Tako, but I know I’m limited in my culinary adventures.
Quick question, why do some Japanese wear face masks? I notice them at airports, of course, but interesting to note several wearing them in your photos. The Buddhist monks must dislike market days – their serenity disturbed. I love the chanting – perhaps that’s useful in calming them down.
We were smart Pam, no worries. When we first arrived, we had beat the crowds and so most of our time there it was very pleasant, until the masses started pouring in and at which time we were ready to leave. That second photo was actually taken as we were leaving ~ you can find Ben in the crowd exiting. You can see in a few of the other photos that the amount of people around was not at all overwhelming (for 90% of our time there…)
The dried octopus had no smell at all. The small tiny dried and flavored fish all had different scents though, depending on what they had been flavored with.
Many people in Japan wear white face masks for health reasons. The first reason would be if they have a cold and do not want others to catch it from them. The second and more common reason is that they do not want to get germs from other people who might be sick.
The trick about being a Buddhist monk is that they are able to transcend the chaos, the crowds, the noise…. 🙂
Such a fun way to spend the day! Japanese markets are always full of sensory discoveries. Happy New Year to you and Ben! Wishing you all the best in 2020.
Oh, it would be hard to resist buying some of that pottery, even if it is impractical to travel with it. Some of that street food looks look quite delicious, like the green tea Mochi with red bean paste, but some of it doesn’t appeal (little dried fish snacks). However, I’ll try almost anything once (e.g., dried ooilichan, dried bear meat, sea urchin).
Jude, we are usually quite judicious and try not to make many purchases so as not to accumulate possessions given our nomadic lifestyle and the attempt at being mindful about consumption. That said, there was one stall at a later temple market we attended where Ben fell in love with the pieces and did succumb to one perfectly beautifully formed cup which he bought and we carried with us in our hand luggage all the way back to Viet Nam (successfully).
Peta, I love a good market and this one is very special. Your food photos are mouth watering delicious. I can imagine the crowds that would be passing through the day, but going early was a good option. I wish you guys a fantastic 2020, filled with adventures, good health and success. I hope our paths will cross soon in Vietnam.
We love markets too and this one was definitely unique and very memorable. Arriving early was key, as by the time we left, it was chock full and way too many people for me!
Happy New Year to you too. Are you planning a trip to Viet Nam in 2020?
Peta, we are travelling to SE Asia this Friday, starting our 2 1/5 months trip in Thailand, then Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. I expect we will get to Vietnam towards the end of February. Hoi An is in our itinerary for sure, so it would be great to meet up for drinks/food/chat? Would love the opportunity to finally meeting you in person.
Gilda that sounds like an incredible trip. I wish I was just discovering it all now for the first time. We would love to meet you in Hoi An and share a meal with you. Here is my email: petakaplan@hotmail.com Once you know your dates, do let us know…. Great!
I thought I’d seen ALL the markets since I’ve been reading your blog forever, but this one was the most tempting ever. It’s the pottery, and I’m glad to know Ben succumbed to it. Would love to see what he chose. I love Adam’s work too. Can never have enough ceramic bowls or cups.
Glad to read that you’ve made it back to Vietnam now. Happy New Year, my friends.
The pottery was incredible Sharon. In fact, we took a ton more photos as we were so enthralled by it (both being pottery lovers), but had to be selective in posting just a few. I’ll send you some more via email. And Ben’s choice. We brought back two pieces of Adams pottery which he gifted us and both made it back fine and are spectacular pieces! He definitely has the touch.
So happy to be back in Viet Nam!! Scrappy, gritty and feisty after calm, neat, orderly Japan.
What a wonderful trip to this market! I was walking the stalls right alongside you.I’ve heard about Japanese knives and pottery – so lovely to see. And I am a big fan of Japanese food.
Thank you for sharing!
Deb this market was one of our most memorable. The pottery in so many different stands with so many different artists was a real treat. The food, as much as we could eat, was delicious…. If you like Japanese food, check out the prior post which is all about the specialties of Nara! Yum!
This looks like so much fun! You really captured the feel of it.
We went to a temple market in Kyoto last Feb at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. It looks very similar.
Thanks Alison. That’s great. Yes, Ben said the market was quite similar to ones that he had been to, over twenty years ago. One difference is that there were way more antique vendors back then compared with now.
I think I might struggle to find things to eat in Japan. Perhaps a few mochi, but I suspect if I ever get there I’ll be on a very limited diet. Never mind- there’s plenty to take my mind off my stomach. 🙂 🙂
Johanna one can find just about any kind of food in Japan. For us, we wanted to take advantage of every meal to have Japanese food and try something new whenever we could. I doubt you would struggle at all to find things to eat there. There are plenty of Western style restaurants with familiar foods.
What a difference on market day. One thing I’ve noticed about Asia is that crowds somehow don’t seem to be so claustrophobic. I love all that colorful pottery.
J.D. the crowds in Japan were all very orderly, like everything else. Now that we are back in Viet Nam, it’s more gritty and scruffy for sure and even at the airport restroom, I had to hold firm to keep my spot in line and battle the lack of respect for order ha. So it definitely depends on where in Asia!
The pottery was incredible. I grew up surrounded by pottery, as my mom is an accomplished potter, and now my son is a potter, Ben has done clay scultpures, so all in all, I really enjoyed the creations we saw at the markets.
All your food photos have me searching for snacks to munch on. Happy New Year to you both. Wishing you so much love and adventure in 2020! Thanks for sharing insights and advice and for always encouraging me on my wanderings.
Ahhh, now that we are back in Viet Nam as I write this, I am already missing Japanese food. And I do love Vietnamese food as well, but I could happily eat Japanese food every day. Wishing you the same for 2020 and hope it brings new adventures your way!
Like you and others, I was mightily attracted to that pottery! Markets are so much fun – the riot of colors and varieties of things, the people-watching, the food! This looks like a winner, and it also introduced me to some new snacks! Happy New Year and see you very soon! 🙂
Hi again, Peta and Ben, I love all of your photos! Dried fish and beer? Chewy tentacles? Dried octopus? I guess, don’t knock it until you try it. A feast for the eyes! I can see how this market is “not to be missed.” Thank you for sharing the diverse special finds. I can see how this would be a monthly do not miss event. Erica
Erica, I can’t say that we tried the dried octopus. Who knows how one even approaches using that in meals… not sure. But we do love the discovery process of new foods in different countries.
I’m not sure I would have travelled two hours to a market, given that we were scheduled to arrive in Kyoto a few days later, but Ben insisted this would be worth it and if we do not make the effort, we would miss market day. He was right!! Well worth it.
This looks like so much fun! What a wonderful tour of the temple market. I love Japanese style ceramics and would go crazy visiting all those booths. How are the prices?
Caroline, we did kind of go crazy at the pottery booths. I was already hand carrying two pottery bowls made and gifted by our son in Chicago, so we had to choose one small piece very carefully to take home with us. Ben bought a delicate cup, which was $15. Prices were very reasonable. Mostly we enjoyed the great visuals and took lots of photos (of course I had to edit these for the post).
Yes, sadly pottery isn’t the easiest thing to transport when traveling. Your photos are stunning. I love the one with all the little bowls. The Japanese aesthetic is so appealing.
Luckily, the pottery we brought back, all made it home with us in one piece. Ben is wishing he had bought another cup instead of just one. Love all those little bowls too.
What a feast for all the senses! It would be hard to pass up both the pottery and the food. Pam asked my question about the facemasks so thank you for the explanation.
Janis the pottery was such a visual treat. Later on, a few days later, Ben succumbed to one gorgeous cup, that we managed to safely bring home with us to Viet Nam.
Interesting re the face masks… Locals in Hoi An wear face masks whenever they are on their motorbikes or bicycles but for different reasons to in Japan. Here, they wear them so that they will not catch any sun rays on their skin. Check out some of our past posts on Hoi An which show many photos of people completely covered up head to toe, and thats in humid temps over 80 degrees. Also in Viet Nam, the face masks are always colorful and playful in contrast to the plain white surgical ones worn in Japan.
Interesting! Is skin cancer the main concern or the sun’s tendency to age skin? Living in SoCal all my life, I sure wish I had paid more attention. I have both the cancer and the wrinkles to show for my foolishness.
The main concern has to do with beauty. With having light skin not darkened by the sun. Fair skin is highly valued in Viet Nam, and the concept of Westerners lying on the beach during the day when the sun is out, is just absurd to them.
Yup, growing up in South Africa, no one ever had heard of or used sun block, on the contrary as teenagers we used to use baby oil on our skin, to get darker tans. Yikes. I have the sun to thank for the added wrinkles too.
We spent 7 weeks in Japan a couple of years ago and were always perplexed by the food. Half the time we didn’t know what we were looking at. You guys seem to have a lot better handle of it 🙂
Frank, that’s funny.. haha. Okay truth be told my main motivation for Japan was the food! Because for years now Ben has been telling me about the variety and so on, but it had to be seen and tasted, to really “get it”. My favorites were the breakfasts and luckily in that case we had a chef who was thrilled we were so interested in his creations and enjoyed answering our numerous questions about what items were and how he had cooked them…
What an impact on the senses! I really like how you put these posts together, with the photos, organization, and text. As if I was there with you on that temple market, meeting its characters, vendors, and customers. OMG the food! I could eat mochis all day long. And the pancakes with an egg on top… My stomach is grumbling right now!
I also loved the selection of chopsticks. What kind did you decide to buy? Thank you for sharing another amazing, Japanese experience. And, I hope you’ve found your usual tropical weather again by now!
Exactly what it was Liesbet! Thank you, that’s a terrific compliment. As you know of course, it always takes a bunch of effort to put a post together, so it’s nice to tknow that the organization is appreciatedd. Ahhh I am already missing those mochis. Especially one that we ate on our near to last day in Japan that had pieces of juicy orange inside. Yum.
We bought the dark cedar ones. They have such a pleasant shape to them. We are back in Hoi An again, but still have much to post about Japan, so stay tuned…
Peta it looks both chaotic and mesmerizing. I think I would like someone explaining what the items are, especially when it comes to the food. I may be adventurous in many ways but not so much when it comes to eating unknown ingredients.
How great to see how the area looks on a non market day for comparison.
Sue, the interesting thing about Japan is that no matter how many people, how large the crowds, it is NEVER chaotic. Crowded but orderly, polite, and without pushing or any stress. That’s the Japanese way. At any rate, we were clever and got there early The first picture of the crowd was actually taken as we were leaving. When we arrived it was very manageable as you can see from some of the photos such as the clothing place near the temple and so on.
I’m happy to try most foods, except for anything that entails animal innards or organs or anything like that. Then I draw the line. Not excited about insects either, but no worries there in Japan, not a thing.
Those crowds in the second picture were definitely a shock after the serenity of the first image. But it looks well worth navigating through them for the experience. Fabio would have loved the Tako and the dried octopus. Me …not so much. I am more of a Mochi and waffle gal! Love, love, love your picture of the Pickle Man. And oooooh the pottery.
Ah yes, once those crowds came in, we were on our way out actually! We got to the market quite early to beat the crowds and that was a smart move! The mochi was fantastic! I was so surprised by all the varieties. I think I liked the green tea one with the red bean paste the best, and the one with the fresh orange filling in it!!
Wow! That’s an amazing market, I’d love to explore it although that really is a LOT of people crunching through.
Markets, to us, need to be experienced because it’s such a cultural glimpse into the lives of the region. We try to visit markets whenever we come upon one.
I’m not an adventurous eater so “chewy tentacles” leaves me shrinking away just reading the words. Yuck! Ha! Ha!
Japan is not on our radar, at least not at this point, so thanks for sharing your experiences so I can enjoy them vicariously.
Patti, the crowds were as we were exiting. We got there pretty early and there was just a smattering of people. You can see that in some of the photos… Perfect timing actually.
Markets are a must for us, no matter where… Aside from the cultural benefits, we also love trying whatever the local specialties are and buying fruit and veggies to make up some picnic type meals. And even when we are in the U.S. we go to the farmer markets, to support local farmers and get the freshest seasonal produce.
Glad you are enjoying our adventures… More Kyoto posts coming up soon.
“Not sure exactly what is being sold here.” This made me laugh. But what fun to explore the temple market with you. I especially love the ceramics booths with those beautiful wares. I read someplace that Japan believes itself to be a tropical country when in fact it’s quite cold in winter. Maybe it’s good to have a vision of oneself that is serene. But the people in your photos really seem to be calm, no matter the weather. My favorite is of the man in the deep indigo jacket, bending over the organic bowl – his face is filled with mirth and pride. Or so I interpret. And those grilled mochi sticks – they resemble roasted marshmallows – yum! Best of all is the video of the woman painting a page of calligraphy while her customer – you? – waits and watches. Each stroke measured and thoughtful. Love it all. Thank you.
Sharon so lovely to read you on this Sunday morning, now that we are back in Hoi An in warm weather! Oh yes, the Japanese are definitely consistently calm and mindful, in everything they do. Quite a difference to Viet Nam. But hey, it’s the contrast that makes life interesting.
We really enjoyed watching all the characters at the market, especially the vendors, who had come from far and wide and had obvious pride in their offerings.
We did not wait in the LONG line for the calligraphy. It is an interesting thing that the Japanese associate with temples. They collect stamped calligraphy in small books that they carry around to get these “stamps” whenever they visit temples and they collect calligraphy done at temples as well. So it was all locals waiting serenely in a perfect line, no pushing, no annoyance…. just acceptance. I really enjoyed the artistic aspect of the calligraphy.
Wonderful photos, peta. What an amazing transformation on Temple Market Day! Those vendors must eagerly anticipate this event. You can see from the pictures that they all throw themselves into the happenings with great enthusiasm. 🙂
Thanks for the compliment Sylvia. Ben says, the Japanese always throw themselves into any activity with great enthusiasm and focus and attention to detail. That said, participating in a temple market is often their main revenue stream. Typically, vendors will participate in a handful of different markets at different temples so that it is not a once a month event, but rather, several times a month.
Interesting market. It took me a minute to work out why I found the photos slightly odd when it struck me I’m used to seeing you dressed for a hot climate, not bundled up against the cold!
Anabel, being in winter is definitely odd for us, as we do our best to avoid it. We both had 3 pairs of winter pants, 2-3 sweaters, jackets and that is what we lived in for 2 months. So you will be seeing a bunch of more “slightly odd” photos coming up in our next posts.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Peta
What an amazing market! The contradiction from your first photo to the others is stunning! I can see why the Temple Market is not to be missed!
Louise, when we arrived in the morning it wasn’t too bad crowd wise, but later by the time we left, it was hard to move! You really get a sense of the population density of Japan. Well worth it though.
Peta
I had fun playing where’s waldo with peta in the market pic. Japanese culture is so wonderfully bizarre and unpredictable.
Ha ha that is too funny. Check out the second photo with the crowd shot and see if you can spot Waldo Ben. The interesting thing in addition to the quirky side of Japanese culture is how very orderly everything is. Rules, lines, no pushing, no one steals, everything is super clean and aesthetic. Thought of you at the market, you would have loved it!
P&B
xoxo
You’ve found yet ANOTHER calling – food photographer! Those are my favorite photos (probably why I’m a bit over-weight . . . ) along with the pickle man.
Whatta market place – fabulous.
Ahhh yes, when it comes to food, we both love to eat and I also enjoy taking photos of food, obviously 🙂 We are both a bit overweight, eh, more than a bit, so now the work to try to reduce begins (new year resolution stuff and all that)….
Yup it was really awesome.
Peta
Lovely! Thank you. Your photographs are real story-tellers. Even in winter, with not a lot of color to be had, except in this market. I loved the red pottery. Ben’s expression says both “let’s get some of these” and “must make some of these some day”!
Thank you for such a great compliment re the photographs. You read Ben’s expression completely right on. It makes no sense to buy pottery, it’s fragile and we have too much luggage, but we did buy one cup. We are also carrying in hand luggage two beautiful ceramic pieces made by my son in Chicago. He takes after his talented maternal grandmother who is an accomplished potter.
So nice to read you, as always Johnny.
Peta
An amazing array of foods. I am astounded by the abundance of sea food. The prettiest food were the honey combs and small jars of beautiful honey. I thought it odd but I don’t think I saw hardly anything that was sweet.
The honey comb was absolutely delicious and we were tempted to buy some as well as some honey but then envisioned the jar breaking in our bag and having a sweet gooey mess everywhere, so no go. But yum.
The mochi can be quite sweet due to the red bean paste filling which no doubt has sugar added to it. Mochi is probably one of the most popular Japanese desserts in this region.
Peta
Oh this bought back such a lot of memories. I’ve got to get me back to Japan! If only to eat those bean paste filled waffles and get one of those calligraphy temple stamp books. I love the way they pay such aesthetic attention to detail. The way they’ve laid out the pottery. Isn’t it a fabulous country?
Tracey, I absolutely loved Japan and the sense of aesthetics everywhere! Very special place indeed. So much attention to detail and an overall sense of finesse in everything from the ceramics to the food to the gardens and all aspects of design actually. Yes, love the way the pottery was laid out ~ in every case it always looked beautiful. Like being in an open air art gallery.
Peta
Wow, Ms. Peta, very nice! I’ve never been to Japan and had no clue of what to expect. I love pottery, so those photos were especially interesting. As always, the food shots sparked my interest too. Thank you, Charles
Charles! I was just thinking about you… I know you love pottery, as do I and this was a real treat for that. Glad you enjoyed. I will send you some more via email, as for the blog we obviously tried to be very selective. Ahhh the food in Japan ~ sublime.
xo
P
I smiled when I saw your first photo (ah, a serene post about the beauty in Japan) and grimaced when I scrolled down to the second. Being a bit of a claustrophobic (okay, more than a bit) I knew I’d avoid that market like …. like I avoid an American mall in December (okay, in any month of the year). But I was able to be there thanks to your marvelous photos.
I could almost smell the food, except I don’t know what dried octopus smells like (have you read the book “The Soul of the Octopus”?) nor Tako, but I know I’m limited in my culinary adventures.
Quick question, why do some Japanese wear face masks? I notice them at airports, of course, but interesting to note several wearing them in your photos. The Buddhist monks must dislike market days – their serenity disturbed. I love the chanting – perhaps that’s useful in calming them down.
We were smart Pam, no worries. When we first arrived, we had beat the crowds and so most of our time there it was very pleasant, until the masses started pouring in and at which time we were ready to leave. That second photo was actually taken as we were leaving ~ you can find Ben in the crowd exiting. You can see in a few of the other photos that the amount of people around was not at all overwhelming (for 90% of our time there…)
The dried octopus had no smell at all. The small tiny dried and flavored fish all had different scents though, depending on what they had been flavored with.
Many people in Japan wear white face masks for health reasons. The first reason would be if they have a cold and do not want others to catch it from them. The second and more common reason is that they do not want to get germs from other people who might be sick.
The trick about being a Buddhist monk is that they are able to transcend the chaos, the crowds, the noise…. 🙂
Thanks for the thoughtful and fun commentary.
Peta
Such a fun way to spend the day! Japanese markets are always full of sensory discoveries. Happy New Year to you and Ben! Wishing you all the best in 2020.
It certainly was a fun and memorable day Kelly. Thanks for stopping by to read us and comment. Happy New Year to you and yours as well.
Peta
What a wonderful market! I love the photos and all the detail they showed… Happy New Year!
Thank you Ann. So glad you enjoyed the photos and the market with us.
Peta
Oh, it would be hard to resist buying some of that pottery, even if it is impractical to travel with it. Some of that street food looks look quite delicious, like the green tea Mochi with red bean paste, but some of it doesn’t appeal (little dried fish snacks). However, I’ll try almost anything once (e.g., dried ooilichan, dried bear meat, sea urchin).
Jude
Jude, we are usually quite judicious and try not to make many purchases so as not to accumulate possessions given our nomadic lifestyle and the attempt at being mindful about consumption. That said, there was one stall at a later temple market we attended where Ben fell in love with the pieces and did succumb to one perfectly beautifully formed cup which he bought and we carried with us in our hand luggage all the way back to Viet Nam (successfully).
Peta
Peta, I love a good market and this one is very special. Your food photos are mouth watering delicious. I can imagine the crowds that would be passing through the day, but going early was a good option. I wish you guys a fantastic 2020, filled with adventures, good health and success. I hope our paths will cross soon in Vietnam.
We love markets too and this one was definitely unique and very memorable. Arriving early was key, as by the time we left, it was chock full and way too many people for me!
Happy New Year to you too. Are you planning a trip to Viet Nam in 2020?
Peta
Peta, we are travelling to SE Asia this Friday, starting our 2 1/5 months trip in Thailand, then Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. I expect we will get to Vietnam towards the end of February. Hoi An is in our itinerary for sure, so it would be great to meet up for drinks/food/chat? Would love the opportunity to finally meeting you in person.
Gilda that sounds like an incredible trip. I wish I was just discovering it all now for the first time. We would love to meet you in Hoi An and share a meal with you. Here is my email: petakaplan@hotmail.com Once you know your dates, do let us know…. Great!
Peta
I thought I’d seen ALL the markets since I’ve been reading your blog forever, but this one was the most tempting ever. It’s the pottery, and I’m glad to know Ben succumbed to it. Would love to see what he chose. I love Adam’s work too. Can never have enough ceramic bowls or cups.
Glad to read that you’ve made it back to Vietnam now. Happy New Year, my friends.
The pottery was incredible Sharon. In fact, we took a ton more photos as we were so enthralled by it (both being pottery lovers), but had to be selective in posting just a few. I’ll send you some more via email. And Ben’s choice. We brought back two pieces of Adams pottery which he gifted us and both made it back fine and are spectacular pieces! He definitely has the touch.
So happy to be back in Viet Nam!! Scrappy, gritty and feisty after calm, neat, orderly Japan.
Happy New Year to you both as well…. lotsa love
P
What a wonderful trip to this market! I was walking the stalls right alongside you.I’ve heard about Japanese knives and pottery – so lovely to see. And I am a big fan of Japanese food.
Thank you for sharing!
Deb
Deb this market was one of our most memorable. The pottery in so many different stands with so many different artists was a real treat. The food, as much as we could eat, was delicious…. If you like Japanese food, check out the prior post which is all about the specialties of Nara! Yum!
Peta
This looks like so much fun! You really captured the feel of it.
We went to a temple market in Kyoto last Feb at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. It looks very similar.
Thanks Alison. That’s great. Yes, Ben said the market was quite similar to ones that he had been to, over twenty years ago. One difference is that there were way more antique vendors back then compared with now.
Peta
I think I might struggle to find things to eat in Japan. Perhaps a few mochi, but I suspect if I ever get there I’ll be on a very limited diet. Never mind- there’s plenty to take my mind off my stomach. 🙂 🙂
Johanna one can find just about any kind of food in Japan. For us, we wanted to take advantage of every meal to have Japanese food and try something new whenever we could. I doubt you would struggle at all to find things to eat there. There are plenty of Western style restaurants with familiar foods.
Peta
What a difference on market day. One thing I’ve noticed about Asia is that crowds somehow don’t seem to be so claustrophobic. I love all that colorful pottery.
J.D. the crowds in Japan were all very orderly, like everything else. Now that we are back in Viet Nam, it’s more gritty and scruffy for sure and even at the airport restroom, I had to hold firm to keep my spot in line and battle the lack of respect for order ha. So it definitely depends on where in Asia!
The pottery was incredible. I grew up surrounded by pottery, as my mom is an accomplished potter, and now my son is a potter, Ben has done clay scultpures, so all in all, I really enjoyed the creations we saw at the markets.
Peta
All your food photos have me searching for snacks to munch on. Happy New Year to you both. Wishing you so much love and adventure in 2020! Thanks for sharing insights and advice and for always encouraging me on my wanderings.
Ahhh, now that we are back in Viet Nam as I write this, I am already missing Japanese food. And I do love Vietnamese food as well, but I could happily eat Japanese food every day. Wishing you the same for 2020 and hope it brings new adventures your way!
Peta
Like you and others, I was mightily attracted to that pottery! Markets are so much fun – the riot of colors and varieties of things, the people-watching, the food! This looks like a winner, and it also introduced me to some new snacks! Happy New Year and see you very soon! 🙂
Lex, we are looking forward to introducing you to our favorite markets and Vietnamese snacks when you get to Hoi An! Come hungry!!
Happy New Year to you as well. Look forward to meeting you in person.
Peta
Hi again, Peta and Ben, I love all of your photos! Dried fish and beer? Chewy tentacles? Dried octopus? I guess, don’t knock it until you try it. A feast for the eyes! I can see how this market is “not to be missed.” Thank you for sharing the diverse special finds. I can see how this would be a monthly do not miss event. Erica
Erica, I can’t say that we tried the dried octopus. Who knows how one even approaches using that in meals… not sure. But we do love the discovery process of new foods in different countries.
I’m not sure I would have travelled two hours to a market, given that we were scheduled to arrive in Kyoto a few days later, but Ben insisted this would be worth it and if we do not make the effort, we would miss market day. He was right!! Well worth it.
Peta
This looks like so much fun! What a wonderful tour of the temple market. I love Japanese style ceramics and would go crazy visiting all those booths. How are the prices?
Caroline, we did kind of go crazy at the pottery booths. I was already hand carrying two pottery bowls made and gifted by our son in Chicago, so we had to choose one small piece very carefully to take home with us. Ben bought a delicate cup, which was $15. Prices were very reasonable. Mostly we enjoyed the great visuals and took lots of photos (of course I had to edit these for the post).
Peta
Yes, sadly pottery isn’t the easiest thing to transport when traveling. Your photos are stunning. I love the one with all the little bowls. The Japanese aesthetic is so appealing.
Luckily, the pottery we brought back, all made it home with us in one piece. Ben is wishing he had bought another cup instead of just one. Love all those little bowls too.
What a feast for all the senses! It would be hard to pass up both the pottery and the food. Pam asked my question about the facemasks so thank you for the explanation.
Janis the pottery was such a visual treat. Later on, a few days later, Ben succumbed to one gorgeous cup, that we managed to safely bring home with us to Viet Nam.
Interesting re the face masks… Locals in Hoi An wear face masks whenever they are on their motorbikes or bicycles but for different reasons to in Japan. Here, they wear them so that they will not catch any sun rays on their skin. Check out some of our past posts on Hoi An which show many photos of people completely covered up head to toe, and thats in humid temps over 80 degrees. Also in Viet Nam, the face masks are always colorful and playful in contrast to the plain white surgical ones worn in Japan.
Peta
Interesting! Is skin cancer the main concern or the sun’s tendency to age skin? Living in SoCal all my life, I sure wish I had paid more attention. I have both the cancer and the wrinkles to show for my foolishness.
The main concern has to do with beauty. With having light skin not darkened by the sun. Fair skin is highly valued in Viet Nam, and the concept of Westerners lying on the beach during the day when the sun is out, is just absurd to them.
Yup, growing up in South Africa, no one ever had heard of or used sun block, on the contrary as teenagers we used to use baby oil on our skin, to get darker tans. Yikes. I have the sun to thank for the added wrinkles too.
P
We spent 7 weeks in Japan a couple of years ago and were always perplexed by the food. Half the time we didn’t know what we were looking at. You guys seem to have a lot better handle of it 🙂
Frank, that’s funny.. haha. Okay truth be told my main motivation for Japan was the food! Because for years now Ben has been telling me about the variety and so on, but it had to be seen and tasted, to really “get it”. My favorites were the breakfasts and luckily in that case we had a chef who was thrilled we were so interested in his creations and enjoyed answering our numerous questions about what items were and how he had cooked them…
Peta
What an impact on the senses! I really like how you put these posts together, with the photos, organization, and text. As if I was there with you on that temple market, meeting its characters, vendors, and customers. OMG the food! I could eat mochis all day long. And the pancakes with an egg on top… My stomach is grumbling right now!
I also loved the selection of chopsticks. What kind did you decide to buy? Thank you for sharing another amazing, Japanese experience. And, I hope you’ve found your usual tropical weather again by now!
Exactly what it was Liesbet! Thank you, that’s a terrific compliment. As you know of course, it always takes a bunch of effort to put a post together, so it’s nice to tknow that the organization is appreciatedd. Ahhh I am already missing those mochis. Especially one that we ate on our near to last day in Japan that had pieces of juicy orange inside. Yum.
We bought the dark cedar ones. They have such a pleasant shape to them. We are back in Hoi An again, but still have much to post about Japan, so stay tuned…
Peta
Peta it looks both chaotic and mesmerizing. I think I would like someone explaining what the items are, especially when it comes to the food. I may be adventurous in many ways but not so much when it comes to eating unknown ingredients.
How great to see how the area looks on a non market day for comparison.
Sue, the interesting thing about Japan is that no matter how many people, how large the crowds, it is NEVER chaotic. Crowded but orderly, polite, and without pushing or any stress. That’s the Japanese way. At any rate, we were clever and got there early The first picture of the crowd was actually taken as we were leaving. When we arrived it was very manageable as you can see from some of the photos such as the clothing place near the temple and so on.
I’m happy to try most foods, except for anything that entails animal innards or organs or anything like that. Then I draw the line. Not excited about insects either, but no worries there in Japan, not a thing.
Peta
Those crowds in the second picture were definitely a shock after the serenity of the first image. But it looks well worth navigating through them for the experience. Fabio would have loved the Tako and the dried octopus. Me …not so much. I am more of a Mochi and waffle gal! Love, love, love your picture of the Pickle Man. And oooooh the pottery.
Ah yes, once those crowds came in, we were on our way out actually! We got to the market quite early to beat the crowds and that was a smart move! The mochi was fantastic! I was so surprised by all the varieties. I think I liked the green tea one with the red bean paste the best, and the one with the fresh orange filling in it!!
The pickle man. What a character!
Peta
The pottery is amazing. My daughter would love it. She studied Japanese pottery and much of her work is a result of it.
Darlene, would love to see photos of her work. Did she study in Japan?
Peta
Wow! That’s an amazing market, I’d love to explore it although that really is a LOT of people crunching through.
Markets, to us, need to be experienced because it’s such a cultural glimpse into the lives of the region. We try to visit markets whenever we come upon one.
I’m not an adventurous eater so “chewy tentacles” leaves me shrinking away just reading the words. Yuck! Ha! Ha!
Japan is not on our radar, at least not at this point, so thanks for sharing your experiences so I can enjoy them vicariously.
Patti, the crowds were as we were exiting. We got there pretty early and there was just a smattering of people. You can see that in some of the photos… Perfect timing actually.
Markets are a must for us, no matter where… Aside from the cultural benefits, we also love trying whatever the local specialties are and buying fruit and veggies to make up some picnic type meals. And even when we are in the U.S. we go to the farmer markets, to support local farmers and get the freshest seasonal produce.
Glad you are enjoying our adventures… More Kyoto posts coming up soon.
P
“Not sure exactly what is being sold here.” This made me laugh. But what fun to explore the temple market with you. I especially love the ceramics booths with those beautiful wares. I read someplace that Japan believes itself to be a tropical country when in fact it’s quite cold in winter. Maybe it’s good to have a vision of oneself that is serene. But the people in your photos really seem to be calm, no matter the weather. My favorite is of the man in the deep indigo jacket, bending over the organic bowl – his face is filled with mirth and pride. Or so I interpret. And those grilled mochi sticks – they resemble roasted marshmallows – yum! Best of all is the video of the woman painting a page of calligraphy while her customer – you? – waits and watches. Each stroke measured and thoughtful. Love it all. Thank you.
Sharon so lovely to read you on this Sunday morning, now that we are back in Hoi An in warm weather! Oh yes, the Japanese are definitely consistently calm and mindful, in everything they do. Quite a difference to Viet Nam. But hey, it’s the contrast that makes life interesting.
We really enjoyed watching all the characters at the market, especially the vendors, who had come from far and wide and had obvious pride in their offerings.
We did not wait in the LONG line for the calligraphy. It is an interesting thing that the Japanese associate with temples. They collect stamped calligraphy in small books that they carry around to get these “stamps” whenever they visit temples and they collect calligraphy done at temples as well. So it was all locals waiting serenely in a perfect line, no pushing, no annoyance…. just acceptance. I really enjoyed the artistic aspect of the calligraphy.
Thanks for your feedback!
Peta
Wonderful photos, peta. What an amazing transformation on Temple Market Day! Those vendors must eagerly anticipate this event. You can see from the pictures that they all throw themselves into the happenings with great enthusiasm. 🙂
Thanks for the compliment Sylvia. Ben says, the Japanese always throw themselves into any activity with great enthusiasm and focus and attention to detail. That said, participating in a temple market is often their main revenue stream. Typically, vendors will participate in a handful of different markets at different temples so that it is not a once a month event, but rather, several times a month.
Peta