ah yes, it's that time of year again when the local people (as well as tourists armed with their cameras -- myself included) flock to Sensoji temple to partake in the annual Hozuki (ground cherry) market festival. these plants are really interesting. they are like paper lanterns on the outside and on the inside they have this little tomato looking fruit. apparently you can eat it but the Japanese don't. instead, children squidge up the tomato thing for a long time until it falls off the stem. then they poke at the hole with a toothpick and ever so slowly squish or pull out the insides until it is hollow. then apparently, you blow air into the hollowed out balloon like carcass that was once the tomato thing and when you bite down, it makes a farting noise. i'm not sure i understood the whole thing but hey, that's culture for ya!
on to the pix!
just outside the station, there were several charming little rice cracker shops:
mom and Kumiko stroll down Nakamise Dori which was unusually covered to prevent the possible rain from seeping through.
like i said, there were LOTS and LOTS of people!
a couple of vendors hawking their plants:
some unusual ornaments at the gate of the temple. apparently they only use these at this festival because the black lanterns on the sides are supposed to remind you of the ground cherries.
cleansing the bad and breathing in the good . . .
there were lots of little side streets lined with the hozuki stalls:
beautiful colors!
some particularly sly sales ladies:
who cajoled my mom into buying a stem:
afterwards, kumiko showed us where the equivalent of the japanese mann's chinese hand prints were.
perfect fit!
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