💸🍡FIRST MARKETS👘🙏

FIRST MARKETS

The most important markets of the year fall just before and just after the New Year.
Hatsu Kōbō (初弘法 'the 1st Kōbō market of the year'), held on the 21st of January at Tō-ji, is one of the city's largest.

Nao-san ventured through snow last year to explore.
#Japan

This time last year snow sprinkled a little bit of magic on the market️
It seems far too warm for snow this year

#Kyoto #京都 #kyotosnow #Japan #初弘法 #hatsukobo #kyotomarket #Toji #東寺 #snowday #marketday

winter solitude-
in a world of one color
the sound of wind
冬枯れや 世は一色に 風の音
-Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉 1644-94).
Trans. Robert Hass.

#Kyoto #京都 #kyotosnow #Japan #初弘法 #hatsukobo #kyotomarket #Toji #東寺 #snowday #marketday

Taiyaki (鯛焼き 'baked sea bream'), as the name suggests, is a fish-shaped cake made from waffle batter. It's traditionally filled with sweet bean paste.

The sweets were created by Kobe Seijirō in 1909 to boost flagging sales at his store 'Naniwaya Sōhonten' (浪花家総本店).

Amairo Café Taiyaki's round treats

In Japan 'tai' (鯛 'red sea bream') is a symbol of good luck because its name is associated with the word 'medetai' (めでたい), which means 'congratulations'.

These round kind of taiyaki first appeared in Kumamoto (熊本) & Amakusa (天草).

Amairo Café Taiyaki's round treats

In Japan 'tai' (鯛 'red sea bream') is a symbol of good luck because its name is associated with the word 'medetai' (めでたい), which means 'congratulations'.

These round kind of taiyaki first appeared in Kumamoto (熊本) & Amakusa (天草).

Each month a handful of temples and shrines across the city hold flea/handicraft markets and antique fairs.

Of these Tō-ji's "Kōbō-san" (named after Kōbō Daishi 弘法大師 774-835) and Kitano Tenmangū's "Tenjin-san" (named after Sugawara-no-Michizane 菅原道真 845-903) are the largest.