July 15, 2002

• Furin Ichi Windbell Market

  What are these hanging from the temple eaves?  Windbells!

  

  The yearly 2002 Wind Bell Market took place at the Kawasaki Daijin Shrine in Kawasaki of all places.  It is about an hour away from our home in Shinjuku by train, and a bit to the southwest.  It was the first time for me to go to this particular event.

  Wind bells are an essential part of the Japanese summer.  In the era before air conditioning was common (with the daily 90 degree heat here, I don't do summer without it), people would hang wind bells outside.  A strip of paper is suspended from the bell's clapper to catch any passing breeze that will produce a tinkling sound.  The ringing of the bell is supposed to inform us that there is indeed a breeze blowing and that we are supposed to FEEL cooler regardless of the dizzying heights to which the mercury climbs.

  

  

  

  I wish there were sound to go with these pictures.

   

  

  They didn't used to carve faces on pumpkins here, but on watermelons.

  

  Which one do you like?

  

  How about this one?

   

  The "Armpit" picture (gotta choose a better title) was taken through the arm of this guy who was in my way, so I decided to have some fun with the shot and include him.

  

  "Candy choppers" is another picture that looses something if there is no sound.  They are cutting taffy that you can see being pulled and kneaded by the machine at the left of the picture.  They don't just cut the taffy into bite size pieces, but rap out a lively percussion performance with their cleavers on the cutting boards as they work.  It is very effective advertising, as you can hear it from quite a distance.

   

  Kuzumochiya is another traditional confectionary establishment.  Pick up a box before going home!

  

  A ton of turtles in the local pond

  • 08:55
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