ThinkTwisted

Today we met in the hotel lobby around 9 am. We set out to explore Kawagoe for the day. Kawagoe is known for their sweet potatoes and candy shops.

We started by walking to the Kurazukuri zone (Old Warehouse zone). On the way to the Warehouse zone we passed by a small temple that had a local flea market. We stopped in the market to see what was happening. There was a wide array of items: old tools, electronics, ancient coins (both real and fake), used clothing, figurines, food vendors, etc. I bought a Tanuki figurine for my desk. We stopped at a food vendor and got some sort of dough ball (buckwheat?) that was skewered, grilled, and dipped in a soy/teriyaki sauce. The taste was good but had a bit of a tangy punch to it. At the temple, I made a small offering, rang the gong, said my prayer, and rubbed the Buddha for luck. There were a couple of cats lounging in the sun grooming themselves on the steps of the template. They drew quite a crowd.

We arrived at the warehouse district, which was very cool. The buildings are from the 1700s, built by the shogunate as fireproof storehouses. They have four different layers to prevent the fires from entering. They are mostly all food shops of one type or another, selling candy, prepared toppings for rice meals, and fresh produce. Most all shops have samples and strongly encourage you to come in and try everything. I tried many new foods today that I did not recognize, and there is little chance of getting a translation from most shop keeps.

Candied ginger is a very popular snack, which I really liked. There are all sorts of candied or spiced beans. There were also pottery, knifeware, and chopstick shops. The knife shops were very interesting to see, the workmanship is incredible, and the blades are beautifully marbled.

During walk down the street, a procession went past. We were not sure what exactly it was. One companion of mine said it might be a wedding procession. I think it might have been an advertisement by a local theater group as there was a man walking behind them passing out flyers for a show that looked very similar to the people in the procession.

After the warehouse district we went to the Kashiyayokocho (small lane of tiny candy shops), also known as Candy Alley. Candy Alley is where the famous candy from Kawagoe is made. There were several places hand making beautiful candy, and many more candy stores. Walking down the lane, there was a vendor selling baked sweet potatoes that were made over hot stones for 100 yen (about 1.20 USD). I bought one, he wrapped it in paper and handed it to me. It was delicious, definitely the best food I’ve had on this trip. I bought quite a bit of candy to take back to family and coworkers.

After Candy Alley we were getting hungry. We had passed a restaurant that sold exclusively meals made with eel. One companion said he loved eel and wanted it, the other wanted to try, so I said I was game. I was expecting the eel to be chewy and somewhat rough; however, it was tender. Taste was just like any other mild fish. The meal was served with a side of pickled carrots. They were the only thing on the trip so far I have spit out.

After our eel meal, we went to the Tokino Kane (Bell Tower). The bell tower is the symbol of Kawagoe. It has been named one of the 100 “sound sceneries of Japan” to be forever preserved by the government. A recording of the bell rings four times a day: six am, twelve noon, three pm, and six pm. The tower is 16 meters tall and was rebuild in 1893 after the great Kawagoe fire, based on the original that was built in 1624.

There were more local produce and food shops near the tower. We went into a local alcohol store, which sold local beer and sake. I bought a small jar of sake for a friend back home.

After the bell tower area, we walked to the Kita-in Temple. The original temple was built in 830 by Tendaishu Buddhists. In 1638, a fire destroyed the all of the temple except for the main gate. It was rebuilt by Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa Shogun, as it stands today. The temple houses 538 statues that represent the disciples of Buddha. Each statue was handmade and unique. Legend has it, if you visit the temple in the night, feel the head of each statue, and only one will be warm. You mark the warm statue and come back in the morning. The marked statue is supposed to be the one that most closely resembles you. I felt several that I though resembled me, only was a slightly warm, but the sun was shining on it.

While we were exploring the statues, the groundskeeper came over and started talking to us. He said there are twelve statues, each with an animal from the zodiac. If you find your zodiac and touch the head and wish for happiness you will receive it. I found the Ox and wished, however I just looked on Wikipedia, and I think I might be a rat!

After the temple, I walked back to a different grocery store close to our hotel. I wanted to see if they had any unique Asian fruits. There were not very many, however, I did see the prices of some citrus and grapes were outrageous! For two large citrus (not sure what they were) it was 1599 yen, or about $20USD. For a small bundle of red grapes it was 999 yen, about $12.50USD.

For dinner we went to a sushi-mat. The restaurant has a small conveyor belt that transverse the whole place. A couple of sushi chefs stand in the middle and place small servings of sushi on the conveyor. You grab what looks good to you as it passes by. They calculate your bill based on the number and types of plates you have when you are ready to leave. The restaurant had a powdered green tea at the table you could scoop into a cup. There were hot water dispensers right under the conveyor, for the whole length. The sushi was okay. It was much different than American style rolls. I prefer the American style.

After dinner, I wandered around Taisho-roman Street, also known as Crea street. Crea street is a popular shopping and dining area for you people. I bought a few small items in some of shops and people watched. In an electronics store, I was surprised to see how inexpensive laptop computers were, and how much more stylist they are. Nothing like what we get in America, they are much more streamlined and cool looking. Prices were probably about 150-200 USD cheaper than an equivalent machine in the US.

I then walked to Mister Donut for a snack. I sat at the counter and a few people waved at me as they walked by. Guess it is unusually to see an American there.