Yesterday I ventured about an hour's drive from Tokyo to a shrine sale (flea market) in Kawagoe. It happens on the 28th of each month. I'd been a few times when we lived here before - always by train - but not since moving back to Japan.
Yes, I know, Coronavirus. But I didn't take the trains. I was lucky to be offered a ride with a group of friends from church - all expats from the U.S. We passed around hand sanitizer and conjectured and wondered at what is really happening with this virus. David will be working from home until at least March 13. Our churches are closed. Schools closed so fast - this is just unprecedented and I feel for the young Moms!
Anyway, Kawagoe. Fewer vendors than usual. Sparse crowd, but we were there early.
First priority, good katazome for special projects. Tammy found some here:
I found some at another vendor.
Prices for this kind of vintage indigo have risen. A two-meter length was 5000 yen (about $50). Yikes. Precious stuff. Notice the wear and fading - love it. My favorite kind of wabi sabi.
A boro mend on an old piece of kasuri:
Not sure if this Shippo (Seven Treasures) sashiko design is someone's UFO, or was deliberately randomly cut off this way - very cool either way:
Kokeshi dolls are ubiquitous:
This darling little squat doll called to me - 500 yen (about $5) -
Lots of fun randomness at a shrine sale like this:
You know my blog header, the "fundo" (balance weights) sashiko design? Here are fundo in real life - thanks to Tammy's eagle eye for noticing. Next time, I've got to find out if these are sold individually - why didn't I ask?! They were at a very very high end vendor and I didn't think to ask.
Tacky and fun maneki neko:
Edo-era five yen coins, 200 yen a piece:
A gorgeous quilt - can't remember the price but it was exorbitant -
Wish I'd gotten a photo of this utilitarian whole cloth sashiko quilt one friend got for a steal:
And last but not least, my best find from the day - this very sturdy old Japanese basket (made from I don't know what tree, but something about "branches hanging down"), 4500 yen (about $45) - the essence of wabi sabi. I love baskets so much, and this one sparked joy the minute I saw it.
I filled it with some Japanese fishing floats - I absolutely love them! They were fun to wash in a bucket - I felt like a little kid at the sink:
I love the contrast in texture of the basket and the glass floats.
All in all, a very fun satisfying outing, and a great distraction from Coronavirus anxiety! I love bringing some wabi sabi into the apartment.
xo
Cynthia
