If there’s one thing that I absolutely LOVE about festivals, it will be the ubiquitous yatai, or food stalls. Yatai are set up temporarily for Japanese festivals, selling foods for spectators, such as yakisoba, kakigori, takoyaki, and okonomiyaki. You can also buy barbecue and other grilled food, french fries, frankfurters, and fried chicken (chikin karaage). Mmm…love that grease!
How does a typical yatai at a Japanese festival look like? Well, let me show you! Here are some images taken at the recently held Matsuri Tsukuba. 🙂
Takoyaki
My sister told me that in the Philippines, “Takoyaki” is known as “Samurai balls.” Yummy. lol
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki has always been referred to as Japanese “pizza,” meaning you can put whatever you want in it. Your choice, your ingredients.
Ringoame
Hey, it’s not all hot plates and grease. You can also find some sweets. Take this stand, for example, which sold sugar-coated apples (ringo). Actually I’ve no idea how they taste. Always resisted to temptation to buy, inspite of how dainty and cute they looked.
(P.S. Thanks to Norie for the correction! I appreciate it. :))
Banana Chokore-to
Here is where you’ll find bananas of all sorts of colors. The lady customer gestures: “I’ll take TWO to go!”
Actually, I’ve always found it strange to eat colored banana on a stick. A banana is a banana is a banana.
Omocha
Here is some eye candy for the kids. Anpanman plus some “nantoka-MAN” masks. Would you believe that Aya actually coerced us to buy her one of those inflated doggy toys? It costed us 500 yen! We bought her the white one – so she called it “Whitey.”
I’m pretty sure that within the week, “Whitey” will be “Flatty” and will later transform into “Trashy.” There goes our 500 yen. Oh well, nothing like making a kid happy. 😉
you made me hungry; yum, yum 🙂
you should try those sugar coated apples (they call it toffee apples here even if they’re coated with sugar).. they’re lovely!
Interesting food in the stalls. Coerced you to buy? Hmmn. Let’s see, who carries the money again? Just kidding, Kathy. I also have three of my own who coerce me to buy stuff for them. 🙂
I LOVE TAKOYAKI!!!!! ..and food stalls in any country, over any fancy resto. I went to a fancy resto in China with some friends and didn’t enjoy the food, but really went ga-ga over food stalls when we got out of the resto, to my friend’s disappointment and disgust. Hehe…
Toffee apples – mmm…just saying these words make me want to try ’em.
I’ll take toffee with that coffee, Pining…hehe. (Just kidding!!!)
Waahhh! Oo nga. Who holds the money, anyway?
We should get back at them when they’re grown up and earning their own money. I know my own mom does that to me nowadays, hehe. 😉
Really?!! You remind me of my cousin, who is really fond of going to the local “turo-turo” in any country she visits (particularly Asian countries).
I like eating takoyaki, too, but only occasionally. I could only take so much of those “balls.” Hehehe.
I’ve been always enjoying your blog. Thank you!
Please let me know you about Kanji you wrote here.
It’ll be “Ringoame” not “Ringokan”
Both these are a little similar to read, especially to foreigners like you.
Oh, WOW! Thanks for the correction. I ALWAYS make that mistake, honestly. *whimper*
At least I know that people are paying attention to my blog! 🙂
Thanks for dropping by Norie.
I forgot to tell you about me in my previous comment.
I’m a 58-year young f^_^; Japanese houswife who live in Kasumigaura City.It takes about 40 minutes to Tsukuba City form here by car. And My English is no good so please make it out!
ohhh i love festivals! and i love candied apples. chocobanana is gross though. hahaha…
I love festivals, esp the food part 🙂 I would love to be in a Japanese one more so with the thought of sampling of scrumptious Japanese food which I dig 🙂
Japanese artistry in food. Ganda nila magpresent ano? Pati packaging. Sushi and makis are the most familiar examples. So colorful and intricate. And sensible.
love japanese food. i think they are mostly healthy.
hehe, you are lucky you have only one to pamper, i have two grown ones who are at the mercy of my wallet. i seldom buy for myself anymore because they come first. but, once they started earning, i will make bawi.
Hi again Norie. Your English is quite good, don’t worry! It’s not as worse as my Japanese. 🙂
Have you ever tried it? I did, once. Argh. I think there is a good reason why bananas should be eaten right after you peel ’em. 😉
I know that in LA there is a place called Little Tokyo – do you also have the same thing in Canada?
You would love festivals, bw…hope you get the chance to attend one in the future.
I agree. I tend to ask sometimes: “Are these for eating? Or only to look at?” It seemed like a shame to eat such dainty things.
With two full-grown daughters? I imagine it must be horrifying for your wallet when you go shopping with them, haha. But mothers should have their day too when the children have become earners themselves.