vintage

Country Kitchens and Rice Crackers…a visit to Tomioka Hachimangu

Today I went to Tomioka Hachimangu shrine sale for the very first time. Established in 1627, the shrine has burned and been rebuilt repeatedly over the centuries and is particularly famous for its connection with sumo wrestling. Held on all Sundays of the month except the 3rd Sunday, the market was outstanding today (the 4th Sunday) with well over 80 dealers. Repeat visits will confirm which days are best, as I recognized many dealers who go elsewhere on other weekends. My guess is that the 4th Sunday may be the best one as there are few other nearby options. I did also meet a number of dealers unique to this market as well.

But today, even amidst all the wonderful Japanese antiques, what caught my eye over and over again were the vintage glass senbei (rice cracker) canisters. Occasionally you see one or two, but today they were everywhere in splendid and unusual variety. These were not the only ones I saw, but I tried to keep the photos to the best ones.

I had never seen a double stacked one before…What efficient use of counter space!

This shape was very rare, being squared off in the back to sit against the wall. The price reflected its scarcity!

Charming art deco styling on this one.

By far the best was this long narrow one. The metal cover is hinged for easy opening and it says “Cake Vessel” on the front. It would be perfect to hold spaghetti or bread sticks.

Modest upon first sight and taste, senbei are an integral part of Japanese food culture. On one hand, they are a basic snack kids love, while on the other hand, they can be sent as elegant gifts and souvenirs. They can be salty when dipped in soy sauce or speckled with nori (seaweed) or sweet when dipped in sugar or honey. There are still many traditional senbei shops scattered around in the nooks and crannies of Japan. Some have modernized, but others, like Tamaiya in Shimokitazawa, still keep the crackers in glass canisters.

My favorite senbei is from Tanuki Senbei in Azabu Juban. A tanuki translates best as “badger” or “racoon” in English, but is actually a mythical creature. A giant tanuki stands guard over the entranceway and their delicious crackers are baked in the shape of the animal. Supposedly, the Emperor orders his senbei from them!

Today’s market trip proves what I have been suspecting for a while. There is no doubt or surprise about it, I have country kitchens on my mind…Beadboard, weathered cabinets and butcher’s block, with rows of vintage canisters filled with staples lining the shelves.

A perfectly collated pantry…

Cuteness in a jar!

Tomioka Hachimangu is a few blocks from the Monzen Nakacho stop on the Toei Oedo line and the Tozai line. More details about the shrine sale can be found on the “Shrine Sale” tab at the top of the blog.

Image credits: 1-5. me, 6. via Tokyobling, 7. via Rekishi no Tabi, 8-10. all Country Living Magazine, 8. photo credit: Michael Luppino, 9. photo credit: Steve Gross & Sue Daley, 10. photo credit not listed.

Oct 24, 2010 By tokyojinja in Glass, Interior Design, Kitchens, Shrine Sales and Flea Markets Tags: flea market, glass canisters, japanese antiques, senbei, vintage

Nogizaka…A Good Place to Start

Although it has dwindled in size over the last few years, you will usually still find me at the Nogi shrine sale on the second Sunday of the month. Started in 1976 (more or less) and considered to be the oldest shrine sale in the Kanto region, it still has some excellent dealers, although nowhere near the 40 that guidebooks list. I imagine they get a lot of gaijin (foreigners) as it is one of the most conveniently located sales. I know I often bump into friends. And it was the first sale I ever attended when I moved here 6 years ago.

Today there were 11 dealers – the usual suspects – plus an obi/textile dealer I had not seen there before. The merchandise all felt high end, as it generally does there, or perhaps it was just fresh to my eye as I have been gone all summer. Here are some photos of the goodies…

There was a dealer there this morning whom I had seen before but never really stopped to examine her wares. She specializes in ephemera and has the usual prints and postcards, which tend to be romanticized images of old Japan and copies of ukiyo-e. Today she had an extraordinary collection of matchbook covers from the 1920s and 30s, all carefully mounted in album pages by the original collector. I was smitten by them all, but limited myself to just a few sheets, which I plan on framing. Each matchbook cover is in itself an individual work of art, complete in just 2″x1″, but grouped together they were something more. The Taisho era between the World Wars was a time in which the trappings of modernity were truly embraced, much in the way they were in the West. Advertising of the era shows the changes in society – cafe culture, women’s liberation and female buying power, rise of the middle class, etc.

Isetan Department Store (the 2 on bottom right) is like the Saks Fifth Avenue of Japan.

These were grouped by design – one page all momiji (maple leaves) and the other gourds.

The stylized figures and art deco colors of the Nozawaya Department store cover overlayed with a traditional style Japanese seal is a great example of advertising art from the era (upper right corner).