Alex Quinn's Japan Journal

2/12/2006, Oyster festival

Oyster Festival in Iri town

As we've been planning for about a month, we headed out to an oyster festival Sunday morning.  The festival was held at the Mana-ichi market in the small fishing/oyster town of Iri, in Okayama prefecture.  It took about an hour by train from Aioi.  When we got there, the whole thing was very visually appealing, so I took a lot (too many) pictures.  I hope you like them.

Walking from the station to the market where the festival was held.

The festival was suprisingly crowded.  I think we got there around 8:30 AM, fairly early for a Sunday morning.

People were crowded around barbecue.  They were putting oysters on the barbecue.  When they were done, you could take them and eat them for free, provided you could pry them open with a coin or something, or find somebody with a tool.

Outside the market were the boats bringing in the oysters.

Like a little fisherman's terminal.

This guy is washing the oysters.

Next, they are put on a truck...

... and driven a few meters...

... to the fish market where people are buying ...

... all sorts of things.

My favorite kind of fish: Buri (a kind of yellowtail)

My favorite shellfish: Scallops (hotate, in Japanese)

This crab costs an amazing 5500 yen (≈$47).

Whale meat, the source of a certain amount of controversy, as well as friction between Japan and other nations, such as Australia.  Japan claims their whaling is only for research, but they justify it by saying their culture has been eating whale meat for centuries.  It's a little hypocritical.

I thought this fish looked pretty cool.

Akemi thought I looked pretty childish, taking pictures of a fish.  I took several.

A woman handling the oysters.

This guy is grilling anago, known in English as conger, a kind of eel.  I ate about 5 of these fish.  They're about a foot (30 cm) long.  If you're uncivilized like me, you pick it up by the head and just eat from the tail down.

As part of the festival, you could take free oysters.  This truck is full of oysters and people are picking out the ones they want.  It's limited only by your ability to find the oysters in the mess of shells and your ability to elbow your way in and deal with the crowd.

I rather like this picture.

... and this alternate shot.

After enjoying the festival, we went for a little walk along the seaside.

There were little docks with small fishing boats.  It was charming.

Akemi enjoying an oyster.  Step 1.

Akemi enjoying an oyster.  Step 2.

Akemi enjoying an oyster.  Step 3.

Akemi enjoying an oyster.  Step 4.

Akemi enjoying an oyster.  Step 5.

Akemi enjoying an oyster.  Step 6.  The mess of shells.  (No, Akemi didn't eat that many.  In fact we at very, very few oysters at this festival.  Maybe 1 or 2 each.  We were mostly sightseeing.)

Dinner

For dinner, Akemi showed me how to make an Omelette Rice (omuraisu).  I helped with this one, but she did most of it.

I did this one by myself.  Not so pretty.

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