Japan Farmers Markets

Signed up yet? If not, I can't recommend enough that you get busy and do so . As mentioned in an earlier post, the event will be all in Japanese, but it still presents a great opportunity to meet other people who think about being green in a wide variety of ways. Whether it's a farmer's market , sustainable building , or alternative energy ideas , you're sure to find someone there interested in and working on the same topic. Here, to further whet your appetite, is a post that first appeared in October, 2010 at greenz offering an overview of a panel discussion about then upcoming COP 10  in Nagoya. (Some links may not work, as greenz sadly closed down their English site.) On the cusp of the   COP10 discussions now underway in Nagoya , participants a  the October Green Leaders Event   got a basic primer in   the issues at stake   and recommended remedies. Added to the vast web of relationships that is biodiversity, speakers at October’s event  - Ma

More good food available this weekend! Be sure to look for miso making kits at the Earth Day Market along with the usual mix of winter vegetables and greens. And don't forget to look for more great citrus including yummy yuzu. Oh, the possibilities are just endless! Earth Day Market Sunday, February 26 I could go wax on forever about how great this market is and how important it is for the future of Japanese farming. Instead, I'll just insist that folks go and see for themselves what great things the market and these innovative growers are doing. This month will also feature a great selection of organic wines and some nifty music!  10am to 4pm, Rain or shine! Map UN University Market Every Saturday and Sunday in February A massive weekend affair that is great fun and features a variety of fruits and vegetables and prepared products from all over Japan. Plus, the curry I had during my last visit from one of the vendors was plate-licking good. (I refrained,

Green Leaders, a unique forum in Tokyo that brings together from all sectors of the green movement, looks like it's getting ready to get rolling once again after a brief hiatus. A great monthly event, I'm looking forward to getting involved again, catching up with old acquaintances and meeting some new folks, too. And while it's all in Japanese, it definitely is worth a visit. (The snacks are always amazing!) To further whet your appetite, following is an article I wrote for greenz in November, 2010 covering the panel discussion that kicked off Global Entrepreneurs Week (GEW) in Japan that year. (I don't have the photos from the event handy, so I just substituted something attractive. Enjoy!) Kicking off Global Entrepreneurs Week (GEW) week in Japan, the   November Green Leaders Forum   offered up a scintillating tell-all of ecopreneurism. Jacob Reiner, President and Chief Architect of Eden Homes and founder of   Earth Embassy , Donald Nordeng, President of  

Word from Tokyo friends tells me it's cold there, but that only means the vegetables stay fresher longer on the way home! And it gives market-goers a good excuse to try some of the food vendors circling the edges of the markets. (Seriously, there's a great curry one over at the UNU Market. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.) Photo Note: I couldn't take a photo of the vendor, but she was part of a cooperative group of mugwort growers from Akita Prefecture. I am having a love affair with mugwort (kusa) daifuku mochi since moving to Japan, but I'd no idea of its great medicinal qualities. She offered this most lovely soap and even a tea. I came away, of course, with one of each. Ebisu Market Sunday, February 19 11am to 5pm A nice sized market held on the terrace just in front of Ebisu Garden Place that will always be special to me for introducing me to dried natto and  tea seedpods . Map Kichijoji Market An  errand last month  found me happi

Heaps of markets on this weekend in Tokyo, and while I'm still tromping about the wilds of the Midwest I just know there are vegetables I'm missing. I've already been craving daikon and our house salad , even though a recent hearty serving of roast parsnips, beets , brussel sprouts, potatoes, and garlic gave me a fair amount of comfort. Head on out and grab some extra mochi with a glorious bunch of komatsuna for me! Photo Note: Another producer from the Yurakucho Farmer's Market . The weekend we went featured Akita Prefecture foods and those who make them possible. This lovely gentleman let me sample and then sold me one of the more unique items I've tasted yet: smoked daikon. Absolutely killer flavor with a nice bit of crunch to make an unexpected pickle-type treat that I've not tasted the like of ever before. Gyre Market Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12 A gem of a market hidden away in one of Tokyo's high-end shopping districts of

Tokyo is not the only city in Japan brimming with markets. I've written about markets as I find them in our travels, but not yet offered an overview. Kansai Scene , a magazine for Osaka and the surrounding region, gave me the chance to do just that. With the help of a friendly reader (who I hope to meet in late March over fresh vegetables at a new market in Nara!) I put together this feature article letting folks know what's going on in that fair city. Take a look, feel inspired, and hit the road! As always, watch for my weekly market calendar for Tokyo , and feel free to let me know if there's a market to be covered. The world needs to know where to find good food.

While I'm not there at the moment (February is our annual trip to family and friends in America.), Tokyo's Farmer's Markets carry on and promise to be as good as ever. While the plums get ready to blossom and the camellias are already showing off, make plans to spend some time at one of these great markets! Photo Note: Taken at the Yurakucho Farmer's Market featuring Akita growers and producers. Now that was a yummy few hours! SUN Grocery in Shinjuku Saturday, February 4 11am to 3pm A once-a-month outreach effort by the students running a neighborhood grocery featuring fruits and vegetables from independent farmers. Map Ebisu Market Sunday, February 5 and Sunday, February 19 11am to 5pm A nice sized market held on the terrace just in front of Ebisu Garden Place that will always be special to me for introducing me to dried natto and  tea seedpods . Map Gyre Market Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12 A gem of a m