Japan Farmers Markets

Colorful carrots from Eishi Yamane's organic farm in Fujisawa. Kitanaka Marche just outside Bashamichi Station in Yokohama burst on the market scene in November, and if the first event is any indication this is going to be a whopper of a good market. An off-shoot of Tokyo's Taiyo (Sun) Marche , many of the vendors are from there, but it is worth noting that a preponderance of them come from nearby rural areas. The market offered a terrific selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables, rice, jams, pickles, honey and maple syrup, and extraordinary baked goods. Do-Re-Mi Farms and their beautiful edibles in jars. Like Market of the Sun, Kitanaka Marche is about building community, according to market manager, Akiko Yamamoto. "With the redevelopment of this area underway, we wanted to find a way to draw new people here and interact with the locals," she said as I spotted the green leaves of a daikon bobbing merrily in the bag of happy shopper. Shizuka Komiya

Beehive Apiary Murakami at the newly opened Kitanaka Marche in Yokohama. Fuji-san is swathed in snow, and it looks as though November plans to head out in a blaze of glory. It should be a fantastic weekend for farmers-marketing, so don't miss the chance to grab freshly harvested rice in all colors , daikon and kabu  in more colors than ever before imagined, winter greens , and the best citrus of the year fresh from the tree . Oh, and don't forget to look for beets and brussel sprouts (mekabetsu) to add a bit of brilliancy to the week's menu! See you at the market! Ebisu Market Every Sunday in November Ebisu Market management are going all-out this month and hosting a market every Sunday. They've been recruiting more staff and hunting up vendors, so head on out to be part of the action. A recent visit showed this always lovely market remains charming as ever with an excellent selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables, scrumptious looking snacks, and crafty i

Cheerfully bundled up for the season at a Hida Takayama Market. The most farmers-market-y weekend of them all is upon us here in the Tokyo-Yokohama region. It might be best to bring a friend with an extra backpack for all the goodies that will be on hand. It may also be good to bring a coin to flip to see which one to head to on which day. The new market, Yokohama Kitanaka Marche, is but a few steps from Baird Beer's Bashamichi Taproom....tempting! Ebisu Market Every Sunday in November Ebisu Market management are going all-out this month and hosting a market every Sunday. They've been recruiting more staff and hunting up vendors, so head on out to be part of the action. A recent visit showed this always lovely market remains charming as ever with an excellent selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables, scrumptious looking snacks, and crafty items. I'd also  recommend a trip to Afuri Ramen  when you're done for some of the best yuzu tsukemen in town. 11am to

Togarashi (Japanese hot peppers) strung up to dry. Welcome to one of the farmers-market-y weekends of the month! Autumn feasting is upon us, so roll yourselves out to one of these lovely spots. While it might be a bit of a trek, the Oiso Market is really a rockstar of the Kanagawa market scene as far as I know it. Music, crafts, tasty food, and some wonderfully fresh local fruit and veg are there for the taking. See you there! Ebisu Market Every Sunday in November Ebisu Market management are going all-out this month and hosting a market every Sunday. They've been recruiting more staff and hunting up vendors, so head on out to be part of the action. A recent visit showed this always lovely market remains charming as ever with an excellent selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables, scrumptious looking snacks, and crafty items. I'd also  recommend a trip to Afuri Ramen  when you're done for some of the best yuzu tsukemen in town. 11am to 5pm Map Market of the

Competitive shopping at Yurakacho. A nice bounty of regular markets rounds out this first full weekend of November. Don't hesitate to visit one of these lovelies and see what is on offer. Remember, too, that if weekends are busier than usual, a weekday trip to lovely Kamakura will afford not only a giant Buddha but some great local, seasonal fare, too. Not a bad deal, by any means. Ebisu Market Every Sunday in November Ebisu Market management are going all-out this month and hosting a market every Sunday. They've been recruiting more staff and hunting up vendors, so head on out to be part of the action. A recent visit showed this always lovely market remains charming as ever with an excellent selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables, scrumptious looking snacks, and crafty items. I'd also  recommend a trip to Afuri Ramen  when you're done for some of the best yuzu tsukemen in town. 11am to 5pm Map Kamakura Farmers Market Every day A small local aff

I usually don't write personal headlines like that one, but I am very, very excited to be in Chicken Soup's latest Christmas anthology. I wrote about a favorite Christmas in Japan, while we still lived in Tokyo. It didn't start out to be the best by any means, but good friends and a special event turned that all around. Dear me, I'm tearing up just thinking about it. If you get a chance, grab a copy or buy it as a present and read the essay before you wrap it!