January Yatai Stuffs.

I previously mentioned that January in Japan is full of festivals, and usually festivals go hand-in-hand with Yatai. These are some of the highlights, roasted nuts of some sort - tasty but get stale very quickly - best enjoyed hot as you walk around the festival. Next are Daruma dolls (達磨), which are hollow and roundish dolls modeled after Bodhidharma; the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. The eyes of Daruma are often blank when sold, one eye is filled in upon setting a goal and then the other upon fulfilling it. In this way, the Daruma is a good luck charm as well as a reminder of a particular goal. Next, this tasty mollusk was simmered with dashi (soup stalk) in its shell on an open grill - enjoyed with warm Saki - yum! Finally is Kuri Manju which is a wonderful baked bun stuffed with chestnut paste.