J-Word For The Day

Gakkarida -- What a disappointment!

I went to the Sendai Tohoku Japan Fair over the weekend. Gakkarida!

There was sake, Japanese rice, all sorts of sweets, fruits, gyoza, all sorts of tea and pickled side dishes. There was even a cold noodle stand but since I am not a fan of cold noodles, I steered clear of it.

But where were the lacquerware, the hand-woven silk, pottery and other features promised in the TN article? They were not in sight and the only other thing I didn't expect was the kanji workshop where adults and children alike were writing (probably their names or whatever) on white ceramic plates. I was tempted to join but I do not know how to write a single Japanese character.

I bought a pack of Sendai rice and almost choked at the price (again, I did not check). And I couldn't get anywhere after that because it was bloody heavy.