At last...

In Tsutsuki Fish Market, you eat sushi for breakfast. I woke up two hours early before the conference on Saturday to see the open air market in action. Fishers unpacking and displaying their wares alongside strange pickled items of all colors, fresh produce, and dried sardines.

And along the outskirts of the market, as well as hidden in mazes between the stalls, are tiny eateries where everyone is eating sushi for breakfast :) !!! It took me awhile to choose which stall I would eat at, but I finally made my decision and cautiously motioned to the woman behind the counter. I pointed to one of the pictures displayed on her sign. That one. She came around to see, nodded, and motioned for me to sit. I paid her my 800 yen and after a few minutes, she deposited this masterpiece in front of me:

Raw tuna on a bowl of rice. Miso on the side filled with fresh shellfish. It was glorious. It was spectacular. It was o-may (pronounced Oh my! and means yummy yummy).

The man sitting next to me noticed my delight and smiled in welcome. In halting English, he introduced himself and poured me a cup of green tea. He pointed to a small figurine of an animal sitting next to the tea and explained that it was a charm to bestow goodness over the food. During the meal, he noticed my failed attempts to extract the shellfish from their shells with my chopsticks and signalled that it was ok to use my hands. Having devoured my meal, I thanked him warmly for his kindness, and went on my way, a happy, happy girl.

My little food stand. I sat on the far end next to the man in the black jacket.