... real treasures... (148/365, 28 May 2022)
Although it has been a week since the Australian election, change of government, Quad meetings, commentary writing...all the things, you would expect, come Saturday, a psephologist would want a rest day. But no. The Japanese Upper House election is on its way, and all around us, the signs are appearing. Earlier in the week, walking to the station, one of the local representatives was doing his usual meet and greet at the station, including letting us know that Upper House hopeful and long time representative in the lower house, Tsujimoto Kiyomi would be appearing at a town hall meeting down the road, on Saturday. Tsujimoto lost her seat (in Osaka) at the election last year, and since she is someone whose career I have been following for a number of years, I thought it would be interesting (well compulsory really) to go and listen... so I did.
But it wasn't all work. Since the venue was close to the train line that passes through Tokyo's secondhand book district, and since the meeting finished conveniently early in the day, I thought why not. There is an art shop there I've been keen to visit for some time. So I did. (More on that later...)
And since the secondhand book district is just a station away from my favourite little Tokyo goods shop, well, why not...it is Saturday after all. I have to say, I love spending time with the couple who own this shop, they have such a storehouse of knowledge, of the area, of Tokyo traditions past and present, it is like a free history lesson every time. And we laugh...and that has got to be good, right?
I also had another reason...during the week, on their Insta account (@/ kanda_chonko if you're interested), they posted the most exquisite little bento box, a little lunchbox, dated to the early 1880s, within its own little carry box...just the sought of thing people took to mountains or wherever they were going for the day.
Dear reader...it was still there when I got there. My 19th-20th century Tokyo antique collection is growing...
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| The box, for the lunch box |
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| Exquisite and unusual lacquering style |
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| Its component parts |
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| Oh, and another for the growing collection |
And then there was lunch, a late one, on the way home.
Best Saturday since.... last Saturday! But for different reasons, obviously.
Pics on the iPhone 12 mini.
