The morning glory festival in Iriya

毎年７月７日の七夕の日をはさんで３日間続いた「朝顔まつり」が昨日終わりました。

私にとってこのお祭りは一年の後半の始まりを告げる行事です。

言問い通りを挟んで片側に朝顔の店が並び、もう一方側に食べ物やゲームの露店が並びます。

会社に行くときは朝顔の店側を通り、帰りは食べ物の露店を眺めてブラブラと帰ります。

夕方になるとこの通りは、入谷から鶯谷に向けて１００M程通行止めになり、露天で買った「たこ焼き」などを　
中央分離帯に座って食べている人たちが大勢います。

露天は昔からある「お好み焼き」「イカ焼き」「じゃがバター」「カキ氷」「あんず飴」「チョコバナナ」「わたあめ」「焼きとうもろこし」から、珍しいものでは「牛肉の串焼き」「鮎の塩焼き」など。
そして、「金魚すくい」「スーパーボールすくい」「スマートボール」「射的」「カブトムシ屋」等など
子供達には魅力的なお店が並んでいます。
昔の子供も楽しめますよ～～☆

通りのお店もこの日は商売換えして、生ビールを売ったりしています。　たくさんの人出を見逃すわけには行きませんよね。

“The morning glory festival” in Iriya where I live will take place on July 6th through to 
the 8th.
  
I usually buy some moning glories on the first day of the festival.  I had work today, 
so I left home 30minutes earlier than usual and went to the station walking along 
the street where a lot of morning glory stalls were lined.

Walking through the large morning glories and ladies wearing stylish Japanese festival wear, 
I selected beautiful flowers for my aunts in Yokohama and Kamishakujii.  
They are looking forward to see the morning glories, so I feel uplifted. 

However, ｃentering around Iriya Kishibojin, there are more than 100 stalls and I wavered 
over choosing.
 
I usually buy from the seller who catches my fancy with street cries.
This year I bought morning glories to the cries of  “Biodegradable pots !!” and 
“Bamboo trellis !!”.

Every stall features pots of large morning glories of 4 different colors. 
They told me they would refund the money if they don’t bloom in 4 colors.

As I was walking home, I browsed food stalls. 
When I opened the post, a post card from the stall which I bought some pots of morning glory 
last year had arrived. They seem to keep the invoice and send me the post card to encourage 
me to buyat their stall.  

I think it’s a nice idea,  but it’s too late.