The Joys of Street Food

On Thursday I had the not to be missed pleasure of venturing into the Gion Matsuri. As Japan's largest (and most famous) festival, it did not disappoint. The sheer number of people was energizing-- it was quite surreal to walk down the middle of the usually traffic-bustling Shijo dori. However, instead of cars zipping up and down the drag, hordes and hordes of festival goers marched through. Despite the fact that we were all shoulder-shoulder and the weather was dripping hot, the entire atmosphere was very relaxed-- the perfect lazy summer festival night. Maybe the street vendors' cries of"Irrashaimase!" and the traditional music of the Gion festival set a mild tone for the evening.

Although the Gion floats and processions and crowds were all impressive, my favorite part of the evening was, unsurprisingly, the street food. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a bizarre obsession with street food of nearly any type. There is something very wholesome about piping hot, local food served to the empty-stomached hurriers and wanderers. All the better if the street food is served by slightly unwholesome individuals. It adds flavor. At Gion, I can't claim there was a huge variety in the food. It was fairly standard: yakitori, yakisoba, dango, mochi, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, ikayaki, shaved ice, candied fruits, fresh fruit, beer, beer, beer, sake, beer, fried foods of all varieities, and, in the Chinese neighborhood, roast duck, scallion pancakes, and pork buns. The were also some regional specialties like a roasted kabocha, egg senbei, and Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. I will perhaps disappoint the adventurous: I limited myself to my old stand-bys-- ikayaki, takoyaki, and shaved ice. The takoyaki was probably the best I've had-- the batter, served by a woman whose drooping cigarette ashes may have fallen into said batter, was steaming and gooey. I can honestly say it put me into a state of takoyaki-inspired bliss.

Enjoy the pictures and envy my street food luck-- perfect takoyaki and no food poisoning!