We have not traveled at the pointy end but got lucky due the kindness of a customer
who shall remain nameless cos it might cause him grief….but many thanks.
Becky and I really loved the leg room and the Neil Perry food
Saturday, hot of the plane we headed of to new (for us) flea market north of Narita, hot and sticky
with humidity 85%, but bought some nice laquerware and scrolls (Zen for Luceille ).
Sunday we were of buying at three shrine markets in Tokyo, including the fairly notorious
Yakusuni Shrine where you get to see some of the rabid nationalist being studiously
ignored by everybody.
They generally park there vans with load speakers blaring next to the toilets to create the appearance of an audience such as the photo I took of them in front of the toilets at Shibuya Railway Station!
Monday was traders club auction in Mito where you find out that Japan is not as antiseptic as one might think, they offer serious competition for Trainspotting’s toilet!
Amongst other things we got a fabulous stone lantern and a shrine. jpg attached
Tuesday was raining cats and dogs at the “coughing mans” trader’s auction, so called due to the auctioneers’ smoking habit leaving him coughing and spluttering for most of the auction.
On the way back to Hitachi we stumbled upon a dealer who had some wonderful Ikebana ceramics which I think Angela will love……….We bought the lot and it took us over an hour to pack into the truck in the dark.
On Wednesday we visit the local runners to confirm which of the stock they have been holding we would buy and started packing smalls between visits to the runners and deliveries to our warehouse.
If anyone is interested we can get shoji doors landed in Perth for about $150 each (pg attached)
Thursday we went to the outskirts of Tokyo for a traders club auction run by Mr Tanaka.
Its an interesting mix of people with the sellers being traders who buy direct from public whilst door knocking there “territories” —well not quite, they mostly sit in there trucks with speakers blaring out there spiel to buy!
The buyers range from the wholesale antique auction houses in Kyoto and traders who sell in flea markets in temples and shrines in and around Tokyo and then there is us the unheard of Aussie gaijin’s.
Each day we spend a minimum of 2 hours if we are lucky and often 5 plus hours cramped
in the ever so squeezey Isuzu truck with our wares.
Friday is more packing with possibly a visit to a wholesaler of ceramic’s to give us a break.
For the weekend we plan to go to Heiwajima Festival where there will be a large flea markets.
Hopefully we will pick up some treasures
Cheers
Keith and Becky
