Banana Fish - Another missed flight

A World of Unlimited Flavors

A little side note because it's often mentioned in this chapter: The Edo period is a historic era that lasted from 1603 to 1868. Much of the traditional Japanese street food dates back to that time, so I mentioned it in this chapter several times.

After entering through the gate, they finally reached the main shopping street. Even if Eiji and Hana had told him about it, it still left him speechless. Not only did the countless stalls and products caught his eye, but also the traditional appearance of the shops with bright hanging lanterns and colored rooftops along the way.

"Asakusa's Nakamise shopping street is believed to have been founded sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries when local people in Asakusa were granted permission to open shops on the temple grounds. In return, the new shopkeepers were expected to perform cleaning services and keep the temple precincts nice and tidy.

Eiji enjoyed introducing the street with all the food stalls to them, his voice radiating excitement and happiness. Ash loved seeing him so carefree. He knew Eiji had always kept a close eye on him since his breakdown and was relieved that he had fun, too.

„So, the temple had already a lot of visitors back then?" Ash asked him while looking around in amazement.

"Yes, at that time, Sensoji Temple was already a popular pilgrimage center, so the shopkeepers of Nakamise could strike a good deal by providing food and drink to weary pilgrims. Since that time, the street's appearance has undergone several changes."

"How so? And why did they change their appearance? There's probably a reason behind it, right? Like destruction of the area by fire or a battle?"

"You're half right. In 1885, the street was modernized, and the old shops were replaced by red brick buildings typical of that era. So, no destructive event up to that point in time. Sadly, these buildings were destroyed later on in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923."

„An earthquake? I didn't expect a natural disaster to be the cause."

"Earthquakes are pretty common around Japan," Hana reminded Ash, suddenly serious.

"She's right. Japan sits on top of four converging tectonic plates that constantly grind together. Some 1,500 earthquakes occur in Japan each year. However, most of them are so mild people can't feel them.

"Wow, that many? I've heard Japan was prone to earthquakes, but I didn't know that."

"After that modernization, the shops were rebuilt in concrete on two occasions, once after the 1923 earthquake and then again after the firebombing of World War II. Despite their modern concrete structures, the shops today have a traditional appearance and are brightly decorated with hanging lanterns and green tiled rooftops."

"I see. So, the street ahead of us is the main shopping street?"

"Yes. After going through the gate, you immediately find the shopping street of over 250 meters I've told you about, called Nakamise. It leads from the outer gate to the temple's second gate, the Hozomon. Between these two gates are 89 shops, with 54 shops on the east side and 35 on the west. "Nakamise" is a traditional name given to shopping streets on the grounds of temples or shrines, so this is not the only "Nakamise" in Japan, but it is one of the oldest and most famous."

Ash nodded in understanding and continued to look around him.

"Alongside typical souvenirs and traditional goods, we can also find many snacks there," Hana added cheerfully. "And I'll try all of them!"

"We'll see about that," Eiji chuckled.

"Hana's right, though. The shops here sell various specialty street foods and snacks, traditional arts and crafts, clothes, accessories, toys, t-shirts, parasols, dolls, and lanterns. These are just a few things you find there. And after the shops have closed, we can look at the painted murals on the shuttered shop fronts along a much quieter street at night."