In The 'Hood In The 'Hood Block Party Every national capital probably has a fall harvest festival. Each year on October 19 & 20th our district of Tokyo celebrates Ebisu (Thanksgiving) in its own unique way: a betara-zuke market. Betara-zuke is a daikon (white radish) that has been preserved in sweetened sake. We were not surprised that a white root vegetable should be the star of the fall festival -- we had already been to the Onion Festival (Zibelemärit) in Berne, Switzerland. Things got so wild and crazy in Berne we ended up with confetti in our underwear, so we didn't know what to expect in Tokyo! We could see from the balcony that the party was already underway! In The Mix We were off the balcony and down on the street in a jiffy. The first stop was the local shrine to check out which businesses supported the festival by buying a lantern. It looks like a good year, this is only about half of the lanterns. A Popular Radish! The street market featured dozens and dozens of vendors selling the tasty pickle. Pickling Second stop, the sake booth. We liked the idea of improving a radish with sweetened sake, and decided to improve ourselves by the same process. Side Dishes Third stop, the food stalls! This guy is serving fishsticks. It's an original "fish-cicle," roasted by a charcoal fire and eaten right off the stick. Okonomiyaki is a standard street festival food in Japan. It is kind of like a cabbage and vegetable-loaded crepe covered with special sauce. Our favorite is Hiroshima-style with an egg on top. Another standard at all events is takoyaki or squid balls. What's amazing is that they are cooked in half-sphere cups but the final product is a perfect ball! How does she do that? It's a secret revealed only at Japanese street fairs. The neighborhood offices emptied out onto the street, many setting up picnic areas in the entry to their building. It's odd to see so many "suits" at the street market. Dessert One stall sold freshly made cookies, hot from the griddle. This girl looks on hopefully as the forms are filled with batter. A few moments later, out they tumble in all of their cute shapes. It wasn't the kind of festival where you come home with confetti in your pants. But everyone had a terrific time enjoying the sake both in the cup and on the daikon. x