Just a small story.
The other day, I happened to go to an event called “Shinagawa Shukuba(old inn) Festival” in the Shinagawa local shopping street. It was a hot and humid day, but I had my GF10 in my hand, so I took a short walk to see if I could take some photos.
Although I enjoyed the festival, I was not able to take any good pictures.
Then I found this stall in the middle of the festival street that stretches along the old Tokaido (Edo-period Edo-Kyoto highway), and that is the story of this time.
This is the famous “Uiro” store in Odawara.
I’m a big fan of this store’s sweets since long time ago. I have been buying them quite often on my way back home from my excursions in the Hakone/Odawara area.
I bought one of them and was allowed to take a picture. Of course I asked the shop lady.
“I have been a fan of Odawara’s Uiro for a long time, but what brought you here today?”
She replied.
“We have always had a stall at Shinagawa’s Shukuba Festival every year. Odawara also has an “Shukuba Fes.”, so we have been in contact with each other for a long time. There’s a long history of interaction between us.”
This local festival is so much more than what it seems, and is so much more respectable than traditional Odawara town festival.
I googled it a bit.
This year is the 30th festival! Not only is it “more than what it seems,” but it’s quite a long history. I’m very proud of it.
This is a small story about “Uiro”.