There is also one thing I can't help but introducing you. It's "banana no tataki uri" or "roadside banana bargain sale show". Sounds bizarre ? Yes, it's actually bizarre. It's surely a kind of business, but more than that. It's indeed very close to performing art. Typically, a traveling street banana vendor with unique narrative skill and style runs his talk show at roadside. He is so eloquent and amusing that every audience ends up with opening his/her wallet sooner or later, being fully persuaded. Thanks to Web 2.0 world, you may experience this unique banana selling show visiting youtube.com .
Once being quite popular and widespread throughout Japan, banana no tataki uri is now in danger of extinction and conserved only with efforts of volunteers living in Moji. Why Moji ? Because Moji is considered as birthplace of this street performance. Imagine a hot international port of 100 years ago, which was frequently receiving pricey bananas as inbound cargo, but lacking today's efficient inland transport system, air conditioners, and of course, Kyokuyo's modern reefer boats ! People of that time were required to invent a clever way to clear up damaged bananas - which was banana no tataki uri.
Okay, it's time now. See you next time ! [Photo & Text by T. Miyoshi. 2007/03/05] 
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