Experiencing Japan through shopping in Matsuyama, the place popular for castle and hot spring

It was a great hot spring. We are now in Matsuyama city. As we took a bath in the Dogo Onsen, shall we take a leisurely walk along the street？

This SL train, “Botchan Train”, will take us from Dogo Onsen to the center of Matsuyama city.

Let’s go!　It took only 12 minutes to the center of Ookaido shopping street.

We heard men shouting and pounding rice-cake. When we got closer, we found they were pounding rice into “mochi”（rice cake）. They asked us, “Would you like to try?”. The pestle to pound “mochi” looks heavy. It looks it is too heavy for us to be smashed.

We darted away from the place and went to〝Matsuyama Mitsukoshi ”Department sotre. The appearance of the store is nice.

There was a flower arrangement by the Sogetsuryu. It is huge! What a dynamic arrangement!

Lovely traditional crafts products are sold on the ground floor.

“Hime Temariya”

You can find bottles wrapped by strings, called “mizuhiki”, which is used for a celebration. They are nice souvenirs, which are unique to Japan!

Wind-bell by Tobe ware

And

There were many women on the upper floor. We took a look. A woman wearing Kimono was making tea. It was a tea ceremony. We found that we could join the ceremony and eat Dango (sweet rice dumpling) and drink green tea by paying just 400 yen. So we joined the ceremony.

We never expected to see and touch Matsuyama traditional crafts products, and experience Japanese culture.

It really was something special.

Why don’t we buy “Mizuhiki” for our king before going back home.

Matsuyama Mitsukoshi

http://japanshopping.org/archives/shop/27932

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