I don't know if the OP was there, but I was.
Wasn't planning on it to be honest, but I was able to take the Saturday off from my day job so we all piled into the car, took the coastal road from home here to Naruto, jumped across on the bridge and drove through Awaji-shima, stopping at 'England Hill'. Food was less than stellar, but there was plenty of other things to do and see there and we all had a good time. Off to the hotel (penshon) which was very nice for both sleeping and breakfast in the morning, then into the car again, stopped at an artists village type of thing before skipping into Miki for a few hours.
As far as 'one of each', nope. You could not physically carry enough cash to buy one of each, just too much stuff. A small gymnasium filled with all the 'proper' tool and knife makers, all I bought were a pair of garden snips for mum-in-law. Walked out with a bunch of stuff though, kids got plied with cookies and snacks (as always), my son spotted a small plane he really wanted, I tried to talk him out of it (because the price tag was US$80), he really wanted it, so the fellow who made it gave it to him as a present. That was slightly annoying, but kind of expected I suppose (Tsunesaburo made the plane).
Then we came home. I missed out on my Starbucks coffee, which I only ever buy on the way home after the big bridge between Kobe and Awaji-shima because the line was out the door, which was annoying. But other than that, a pretty good weekend. Got some video of folks making chisels, but no other real pictures. I'm kind of 'dulled' to this event because I've been there 3 years in a row now and not that wowed by it any more. Lots of stuff though, but all I worry about is speaking to folks I know or need to know and getting out of there.
And tomorrow is the annual kezuro-kai in Ehime. That's the one I really want to get to, even though the one person I wanted to see (actually two of them) won't be there as the younger fellow (Tasai, chisel maker) cut his Achilles tendon and is still healing up. Never mind, plenty to see and do and there will be plenty for the kids to do as well.
That is all. I suppose next year I better take some more pictures...
Stu.
