Yellow carp

 

Every January 1 HATSU-ICHI is held in Utsunomiya. Hatsu-ichi means the first festival of the year.

There of course are many food stalls and some special stalls which sell luck items of a year -- like DARUMA dolls, KUMADE ornaments, etc. And here in Utsunomiya yellow carp is one of luck items. it is said long time ago a yell carp saved people suffering bad disease (it is said to be smallpox).

Additionally here in Utsunomiya we have no sea, instead of the sea, we have rivers and ponds. so a "special" (yellow) carp must be easy to become a legendary fish.

 

I went out for buying Yellow Carp ornament. Usually I go there with my friend, but unfortunately this year she was busy, so I went out by myself. --- It was a little bit boring. But I really thanked to this HATSUICHI, thinking that I also could here this year healthily.

I bought this set of paper and of course the first lesson of this year is to hold Yellow carp.

 

Without my friends' permission, I'll introduce yellow carp story, which is translated by me and recorded by my friend.