Annual Iriya Morning Glory Market (Asagao Ichi) will take place on July 6,7,8
(Tue-Thu) 2004.  There will be a hundred stalls selling a total of about 20,000
plants on the streets near Iriya Kishimojin (Shingenji, Taito-ku, Tokyo, near
Asakusa and Ueno).  Nearest stations are Subway Hibiya Line Iriya and JR
Uguisudani.

Make sure to arrive early for the best choices.

http://www.asagaoroad.com/
Iriya Asagao Road (Home page of Iriya Central shopping district, Japanese Text)
Map: http://www.asagaoroad.com/f-tchizu.html

Report of the 2002 Iriya Morning Glory market
http://junko55.web.infoseek.co.jp/03asagao.htm (J text, many pictures)


There are 3 major Kishimojin (or Kishibojin) temples in the Tokyo area: Iriya,
Zoushigaya and Ichikawa Nakayama (Chiba).  Streetcar Arakawa Line Kishimojin-mae
is by the Zoushigaya Kishimojin.  It is near Ikebukuro, far from Iriya.


Japan has many dedicated fans of the morning glory.   The flower, easy to grow
in small spaces, became popular in Edo during the Tokugawa period.  Gardeners
developed blossoms of various colors, size and shape.  The potted plants are
called 'andon-zukuri' (lanterns).  Experts keep the plants small and balanced
and know how to control the number of daily blossoms.

Illustrations of morning glory varieties in the Tokugawa period:
http://www.genetics.or.jp/Asagao/Yoneda/slides/slide068-079.html


Other morning glory markets in the Tokyo area:

Kunitachi
July 3,4 Early morning to about 5PM
http://kunitachi.shop-info.com/web/events/asagao2004/ (J text)
South of Kinokuniya Supermarket on Daigaku-dori (University Blvd.)
One potted plant is 1500 yen here.

Seiseki Sakuragaoka (Tama City)
July 3,4 8AM - 6PM
http://www.city.tama.tokyo.jp/machi/t_event.htm (J text)


Douso, The Prophet of the Way