Sheila's Stories and Stitches: Yamato Antique Market

the east side of the market

Originally I planned to attend the Kawagoe Shrine Sale (read about a previous visit here) at the end of the month, but due to predicted rain I decide it's not worth the trek. Even though the write-ups say it isn't canceled for bad weather, when reading people's blogs it appears the vendors will pack up if it's a solid rain (and only about 20% show up if there's a drizzle).

Odakyu line of the Yamato Station

I take the opportunity to fill my need to look at obis, kimonos and other treasures by visiting the Yamato Antique Market, which takes place on the third Saturday of each month. It's located at Yamato Station, about 20 minutes west of Yokohama. It's reachable from the Odakyu Enoshima train line and the Sotetsu Main Line (also known as the Sagamai line). It takes me 70 minutes to reach the station, with one change. According to Google Maps it's only 50 minutes on weekdays, but apparently the trains run slower (or stop more frequently) early on a weekend morning. And it's early - my friends tell me you want to be here close to when it opens, at 6:00am. I arrive at 7:15am, and decide that's close enough! (When I tell Steve I'm leaving the apartment at 5:45am, he decides he'd rather stay home and keep Tie-Dye company.)

Lots of booths with china!

I'm glad I'm early, because I have no problems finding a seat on the trains for the ride down and for the first hour I'm at the market it's not too crowded. Everyone's already set up, and there are shoppers, but I might be the only person at a booth (I'm told the serious collectors and people buying for their shops are out en masse at 6:00am. I'm only out for fun, so I wouldn't know if I stumbled on something extremely valuable, anyway).

One surprising difference with Yamato - they are much more likely to bargain with you. At other places you may receive a slight discount if you buy multiple items, or be given a small gift for free, but here the dealers are quick to tell you "best price." One obi I look at has a tag of $80, and he tells me he'll sell it for $40. I never initiate it, but if I ask for the price and look like I'm going to walk away afterwards, sometimes they offer a lower price. It's not guaranteed to happen, and it isn't always 50% off, but it's nice when it does occur.

This is one of the easiest markets to visit without a car, because it's literally on either side of the station. I come out the north exit and walk on the west side and immediately see the plaza full of tents. I'm happy to see kimono and obi merchants right away! I have my rolling shopping cart with me, so I'm all set to make purchases.

One of the many kimono & obi tents!

Lots of crafting supplies - yarn, flax, wooden buttons and purse handles...

There are over 200 vendors here, and I can tell it's bigger than Kawagoe - almost twice as many sellers. One item I see frequently is a rough, loosely woven flax - usually a large piece rolled up and sold like a cut of fabric. I don't know what people use it for....I'll have to ask someone.

It's not all kimonos and crafting items! There's many dealers in china, toys, jewelry, etc. I can't tell if they're antique, old, or just used - but they're interesting to look at.

antique dolls and toys

jewelry

Then there are the spots that look like someone just yanked everything out of the attic and put it on a blanket. There may be some good items, but you'd have to dig through it. Since it's about 90 degrees and humid, I decide to limit myself to a quick scan as I walk past.

One man's trash...

...is another man's treasure.

Only a few places have furniture for sale, and no big items.

Driftwood for sale! Steve wishes I had bought some when I tell him about it.

A popular vendor!

It's summertime, so the longer I'm here the hotter it gets. By 9:00am everyone has their little paper fans out, including me! I spend most of my time on the west side of the market, zigzagging among the booths (it's almost like a herringbone pattern - a few rows will be set up in one direction, then a few rows will be set up at a 90 degree angle from them - with my sense of direction I have to really pay attention to make sure I don't skip anything!). My bag's getting close to full, but I go over to the east side of the market to see what's there. It's mostly set up as two long rows of tents, so it's a little easier to navigate, especially since it's much more crowded now.

You can even grab and go - they sell croissants outside.

My friends tell me the French bakery on the east side is very good, though they aren't sure what time it opens (update Sept 2017 - it opens at 8:00am) - when I walk by after 9:00am, it's doing a brisk business. I look up at it, debating going in, and an American woman waiting outside voluntarily tells me it's good. However, with the heat I'm not feeling up to eating pastry, so I skip it this time. I'm told there's a place to sit down inside, too, but I didn't verify it.

After three hours, and with the heat, I've spent enough time shopping (okay, and my bag is full, too). I probably just breezed past about 25% of the merchants, so it would be easy to spend more time here. Officially, it continues until 4:00pm.

I'm able to find seats on the train for the return trip, so that's a relief! And I only have to lug my bag up a couple of flights of stairs, so my cache makes it safely home! Here's some of the items: