Before dawn, the city of Wajima on the Noto Peninsula is quiet beneath winter’s gray cloak. Fishermen dock their boats at the port and haul out their catches while farmers dig out vegetables from the snow-covered hills.
The goods are transferred in backpacks and on rickshaws to Asaichi-dori, which translates to “Morning Market Street” in English. Here, women are clearing the snow off the road while setting up tents, tables and tarps in front of tobacco shops and home appliance stores.
Things soon get lively. Wearing headscarves and bundled in layers to protect against biting winds, the women manning the shops make small talk with shoppers to tempt them to their wares. Flowers, pickled veggies, seaweed and fermented squid are for sale, often without price tags since negotiating deals is common (and part of the fun). One of the vendors says she’s 65, has four children and eight grandchildren. “They’re growing like branches and leaves,” she quips.
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