They had the annual Himeji ceramics market this weekend. I had the time of my life and got a crash course in ceramics areas of Japan as I went from booth to booth. I don't know if all cities have these but if they do it is a must see if you like ceramics for two reasons. The first are the prices. You can get great ceramics in Japan at the department stores but you can get it for less at these markets. The second is the selection. I looked at and handled thousands of pieces including a $800 tea bowl made by a national living treasure. We are entering the tail end of festival time here in Himeji and the weather was supposed to be bad this weekend but I was happy that it didn't end up raining on this festival. I hope to go again on Monday when it is a little less crowded.