How are you, friends?
I hope this note finds you well and happy.

This month, I will introduce you a 'Festival' which is new to Karatsu, because it will make you warm in this cold weather.
The festival is called 'Nabe-Matsuri'. 'Matsuri' means 'festival', and 'Nabe' means 'pan' or 'pot' which you use in the kitchen.
This festival began 3 years ago, and the one of last December was the 4th Nabe-Matsuri. It was planned by some young Karatsu people, and the first three years, the matsuri was not very big. But suddenly, last year, the festival grew big. A great success it was. 50 different Nabe-food prepared, and some 40,000 people came to try various kind of Nabe-style food from this district, and also from Korea, China, and some other parts of Japan.

Is there any kind of this type festival in your country? You have market places like this? Then everyday is the festival! In Japan, we do not have Korean type markets, where you can buy food and materials, and also you can sit at the road-side and have a bowl of hot soup. Maybe in the near future we will have this type of market. It is a fun and so heart-warming.

Look at some pictures of the small shops of the Festival day. And imagine you were there. Which one do you try?

lobster	balloon-fish	curry	From Congju, Korea
oyster	wildboar	vegetables	chicken
From Pusan, Korea	sea-food	Zenzai, sweet red beans	beef
pork	From Yosu, Korea	people waiting	Korean dance

I hope this new Matsuri will keep on growing, and make busy people who forgot to eat happy Nabe food thik of their mother, home, and good old days of Japan.

Best wishes to you for your wonderful whole year.
See you next month.