Famous Restaurants of Edo: Zoshigaya
Kyoku-awase (Comic Verse Contest)
In the ginger's aromatic garnish not unrefined
Country miso Kinshi
* "Suikuchi" refers to a garnish or aromatic accent added to soup, which provides a fragrance when the lid is removed. Examples include yuzu, tree buds, green onions, ginger, sudachi, powdered sansho pepper, and ginger.
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Looking closely at the picture... 👀
A child holding their mother's hand carries a toy on their shoulder. This is a "Susuki-mimizuku" (pampas grass owl doll), a souvenir from visiting the Kishimojin Temple in Zoshigaya.
The boy here is wearing a short sword. The doll held by the woman leading him is slightly different from a typical "Susuki-mimizuku" as it is wearing a kimono.
Also, the woman in the foreground has a sword slung over her shoulder, but it is unlikely to be a real one; perhaps it is a toy sword belonging to the boy.
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Two signboards are depicted in this picture.
One is "Cuisine: Myogaya"
This was a government-authorized inn run by Myogaya Okiemon in Zoshigaya. The crest shaped like a ginger bulb is quite stylish.
The other is "Sennyoko: Sakamoto Family".
This is a signboard for "Sennyoko," a popular face powder at the time, sold by the Sakamoto family.
Reference: Japanese Classical Book Viewer "Edo Shopping Guide"
Reading the promotional text in the "Edo Shopping Guide"...
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A miraculous medicine for your face: Beautiful luster, Sennyoko. One packet, 48 copper coins.
Using this Sennyoko regularly will make your complexion white and your skin fine. Good for freckles and blemishes. It heals the marks of boils well. It has many other benefits. Details are written on the wrapping paper.
For those who purchase ten or more packets of this medicine, we will present a fan autographed by a famous actor from the three Edo theaters. The theme is the announcement and introduction of the lead actors of the three theaters.
Kyobashi Minami-Denmacho 3-chome, Inari-shindo, east side of the Inari Shrine
Main House: Manufactured by the Sakamoto family
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It seems that if you buy ten or more packets of Sennyoko, you get a fan signed by a popular actor.
Perhaps the fan held by the woman in the furisode kimono is one of those signed ones.
Translator's Note: ○ indicates characters that could not be deciphered.
I will update this as I decipher new characters or notice typos and misreadings. For details, please read the "Introduction/Disclaimer" section. 📖