A Day at the Ginza Farmers Market

This week goes out to my second home, the Ginza Farmers Market. We put in the finishing touches on the video over the last week, and although there is some more fine-tuning to do within YouTube, I think it is ready for wider release. Though this has only cracked the shell of the egg, so to speak, of an infinite topic in which I am interested, this has been the largest project I have undertaken since my exit from my former life. I am truly indebted to everyone who made this work possible. Below, allow me to acknowledge the many collaborators who made this video possible, and who support the thriving community of the market.

The farmers: Aki-san, Hiro-san, Maeda-san, Yoshi-san, Nose-san (Oji-san), and all the vendors of the Ginza Farmers Market (交通会館マルシェ) – though I am a customer of yours, I consider you my true friends and family. I put everyone in varying degrees of uncomfortable positions during the making of this video (I still have 5 interviews to edit!), and I am grateful for your participation and thoughtful answers. I am looking forward to getting your message out as soon as possible after this initial video.

Market manager Higurashi-san: for his interview, for allowing us to interrupt his market to shoot this video all day, and for tending shop during all of the farmers’ interviews.

Isom Winton: the man behind the camera, coaching me through take after take of the opening and closing scenes, and getting all that sweet footage of the market that allowed me to cover up most of my verbal blunders throughout the rest of the video. Thanks bro, and everyone make sure to check his work out at Mind Spray on Facebook and his YouTube channel.

Celia Humphries: the woman behind the camera, taking all those epic photographs of the produce from the market. She responded same day and got the produce at its freshest, AND had to clean up one fallen soldier, an unfortunate Hiro-san egg that dropped off the table. Check out her work at www.celiahumphries.com.

Joe Smith: for his input and for helping to make the Blue Belt Life introduction seen at the first part of the video. Listen to his vibes at www.soundcloud.com/jwswiss.

My one and only: for putting up with me in my man-cave whittling away at this project, and thanks in advance for fixing my tekito (half-ass) Japanese subtitles.

Now, over to you, readers and supporters – any thoughts, criticisms, suggestions for content on this topic? Leave them in the comments please, and if you are in Tokyo, you got no excuse now not to hop over to the market and check it out – see you over there this Saturday!