Hello, everyone! With the rainy season making everything feel a bit damp and sticky lately, I hope you’re all staying healthy and feeling well. Once the rainy season wraps up, real summer is just around the corner!
Today, I’d like to introduce a special "NARAMAKI" design that is absolutely perfect for the upcoming summer.
It's "goldfish," a cool and perfect design for summer.
"Wait, weren't Naramaki embroideries supposed to be related to Nara? Why goldfish?" you might be wondering.
Actually, goldfish have a very deep connection to Nara.
This is because Nara Prefecture, where our company is located, has a nationally famous "goldfish town" called Yamato-Kōriyama City.
So, why is Yamato-Kōriyama City famous for goldfish?
Its history dates back to the Edo period.
Apparently, it all started when a lord, who was a big goldfish lover, moved from Yamanashi Prefecture and brought goldfish to Kōriyama.
After that, samurai who were struggling with low salaries began raising goldfish diligently in their gardens as a side job, and it gradually spread throughout the town.
Speaking of summer in Kōriyama, famous for its goldfish... did you know there's a hugely popular event every year?
That is, the "Goldfish Scooping World Championship"!
Don't underestimate it, thinking, "Just a goldfish scooping world championship?!"
It's a serious competition that attracts nearly 2,000 participants from all over the country every year.
Its excitement is truly a summer tradition.
Last year's winner reportedly scooped 50 goldfish in just 3 minutes!
Actually, as I'm writing this article, applications for this year have already closed, but if you're interested, why not consider participating next year or later?
The only requirement is "someone who loves goldfish scooping" ♪
Now, for those of you who are adults, don't you have memories of being absorbed in "goldfish scooping" at a summer festival stall as a child?
A competition would start with friends or siblings to see who could scoop more, clutching a single net (poi), gazing intently into the tank to target a goldfish.
Sometimes, getting a bit greedy and aiming for a big one, the net would rip instantly, leading to a frustrated "Ahhh!"
And then, the excitement of taking the scooped goldfish home, transferring them to a bucket or a small tank, naming them, and endlessly watching them without getting bored. (But usually, it's the mother who ends up taking care of the goldfish.)
Now that I'm an adult, it feels a bit embarrassing to enjoy festivals as innocently as I did back then, but seeing goldfish inexplicably brings back "nostalgic summer memories."
This summer, why not keep a cute goldfish in your belly, just like in those days?
Every time you make eye contact with the goldfish in your belly, those sparkling summer memories are sure to gently and warmly embrace your heart and belly.
▼ Click here for the Naramaki Super Thin Haramaki Goldfish product page ▼
Naramaki Super Thin Haramaki Goldfish – Naramaki Official Online Shop
