These days, markets and morning markets are being held all over the place.
A morning market called “Ibara Line DE Tokutoku Market” is held every month in Mabi, Kurashiki City.
One of the pleasures of a morning market is finding products that are different from what you’d find at a supermarket or convenience store.
What kinds of things can you find at the Tokutoku Market in Mabi?
The information provided was current when this article was published in March 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the Ibara Line DE Tokutoku Market?
The Tokutoku Market is held every month at Ibara Railway’s Ibara, Yakage, and Kibinomakibi stations.
| Week held | Station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| First Sunday of every month | In front of Ibara Station | 9:00 a.m.–noon |
| Second Sunday of every month | In front of Kibinomakibi Station | 8:00–10:30 a.m. |
| Third Sunday of every month | In front of Yakage Station | 9:00 a.m.–noon |
The Tokutoku Market at Kibinomakibi Station, which I visited, brings together vendors selling vegetables, fruit, prepared foods, and more in the station plaza on the second Sunday of every month from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m.
There’s also a great perk: if you take the Ibara Railway to the market and shop there, your return fare is free.
To receive this perk, get a stamped ticket while riding the Ibara Railway on your way there, then ask the shop to stamp it when you make a purchase.
If you’re driving, you can use the free parking lot at Kibinomakibi Station.
At the Tokutoku Market, you can also earn points based on your purchases. Collect enough points and you can enter a raffle to win a fabulous prize.
The morning market on the day
At 8:30 a.m., I arrived at the parking lot and was immediately greeted by a delicious smell.
There aren’t many vendors, but the stalls offer products unique to Mabi, one of the prefecture’s leading bamboo shoot-producing areas, such as sticky rice with bamboo shoots and bamboo shoot croquettes.
The bamboo shoot croquettes are freshly fried, and the sticky rice has just been made.
Warm steam rises from the steamer holding the sticky rice.
All right, I thought I’d first take a lap around the market… but as I strolled along, an announcement came that the bamboo shoot croquettes had already sold out.
The croquettes, a morning market specialty, are popular every month and apparently sell out first.
What a shame, but my shopping has only just begun. Let’s go look for something else delicious.
Freshly grilled conger eel
The source of that delicious smell wafting through the market was grilled conger eel.
The men were happily grilling conger eel from early in the morning, beer cans in hand.
It’s a great deal at 1,100 yen for a pack containing three fish.
As I walked past the stall, they called out, “Come have a taste!”
Charcoal-grilled and freshly cooked—it’s so fragrant! I bought some for lunch.
Obanyaki with bamboo shoots
At the Tokutoku Market, even the obanyaki is Mabi-style: it’s made with bamboo shoots.
Chopped bamboo shoots were sprinkled in with the sweet bean paste.
I wondered whether bamboo shoots would go well with sweet bean paste, so I couldn’t resist buying one.
I wanted to eat it while it was warm, so I took a bite right there by the roadside.
The fluffy, slowly baked crust and sweet bean paste are complemented by the slightly salty bamboo shoots.
Tools unique to Mabi
An unfamiliar tool (on the right in the photo) was displayed at the hardware store.
Do you know what this is?
It’s a hoe made specifically for digging up bamboo shoots.
It has a narrower, longer tip than an ordinary hoe, so it can be used to dig up young bamboo shoots buried deep underground.
That’s what you’d expect from Mabi, a bamboo shoot-producing area.
Some people at the market were buying several at a time.
It may be a common tool in Mabi.
From the Writer
The Ibara Line DE Tokutoku Market is a compact morning market, but the vendors were friendly, offering samples and chatting with me, so I headed home in a cheerful mood.
With bamboo shoot treats and hoes made specifically for digging up bamboo shoots, visitors from outside Mabi can enjoy a little sightseeing experience.
Bamboo shoot season is just around the corner. During the season, you may even be able to buy freshly dug bamboo shoots at the Tokutoku Market.
Be sure to visit and enjoy the bamboo-shoot-filled morning market, the Tokutoku Market in Mabi.
Ibara Line DE Tokutoku Market details
| Name | Ibara Line DE Tokutoku Market |
|---|---|
| Date | Second Sunday of every month, 8:00–10:30 a.m. |
| Location | 1102-11 Yata, Mabi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | Free |
| Website | Ibara Railway Co., Ltd. Ibara Line DE Tokutoku Market |
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