A straw-wrapped sake barrel outside an izakaya in Tokyo’s Ameyoko district led me down a small rabbit hole into the story behind sake-daru (酒樽), kazari-daru (飾り樽), komo-daru (菰樽), and the square masu cups (枡).
This photo has become a reminder of how centuries-old objects once used to meet the demands of commercial logistics have evolved into familiar symbols of celebration.
- Location: Ameya-Yokocho, Taito Ward, Tokyo
- Timestamp: 2026/01/02・13:39
- Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
- 23 mm ISO 320 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ/5.6
- Provia Standard film simulation
I’ve written more about what I learned in my latest post, with links to sources for anyone interested in a deeper dive: https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20260102-ameyoko
by pix4japan