[Mojiko Banana Hawking]

Banana hawking is a traditional art of selling bananas at auction that developed in the Kanmon region, which separates Honshu and Kyushu in Japan. It is said to have originated in the early Taisho period (1912-1926) as a means of quickly selling bananas that had ripened on board during transportation. It was once discontinued during the war but was revived in 1976 thanks to the efforts of residents, and now the history and the art have been preserved and handed down by the "Mojiko Banana Hawking Federation. In April 2017, it was recognized as a Japan Heritage site as one of the cultural assets of the "Kanmon Nostalgic Straits."

The other day, I "bought" bananas for the first time at a banana auction. Since the auction follows a Dutch auction format, where the price starts high and gradually decreases, I told my son to wait a little while before trying to buy bananas, but he was so eager to buy that he quickly grabbed a 1,000-yen bill and went to the front, followed by the other children who also went out to buy one after another. I was very sorry for the situation...but even under such circumstances, the power of his skillful storytelling and tempo to excite the audience and lead to more sales was breathtaking. I believe that this is a skill that only a human being can achieve. I felt that the business of moving people's hearts is similar to that of storytelling and rakugo.

The bananas I bought at the banana sale were not the kind of bananas that had to be eaten immediately, as in the past, but magnificent bananas. They were very beautiful and fine bananas, and I felt their weight was very heavy. "Mom, you have to do that too." I was a little chagrined, but strangely convinced, when my son said to me as soon as we bought the bananas, smiling smugly and eating them with relish.

Wakamatsu Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/wakamatsu.html

References
https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/3489/
https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/moji/file_0067.html