Welcome to Waiwai Marche

Hello, travelers! This is Riri, a writer for Sarukuma (^^♪
Today I’m excited to introduce you to Waiwai Marche, a charming monthly marketplace held especially for children in Koshi City, Kumamoto!

The event takes place at Kuroishi Garden, a beloved local play spot we’ve featured before!

【Kuroishi Garden – Koshi City Kuroishi】The Ultimate Big Playground to Play, Eat, and Laugh!

For a glimpse of the summer water-play version, check out Sunny’s earlier post (^^♪

Across from the Kuroishi Garden shop sits a lovely handmade treehouse — and right beside it, on the second Sunday of every month from 11:00 a.m., this delightful kids’ marketplace comes to life ♡♡♡

Meet the organizer, Matsuda Farm ☆
They offer pesticide-free and low-pesticide vegetables, along with succulents and handmade stamps (^^♪
Don’t forget to grab your card from Matsuda-san for the BINGO game starting at 2:00 p.m.!

On this visit, the area beneath the treehouse was hosting a flea market run by local children!

A regular vendor, Tsuho, sells deliciously crisp nori (seaweed) — additive-free, kid-friendly, and amazingly affordable! Just look at these prices! It’s the kind of deal that has us coming back month after month. The plum nori is so good my family fights over it!

※ Vendor lineup and prices vary each month.

This time we even had traditional mochi pounding (mochitsuki)! The kids lined up excitedly for their turn to pound the rice ♪

The freshly pounded mochi was incredibly fluffy and absolutely delicious — and best of all, it was served free for the kids! Tsuho generously provided the nori, and soy sauce was on hand too. What a treat!

Adults could grab freshly pounded mochi for just 100 yen each ♪ Tasting freshly made mochi after so long made me genuinely happy ( *´艸｀)

The next mochi-pounding event is scheduled for Sunday, February 11th! (Cancelled in case of bad weather)

Don’t Miss These Highlight Events

And when you talk about Waiwai Marche, you have to mention…

The famous candy toss from the chairman’s handmade treehouse! (Around 12:30 p.m.)

This time the candy was tossed from the site of the upcoming second treehouse!

Gummies, cookies, chocolate, umaibo snacks, and more ☆
You can’t see them all in the photo, but kids in front were eagerly scooping them up. Some of the candy includes vendor discount coupons, so check carefully!

Next up is the BINGO game at 2:00 p.m. — until then, browse the vendors, or pop into Kuroishi Garden for pizza or ramen! Time flies when there’s so much to enjoy ☆

The Kuroishi Garden chairman built this treehouse by hand — there’s even a swing hanging from it!

Behind the treehouse you’ll find a sandbox and a bamboo slide (you ride down on a sled!) — all handmade by the chairman. Truly impressive!

Once you’ve made your purchases, you can relax at the chairs and tables inside the Kuroishi Garden shop (^^♪
Other regular vendors include Yushin Medaka (ornamental fish) and the Fujinoya yakitori stand ♪
The vendor lineup changes each month, so check Matsuda Farm’s Instagram for the latest details ☆

And right next door to Kuroishi Garden is MILK’ORO by Oyabu Dairy Farm ♪

【MILK’ORO】Heart-Melting Sweets Made From Farm-Fresh Milk (Koshi City Suya)

【Oyabu Dairy Farm】The Award-Winning Dairy Farm Right Here in Koshi! (Koshi City Suya)

Kurumikko introduced this place in an earlier post — and the coin-priced drink menu has expanded since then!

They’re usually open on weekends and holidays, but check their Instagram for the latest hours before you go (^^♪
Our family always brings cabbage leaves to feed the goats ♪ (Yes, we got permission!)

At 2:00 p.m., the BINGO game begins! (First 50 elementary-school-aged children and younger only)

Winners pick their own prizes. My kids happily took home a Sumikkogurashi plush and a Pretty Cure (Precure) doll from a recent series ♪

There were also Dragon Ball and Demon Slayer figures — hard to believe it’s all free!
A huge thank-you to the organizers for thinking of the kids (つд⊂)
They prepare more prizes than there are bingo cards, so every child goes home with something. The chairman truly has the kindest heart for kids!

If you’re traveling around Kumamoto with your family on the second Sunday of the month, don’t miss this heartwarming marketplace built around the joy of children. We can’t wait to come back next month!

【Kuroishi Garden – Koshi City Kuroishi】The Ultimate Big Playground to Play, Eat, and Laugh!

【MILK’ORO】Heart-Melting Sweets Made From Farm-Fresh Milk (Koshi City Suya)

【Oyabu Dairy Farm】The Award-Winning Dairy Farm Right Here in Koshi! (Koshi City Suya)

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