Every Saturday and Sunday there is the “Farmers' Market” at UNU in Shibuya, which you can enter at no cost. As the market is relatively close to Shibuya station and the big department store Hikarie, it is not at all hard to find if you keep your eyes open for white tents. The place is booming with small shops selling fruits, juices, and generally just a lot of things that make you feel like you came to the healthiest place in all of Tokyo. However, the weekend spanning from June 25 to 26 brought along something different to the market.
That weekend they added an extra twist, namely the “Nordic Lifestyle Market”, setting up a differently-styled market alongside the already popular Farmers' Market. Being from Denmark, I had an urge to see how Japanese people view Nordic Lifestyle. At the same time, I would also get to experience the regular Farmers' Market.
Imagine starting the day in the center of a busy city, and without realizing it you suddenly find yourself in a completely different place. You hear the soft rhythm of a bass in the background, and as you look around, you see huge flags representing the Nordic nations. You wonder if you are even in the same city as you were just a few minutes before. This is the feeling I had when I got into the Farmers' Market on that sunny Sunday morning.
As I had not been to the Farmers' Market before, and did not know what to expect of it, I was surprised to see all it had to offer in terms of organic foods and drinks. This trend of selling healthy food carried on into the Nordic Market, where you could find vegan burgers and many variations of Swedish tea. In my opinion, this made the two markets into a nice combination. However, there were also notable differences between the two markets. The main differences were that the Nordic Market brought with it different kinds of furniture, tableware and various things made for interior design. It was clear that simple porcelain and wooden chairs marketed as antiquities were among the things that people showed off to represent Nordic lifestyle. On that note, as a person from a Nordic country, I think they were not far off at all.
The Nordic Lifestyle Market was an event set for only the one weekend, so it is not for me to say if it will return. Nevertheless, the regular market, which is set for every Saturday and Sunday, had enough to offer in itself, making for a worthwhile visit if you find yourself in the Shibuya area. As an extra incentive, many of the booths serve delicious food or drink samples, should you be in the mood for anything from Japanese sake to fruit juice.
