Walking Takamatsu

　　　This is a manhole cover depicting Nasu No Yoichi of the Minamoto clan shooting down a fan from the mast of a ship with a single arrow. It was the 18th batttle between the Minamoto clan and the Taira clan in the Genpei War. The year was 1185. The Taira, who controlled the emperor and ruled Japan, were losing the war. They lost the 18th battle as well, the Battle Of Yashima. Most of　them escaped, only to be defeated in the 19th, final battle.
　　　One princess of the Taira did not escape with the others. Instead she fled to Takamatsu. She must have been terrified and, in those days、 it would have been very　difficult to reach the small town.　What's a princess to do?
Alone, penniless, an outsider, she couldn't understand the local dialect and noone could understand her.
What she did was trade her kimono for some more practical work clothes, a pair of comfotable walking shoes, a wooden bucket and some fish. She was born samurai, but placing the fish in the bucket and the bucket on her head, she became the first itadakisan. She waked through the neighborhoods and sold fish to all the wives. She became quite popular, married a fisherman and her daughters carried on the family business,　as her great-great-great-great-great...granddaughters do today.
　　　　The word "itadaku" means "to be crowned with." It refers to the top or cap. A long time ago, people held their rice bowls above their heads and said "itadakimasu" to show humility before they ate. The Taira princesss, samurai, survivor, was crowned with a wooden bucket filled with fish.
　　　　　There is a very interesting blog with pictures of itadakisan at this site:
http://udoncafe.ashita-sanuki.jp/e140898.html　.
Remember, these women are descendent of samurai. They are very good with their knives.