Wagashiya an-an's sweet memories: I went to TOTO London with 1000 Dango

A lot of days have passed, but this is the story of the day we delivered the dumplings and the day we visited the event.

Somehow the number of dumplings went according to our calculations and we ended up with about 1,000 and 20 three-coloured dumplings.

The three-day event period was 21~23 May, but the only day we could leave the café was Thursday, the 23rd, so the delivery was on Sunday, the 19th.

Eh? Do dumplings last that long?

If you are wondering, yes, they do not last long. An An's dumplings, which use no preservatives or moisturisers, taste best when they are freshly steamed. So, along with 1,000 frozen dumplings, I also brought a steamer. It was quite a big load, so I asked my husband to drive me in a big car.

It was a rare sunny day in May in the UK, so the two-hour one-way journey was nothing to be sneezed at. I enjoyed it very much.

When I entered the centre of London, there were many people! It was a Sunday and the weather was so nice that the streets were swarming with people... I would never have been able to drive. I'm glad I asked my husband to drive.

Oh, over there at Blackfriars station is St. Paul's Abbey.

And here we are at the TOTO Showroom. (Top photo).

The event space in the shop had already been decorated with a four-and-a-half-mat tea ceremony room, and a table space had been prepared for a miniature karesansui (dry landscape garden) making experience under the guidance of a professional gardener. Don't miss the miniature toilet that is firmly hidden away!

I was allowed to set up like this on the counter table next to it. Oh no, I was nervous.

When I explained how to steam, how to wrap the cellophane and how to fasten the cellophane with a handmade QR code sticker, he readily agreed and said, ‘I'll advertise it a lot’, to which the manager smiled. The dumplings were steamed on the spot and the director and his family tasted them and said they were delicious, which made me smile too.

I smiled too, and said, ‘Good luck with that!’ And then I hurried back home.

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On Thursday, the last day of the event, I went to pick up the steamer, and also to take a look at the Karesansui (dry landscape garden) workshop! I arrived at lunchtime to find that the workshop had already finished and there were dozens of dumplings left!

I was a fool to think that I would take the dumplings that no one had taken back home with me.

The steamer was also nicely packaged, and we put it in the cart and were on our way home. No, it was a bit annoying to leave without experiencing anything, so I decided to borrow the toilets.

What a surprise, there were three different toilets with washlets in the bathroom!

It's a showroom, so that's no surprise! We asked those who had experienced it for the first time to write down their impressions and put them up on the wall. They wrote: ‘I've never experienced anything like this!’ I can't use other toilets anymore’ and many other interesting comments.

I also had my first experience.

Tada-!

This is an oversized washlet with European specifications.

Too big to fit in an ordinary UK household toilet... 💦.

The stability is unbelievable. And the price is also not half bad.

In Europe, it's still slow to spread to ordinary households, but I hear that expensive washlets are being sought after in high-end hotels. I can see why! If the toilets are Washlet, I want to stay there even if it's a bit expensive. Subconsciously, Japanese buttocks are sucked into washlets.

Anyway, it was an event where I learnt a lot. Ah, it was fun.

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Finally, the warden's craftsmanship.