Tag: Our Regional Cuisines
Summary of July itinerary in Japan (Hokkaido)
Summary of July itinerary in Japan (Hokkaido) From Saturday, July 2 to Monday, July 4, I traveled to Hokkaido (Kushiro and Akkeshi). On this trip, I was able to eat more seasonal seafood and local cuisine than on any previous trip. I was also able to enjoy the great national parks at Lake Akan and the Kushiro Marshland, as well as the wonderful flora and fauna, including nationally protected species like the marimo and the Japanese (tancho) crane. Even in early July, when it was extremely hot in Japan, the temperatures in Kushiro and Akkeshi were 5 to 10°C cooler than in Honshu, making it the perfect summer vacation. I strongly recommend this itinerary for July in Japan. Here is a summary of the trip and some notes. Table of contents 1.”100 best of local dishes” and “Local dishes loved by the nation” by this itinerary in Japan 2. Seasonal “PRIDE FISH” by this itinerary in Japan 3. Travel precautions for the itinerary in Japan 4. Travel in a light style 5. July 2 (Saturday) Day 1 6. July 3 (Sunday) Day 2 7. July 4 (Monday) Day 3 Again, each time, this itinerary was also created with
July itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Hokkaido Meal edition)
July itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Hokkaido Meal edition) (Monday, July 4th) Table of contents 1. Ramen Maruhira 2. Restaurant Izumiya 3. Restaurant Tancho 1. Ramen Maruhira On the last day of my trip, I had Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen for breakfast at Kushiro’s most popular ramen restaurant, Ramen Maruhira. Ramen Maruhira has been in business since 1959. It is located in a residential area outside of downtown Kushiro Station, Suehiro-cho, and Kushiro Fisherman’s Wharf MOO. It is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is a restaurant for breakfast and lunch. I took a cab to Ramen Maruhira, and when I arrived at 9:25 a.m., the restaurant was already open and there were four customers. It seemed to open a little earlier than 9:30. Ramen Maruhira offers only shoyu ramen and shio ramen. However, there are three sizes available: regular, large, and extra-large. The prices are Yen 700, Yen 800, and Yen 900, respectively. There is no beer or other alcoholic beverages, probably because the restaurant is not open at night. I ordered the regular shoyu ramen. Some of the regular customers ordered shio ramen. Ramen Maruhira’s soy sauce ramen looked ordinary, but when I drank
June itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Kyoto, Aichi Meal edition)
June itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Kyoto, Aichi Meal edition) (Friday, June 10) Table of contents 1. Restaurant Kitamura 2. Cafe Milan 3. Takeyoshi 4. Sumiyoshi, Kabuto, Izakaya Tsuruhachi 1. Restaurant Kitamura I had a late breakfast before my stroll at “Miyama’s Thatched Village (Kayabuki no sato)”. I ordered “mori soba” (Yen 840), “rice with raw egg” (Yen 320), “dish simmered in regional chicken liver” (Yen 430), and “dish simmered venison with ginger” (Yen 430) at “Restaurant Kitamura“. “Mori soba” is most popular buckwheat noodle at “Restaurant Kitamura”. It is made from buckwheat flour harvested in Miyama and ground on a millstone. The soba noodles are handmade in the restaurant every day. Despite being handmade soba, the noodles were very thin and made me feel that they were well worked. The amount of Soba was a little small, but it was a very tasty “mori soba”. The “rice with raw egg” was made with freshly caught local eggs, and the rich yolk of the egg was delicious and irresistible. The chicken and venison used in the “dish simmered in regional chicken liver” and “dish simmered venison with ginger” were also caught in Miyama. The meat is locally produced,
June itinerary in Japan Day 2 (Kyoto Meal edition)
June itinerary in Japan Day 2 (Kyoto Meal edition) (Thursday, June 9) Table of contents 1. Soba Restaurant Aoi 2. Seppourai Kyoto Station Building Store 1. Soba Restaurant Aoi For my first lunch in Kyoto, I had hamo (conger pike) somen (Yen 1,380 ) at “Soba Restaurant Aoi” located in the Kintetsu Mall Miyakomimichi in Kyoto Station. I chose the somen despite the fact that it is a soba noodle restaurant because it has Hamo no Yubiki (parboiled conger pike) on top of the somen. Hamo (conger pike) cuisine is famous for Kyoto in summer. It has been selected as one of the “Our Regional Cuisines” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan as “grilled hamo”. Although grilled hamo has been selected as one of “Our Regional Cuisines”, I definitely Hamo no Yubiki (parboiled conger pike) as my favorite hamo dish. I think the contrast between the white parboiled hamo and the red plum sauce is a great contrast and looks very nice. There are not many white and red dishes other than parboiled hamo, which is why it makes parboiled hamo stand out against other dishes. The hamo no somen was also a very
June itinerary in Japan Day 1 (Osaka Meal edition)
June itinerary in Japan Day 1 (Osaka Meal edition) (Wednesday, June 8) Table of contents 1. Soraben 2. Okonomiyaki “Abeton” 3. Sushi “Abaraya” 1. Soraben For breakfast on June 8, I had a “Soraben (Sky bento)” at Haneda Airport. This trip to Osaka/Kyoto has nothing to do with Fukuoka Prefecture, but I bought a “Yamaya Mentai Saizen” (Yen 1,350) from Fukuoka Prefecture. The “Yamaya Mentai Saizen” is one of the more expensive “Soraben” sold at Haneda Airport. However, when I opened the lid of the bento, I found that the coloring was very plain. I was disappointed after opening the lid, because I think coloring is very important for both “Ekiben” and “Soraben”. The taste was good, but it was not good enough to make up for the very plain coloring. Considering the price, I felt that it was a very overpriced “Soraben”. I knew I shouldn’t have bought a Fukuoka bento at Haneda Airport. 2. Okonomiyaki “Abeton” After sightseeing at Shitennoji Temple, I had okonomiyaki at “Abeton“, which is located a little more than 5 minutes away on foot. “Abeton” is located in an underground shopping mall called “Abechika”. It is located on the Shitennoji Temple
May itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Kumamoto Meal edition)
May itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Kumamoto Meal edition) (Thursday, May 19) Table of Contents 1. Amakusa Champon Chiran 2. HERO KAI Kumamoto Station 3. Ramen Kusunoki 1. Amakusa Champon Chiran I had brunch at Amakusa Champon Chiran near Misumi Station on 19 May. Amakusa Champon is one of Japan’s “Three Great Champons”, along with Nagasaki Champon and Obama Champon. I am ashamed to say that I only knew Nagasaki chanpon. Obama Champon was developed in Obama Onsen (Obama-cho, Unzen City) in Nagasaki Prefecture. If we look up “Three Great Champons”, Tobata chanpon (Tobata Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture) may be mentioned instead of Obama chanpon. Amakusa Champon is said to have started as an adaptation of Nagasaki chanpon techniques with the addition of Amakusa ingredients. Chiran was opened two years ago by the owner and his wife, who had been in business for many years in Nara Prefecture. Misumi is near owner’s wife home town, Amakusa. This ramen shop was very popular in Nara Prefecture and won the Grand Prix in the variety category of the ramen magazine “Ultimate Ramen 2020”. According to the owner, regular customers of Chiran in Nara sometimes come to Misumi Town, Uki
May itinerary in Japan Day 2 (Kumamoto Meal edition)
May itinerary in Japan Day 2 (Kumamoto Meal edition) (Wednesday, May 18) Table of contents 1. Hitoyoshi Ryokan 2. Yorifuji 3. Nishiki sushi 1. Hitoyoshi Ryokan Breakfast on May 18th was served at the accommodation “Hitoyoshi Ryokan“. I love breakfast at hot spring inns. Even though it’s breakfast, it’s great to be able to eat many kinds of side dishes. Also, the color of the small bowl containing many kinds of side dishes is beautiful. The breakfast at Hitoyoshi Ryokan was one of the best breakfasts I have ever had at a hot spring inn. I ate dried sweetfish for the first time. The Kuma River, which runs beside Hitoyoshi Ryokan, is famous for catching delicious sweetfish. The opening date for sweetfish fishing is June 1, so it’s a pity that I could only eat dried sweetfish this time. Next time, I wanted to revisit Hitoyoshi during the sweetfish fishing season. When I left the breakfast venue of “Hitoyoshi Ryokan”, beautiful flowers were laid. I was happy with the fresh flowers that matched the atmosphere of “Hitoyoshi Ryokan”. “Hitoyoshi Ryokan” is a wonderful ryokan, and the services of the landlady and female employees were also pleasant. The complaint
April itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Ehime Meal edition)
April itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Ehime Meal edition) (Wednesday, April 20) Table of contents 1. JR Hotel Clement Uwajima “Sirene” 2. Local cuisine “Hozumi-tei” 3. Izakaya “Oiri-tei” 4. Yakiyaki Iron Plate Grill “Himawari Ichibancho Train Street Store” 1. JR Hotel Clement Uwajima “Sirene” I had breakfast at the restaurant “Sirene” of “JR Hotel Clement Uwajima” which was near the hotel where I was staying on April 20th (Wednesday). We can eat Uwajima’s unique meals using local ingredients such as “Uwajima Tai-meshi”, “Kama-age shirasu (straight-from-the-pot young sardine which is freshly boiled) “, “Grilled dried local fish”, and “local vegetables” since the morning at “Sirene”. Even those people who are not staying at JR Hotel Clement Uwajima can have breakfast at “Sirene”. I had “Tai-meshi Breakfast Set” (Yen 1,800 including tax) that I hadn’t eaten since I came to Uwajima. “Uwajima Tai-meshi” is the “100 selections of local cuisine” in Ehime prefecture selected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. “Uwajima Tai-meshi” is a dish of red sea bream sashimi caught in the Uwa Sea, mixed with soy sauce, raw eggs, seaweed, etc. over rice. Simply put, it is a raw egg over rice with sashimi of red sea
March itinerary in Japan Day 4 (Hiroshima, Okayama Meal ed.)
March itinerary in Japan Day 4 (Hiroshima, Okayama Meal ed.) (Friday, March 25) Table of contents 1. Onomichi Ramen Iccho 2. Local cuisine Hamayoshi 1. Onomichi Ramen Iccho I returned to Fukuyama Station from Tomonoura, Myo-in and Kusado Inari Shrine, and had lunch at “Onomichi Ramen Iccho”. As I posted on the BLOG on April 19, there are two types of Onomichi ramen, and Hiroshi Iwaoka, the founder of the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum says, “Onomichi ramen should be called Onomichi / Fukuyama ramen.” Therefore, Onomichi ramen eaten in Fukuyama City can be called local ramen. Many customers lined up at “Onomichi Ramen Iccho” even after 13:00. There is no doubt that it is a popular ramen shop in Fukuyama City. With a high score of 3.62 in Tabelog, it is listed as the top ramen shop in Fukuyama City. I ordered “ramen” (Yen 650). The ramen of “Onomichi Ramen Iccho” was a typical “Onomichi ramen” with a lot of fatty upper part of roast pork floating in black soy sauce soup. The taste of ramen was one of the best ramen I ate recently. The noodles were a little soft at “Kukai” in Onomichi City the day before,
March itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Hiroshima Meal edition)
March itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Hiroshima Meal edition) (Thursday, March 24) Table of contents 1. FUKUBEER 2. Onomichi Ramen Kukai 3. Omichi Roman Coffee 4. Izakaya “Umi no Kohachi” 5. Jiyuken 1. FUKUBEER After enjoying a walk in the “Takehara Preservation District of Important Historical Buildings”, I drank FUKUBEER at “Roadside Station Takehara”. FUKUBEER is a golden ale containing honey from “FUKUBEE”, which runs an apiary in Tanoura, Takehara City. It is a collaboration product of “FUKUBEE” and Iwami Bakushu in Iwami City, Iwate Prefecture. Although it is a beer, it contains honey, so it was a beer with a gentle taste that was perfect for drinking in the morning. FUKUBEER doesn’t hit much even if I search the Web, so I think it’s a limited beer with a small amount of production. Especially for women who are not good at bitter taste of beer, I think it is a perfect beer, so I would like to expect it to be sold nationwide. The design of the beer bottle was also cute. “Roadside Station Takehara” sells a lot of locally grown vegetables, and many Takehara citizens enjoyed shopping even in the morning. I liked the bright and
March itinerary in Japan Day 2 (Hiroshima Meal edition)
March itinerary in Japan Day 2 (Hiroshima Meal edition) (Wednesday, March 23) Table of contents 1. Soba restaurant “Tonbo” 2. MIYAJIMA BREWERY 3. Hiroshima Gyoza Hiroshima Station ekie store 4. Izakaya Shin 5. Micchan Sohonten Hatchobori Main Store 1. Soba restaurant “Tonbo” While sightseeing in Miyajima, I had lunch at Soba restaurant “Tonbo”. At first, I was thinking of eating while walking after buying fried Momiji Manju (sweet bun) at Soba restaurant “Tonbo”. However, it took a long time to make the fried Momiji Manju, so I decided to eat soba at Tonbo as well. I had fried Momiji Manju for the first time, but it was hot and delicious. By the way, the next day I bought raw Momiji Manju at Hiroshima Station and ate it at the hotel. In conclusion, I found that I like the traditional and ordinary Momiji Manju the most. However, I think that both the fried Momiji Manju and the raw Momiji Manju were good experiences. At Soba restaurant “Tonbo”, I ordered “Conger eel tempura soba,” “Mini Anago-meshi,” and “Steamed oysters” in addition to the fried Momiji Manju. “Conger eel tempura soba” was delicious, but it wasn’t so impressive. However, I was
February itinerary in Japan Day 5 (Tottori, Shimane Meal ed.)
February itinerary in Japan Day 5 (Tottori, Shimane Meal ed.) (Sunday, February 27) Table of contents 1. Ekiben / Gozaemon Bento 2. Oku Izumo soba Ippuku 3. Sasakiya 4. Hinoya Curry x LA BAR 1. Ekiben / Gozaemon Bento I bought the ekiben “Gozaemon Bento”, “Tofu Chikuwa”, and “Ago-noyaki” and ate them on the train from Yonago Station to Shinji Station. Originally, there was an ekiben sales place inside Yonago Station, but it closed in September 2020 due to the renovation work of the Yonago Station building. Now, tourist buy ekiben at “Souvenir Rakuichi”, which is a little outside of Yonago Station. “Gozaemon Bento” (Yen 1,400) is a luxurious bento that contains Sanin’s famous Gozaemon sushi, Daisen Okowa, and crab chirashi-zushi. Gozaemon sushi is pressed sushi made with mackerel, conger eel, and crab, etc. Gozaemon Sushi is a famous pressed sushi that is also sold at Tokyo Station, Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo, and Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store. “Gosaemon Bento” contained two mackerel sushi. It was a very delicious mackerel sushi. “Daisen Okowa” is a vegetarian dish that was served by people who trained in Daisen, and the Okowa of Daisenji has spread to the home. Okowa is glutinous
January itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Yamagata Meal edition)
January Itinerary in Japan Day 3 (Yamagata Meal edition) (Thursday, January 27) Table of contents 1. SUIDEN TERRASSE 2. Sengoku-ya 3. Sushi Koise 1. SUIDEN TERRASSE I had breakfast at the restaurant of SUIDEN TERRASSE Hotel. Breakfast at SUIDEN TERRASSE is a Japanese buffet with about 30 items. Although it is a buffet, the staff members kindly served me with rice, miso soup, and Dongara-jiru (Chunky cod stew) . The Japanese buffet at SUIDEN TERRASSE is characterized by offering local ingredients and many local dishes. At the breakfast I had so many local dishes of the Shonai region and Yamagata prefecture. I ate Shonai Asatsuki (spring onion) with vinegar miso, Yamagata prefecture pholiota nameko soy sauce, Shonai beach salt-grilled blackthroat seaperch, simmered Shonai pork, Yamagata specialty Tama konnyaku (ball konjac), Shonai pork sausage, local dish salt natto, soy sauce no mi, Dongara-jiru (Chunky cod stew), Shonai rice (Tsuyahime, Yukiwakamaru), Chokai Kogen yogurt, etc. Among the foods I ate, “Soy sauce no mi” and “Tama konnyaku” were selected as “Our Regional Cuisines” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. “Soy sauce no mi” is a versatile seasoning made by mixing soy sauce, wheat, and rice. It seems that
January itinerary in Japan Day 1 (Yamagata Meal edition)
January itinerary in Japan Day 1 (Yamagata Meal edition) (Tuesday, January 25) Table of contents 1. FURUSAWA SAKE BREWERY Sawa Masamune 2. Ekiben 3. Local beer, local sake 4. Notoya Ryokan 1. FURUSAWA SAKE BREWERY Sawa Masamune After sightseeing in Yamagata city, I had a light meal of Yamagata prefecture’s local cuisine and local sake at “FURUSAWA SAKE BREWERY Sawa Masamune” in the Yamagata Station Building “S-PAL Yamagata”. Yamagata Prefecture is a prefecture that boasts of gastronomy and delicious sake, which is called “Yamagata, the best gastronomic and best sake prefecture in Japan.” There is even a homepage called “Oishii (Delicious) Yamagata“. I also think that Yamagata Prefecture’s food and sake are very delicious. The names of the airports in Yamagata Prefecture are “Oishii (Delicious) Yamagata Airport” and “Oishii (Delicious) Shonai Airport”, and both airports are appealing to Gourmand Prefecture. In addition, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture is the only city in Japan that has been certified as a “UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy“. However, I don’t think Yamagata Prefecture is very well known nationwide as a prefecture for gastronomy and best sake. I did some research on the national evaluation. Yamagata Prefecture ranked 4th in the questionnaire survey (12,299