shikoku fair

Recently Hanshin Department Store held a Shikoku Fair.

All sorts of foodie items from Kochi, Ehime, Tokushima & Kagawa prefectures.

I was hoping that Hakurakuten would be selling their sauce for their yakibuta tamago meshi bowls...and they were!

We had this for dinner one night...I gotta figure out how to make the yakibuta (roast pork) similar but this was still delicious!

good cacao 33.8

While in Matsuyama, we stopped into Good Cacao 33.8, the first bean to bar chocolate maker for this area.

Apparently 33.8 degrees is the temperature (in Celsius) that chocolate melts at and 33.8 is also the north latitude of where Dogo Onsen is located in Matsuyama.

We picked up two bars to try.

The crushed almond is 70% cacao with crushed almonds. The cacao comes from Haiti.

I thought the almonds had no flavor, but I liked the chocolate...a little bitter and fruity

The second bar was a 70% cacao from Vietnam.

This one had slices of iyokan peel (the citrus of the area).

I think this chocolate was fruity also.

I'm glad we got to try these and it made a nice souvenir from the area.

I hope more bean to bar places will catch on in the years to come.

Good Cacao 33.8
20-14 Dogo-yunomachi
Matsuyama, Ehime
Phone: 089.934.4833

matsuyama-okayama-osaka

Being a history buff, Satoshi was interested in visiting the Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum.

The novel (Saka no Ue no Kumo) was written by Ryotaro Shiba and introduces several characters who were natives of Matsuyama in the Meiji Era and illustrated that with hard work, anything is possible.

Having not read the book or seen the television drama, I walked through the museum and just soaked in the atmosphere and architecture, which by the way was designed by Tadao Ando (a well-known architect from Osaka).

On the property is also Bansuiso, a French-style structure built in 1922 by a descendant of the Lord of the Matsuyama Clan.

Inside, they were holding a tsubaki (camellia) exhibit.

The camellia is the city flower.

I appreciated that their street cars all had wifi access.

One interesting thing we tried were mikan onigiri by Tamaya.

We got one beef and one chicken.

Both were so tasty! the beef and chicken were tender and the combination of sweet, salty was delicious.

I've tried twice to re-create this already, and think I am getting close to posting about it...

As we walked to the birth home of the Akiyama brothers (residents of Matsuyama that were written about in "Saka no Ue no Kumo"), there was a line outside of a sweets shop, Kiri no Mori.

While Satoshi went to check out the brothers house, I stood in line for these...Kiri no Mori daifuku.

Pillowy soft mochi, sweet bean paste & whipped cream...dusted with matcha powder....mmm!

I'm glad I got one for each of us!

We also tried Botchan Dango...Botchan is a character in the novel of the same name, written by Natsume Soseki, a novelist who lived Matsuyama.

These were really soft bean pastes, not too much taste...meh!

Pon Juice...I've written about this juice here.

I also came across this nice sized bag of brussels sprouts for only 100 yen!

It took a little over 3 hours to get from Matsuyama to Okayama then another hour on the Shinkansen to take us back to Osaka.

At least the weather was nice and we were able to see what we wanted to.

Hope you enjoyed this adventure as much as we did.

Tamaya
6-13 Dogo-yunomachi
Matsuyama, Ehime
Phone: 089.915.5014

Kiri no Mori
3-3-1 Okaido
Matsuyama, Ehime
Phone: 089.934.5567
Closed Mondays
Hours: 10:00-19:00

miyajima-kure-matsuyama

We woke early the next morning to maybe check out the sunrise...

Nope...it was all foggy...no deer in sight...yet the tide was out again and it was super peaceful.

In fact, we were wondering if the deer population had dwindled from our previous visit (pre-blog).

The day before there were some deer attacking the maps people were reading, but other than that, they were really low-key and there were not many of them around.

I suspected it was because there were no deer senbei (wafers) being sold like in Nara.

Though the day before, I did see a deer "almost" head-butt a little girl...it was her fault for taunting the deer though...

Blog friend, Rowena, mentioned that this area reminded her of Mont Saint Michel...coincidentally they are sister cities.

It was cool catching glimpses of deer footprints on the sand...

Walking around the area sans tourists was part eery and nice at the same time.

This dude took one look at us and then made his way up the stairs in search of breakfast...

After our own breakfast, we made one more trek to gaze at the torii and then sat down for a decent cup of coffee at Itsuki Coffee.

I was impressed that most shops opened at 9:00 even though there were not a lot of tourists around.

We then said "goodbye" and agreed we would need to return to see the view from Mount Misen.

From Miyajima to Kure it takes about an hour and a half...

Since we had some time, Satoshi wanted to check out the Japan Self Defense Forces Museum as they had a huge submarine on display...

If you look at the picture above, you'll notice the sub is being freshened up...bummer but huge yeah?!

You can sit in the cockpit of the sub...

I, myself would get claustrophobic if I had to work/live in a sub...

Then we headed to Matsuyama by speed ferry.

Luckily we picked up some musubi for the trip (it was 30 minutes to Matsuyama)

Yakisaba (grilled mackerel) and Hiroshima-na (a type of vege similar to chinese cabbage) for Satoshi and fried chicken with a lemon sauce for me...both used ingredients from the Hiroshima area and were a nice snack to tide us over until lunch.

When we arrived in Matsuyama, it was another 50 minutes by bus to Dogo Onsen, one of the oldest hot springs in Japan.

The building was supposedly the inspiration for the bathhouse in "Spirited Away", a Japanese animated movie.

By the time we left our belongings at the hotel and went in search of lunch it was almost 15:00!

We shared this jakko-ten from Tanimoto Kamaboko...a bit too gritty for me, the tempura is made from jakko (tiny sardines) ground into a paste then fried.

This version was also coated with batter and fried again like a croquette.

As we walked in the shopping arcade...Dogonomachiya, a cute cafe caught my eye.

Since it was 15:00-ish, it was "tea time", so we had to wait for seats.

I ordered their fried onion burger...teriyaki sauce smothered the beefy burger.

The fried onion rings were so good and crisp! (that orange on the plate was so sweet!)

Satoshi ordered their fried fish burger which he enjoyed.

We liked the laid back atmosphere and their garden was nice to gaze at too.

We also had ordered coffee with our meals but felt it had been sitting somewhere before they served us...lukewarm...bah!

After lunch, we did a little exploring and came upon this huge yugama (literally hot water pot) which was apparently used before the bathhouses were built.

We also visited Isaniwa Shrine.

Can you believe when Satoshi asked the guy at the tourist information for info on this shrine the guy replied, "it's just a shrine"...it really ticked Satoshi off...

The steps to this shrine are steep and there really aren't any railings (except that chain thingy in the middle) to help you if you are about to fall...

After checking-in, we went to check out the Dogo Onsen baths before dinner..your admission fee determines the level of your "bath experience".

I had actually visited here when I studied in Japan (many moons ago) and was totally disappointed with our "bath experience" this time around.

Maybe because we took the cheapest route, maybe because it was the weekend and "everyone" was visiting...the ratio of bathers totally overloaded the size of the bath...it was so disappointing and not relaxing at all.

Also, unlike most hotel hot spring type baths, you need to bring in your own towels and soap, even pay to use the hair dryers.

More info on fees and hours can be found here.

Dinner was another assortment of different delicacies of the area.

It had been a long day, still I was glad the weather was nice and we got to see and do all that we did.

Itsuki Coffee
420 Miyajima-cho
Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima
Hours: 9:00-19:00

Tanimoto Kamaboko
20 Dogo-yunomachi
Matsuyama, Ehime
Phone: 089.933.3032
Hours: 8:30-22:00

Dogonomachiya
14-26 Dogo-yunomachi
Matsuyama, Ehime
Phone: 089.986.8886
Closed Tuesdays and every 3rd Wednesday
Hours: 10:00-22:00

Hotel Katsuragi
4-16 Dogoyuzuki-cho
Matsuyama, Ehime
Phone: 089.931.5141

imabari-okunoshima-takehara

From Imabari, it took us about 40 minutes to get to Inokuchi Port by bus.

Before getting on the bus, Satoshi called a taxi company to meet us at Inokuchi Port, so that they could take us to Sakari Port.

When Satoshi had called, he explained that we wanted to catch the ferry to Okunoshima.

To get to Inokuchi Port, you need to cross the Shimanami Kaido, a roadway that links the small islands in the Setouchi area.

On a sunny day, the view is quite spectacular.

I hope you can view this video I shot as we crossed one of the bridges on the Shimanami Kaido

We arrived at Inokuchi Port a little before 9:00 and the taxi was waiting for us.

In fact, as we got off the bus, the taxi driver said, "jump in, we can make the 9:05 ferry"

Sakari Port was 2 kilometers away from Inokuchi Port, so off we sped.

As he drove on the winding coastal road, he radioed the ferry that we wanted to get on the 9:05 ferry.

So, they waited for us! (so nice! thank you!)

We jumped on the ferry and 15 minutes later were at Okunoshima, also known as Rabbit Island.

Okunoshima is part of Hiroshima prefecture and is a tiny island about 3 kilometers around.

During the war, this island had a factory making and testing mustard gas and tear gas.

Apparently, rabbits were used to test the gases and effects.

After the war, when the factory was destroyed, they also killed the rabbits that were on the island.

Then when they decided to turn the island into a park, they released a new set of rabbits into the wild.

Now you can camp and there is also a tiny hotel.

Dogs & cats are prohibited as well as hunting.

Our only regret was not bringing veggies for the rabbits.

They don't sell any food for the rabbits on the island...bummer!

Fortunately, rabbits have bad eye sight, so we picked up some rabbit food that someone had left on the ground, and fed them with it.

This little guy stole my heart!

After walking all the way around the island, we caught the ferry to Tadanoumi.

Since we had about an hour wait for the train, we went to look for lunch.

Choices were quite slim.

Luckily, we were able to have some Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki at Eshimaya.

I enjoyed the shiso and thin noodles in the okonomiyaki.

From Tadanoumi, it was about 30 minutes to Takehara.

After putting our bags down at the hotel, we explored the area.

There are so many preserved homes here.

Like stepping back in time.

It was fun exploring all the tiny alleyways.

Dinner was at our hotel, everything was so tasty.

Dessert was from the cute patisserie nearby, Fraicheur.

I had their cassis chocolat...super rich! but I enjoyed the dark chocolate paired with cassis.

Satoshi had their pumpkin mont blanc...he felt there was too much going on in his dessert with the matcha cake crossing out the pumpkin cream...bummer!

We also went omiyage shopping at the supermarket nearby...furikake, snacks, citrus tea and instant curry.

It was a long day, but the weather was super nice (hot!) and we got to see and do quite a bit.

Eshimaya
2-7-10 Tadanoumi-nakamachi
Takehara, Hiroshima
Phone: 0846.26.2386
Lunch: 11:00-13:00, Dinner: 17:00-22:00
Closed Mondays

Fraicheur
4-7-31 Chuo
Takehara, Hiroshima
Phone: 0846.22.7526
Closed Thursdays
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10:00-19:00, Sunday 10:00-18:30

Green Sky Hotel
4-2-18 Chuo
Takehara, Hiroshima
Phone: 0846.22.1355

osaka-imabari

From Osaka it is almost 6 hours by bus to Imabari.

Imabari is located in Ehime Prefecture which is in Shikoku.

By the time we reached Imabari, it was close to 14:00 and we were starving.

Lunch was at Hakurakuten, a place that serves all sorts of local b-kyu gurume (b-class gourmet).

We tried their yakibuta tamago meshi...750 yen (tax included) comes with egg drop soup.

In a bowl, rice is topped with yakibuta (roast pork), drizzled with a sweet-salty shoyu based sauce, then topped with fried eggs (and lots of black pepper).

If you want it spicier, you can ask for some chili oil.

Both ways are delicious.

Love the chalkboard art too.

After lunch we checked out the Imabari Castle.

6-flights of stairs, but it was a nice way to walk off lunch.

One thing Imabari is known for is their towels.

Super soft.

Dinner was an assortment of seafood, including huge bowls of tai (snapper) soup.

My grandma would've loved this. I ate as much as I could and think I did a pretty good job tackling all the bones.

After dinner, we walked back to the castle to see it all lit up.

A long day...the room we stayed in had free wifi but the futon (comforters) were flat, so it was as if we were sleeping directly on the tatami mats and of course there were smokers nearby too...still the weather was sunny (hot even!)

Hakurakuten
4-1-19 Tokiwa-cho
Imabari, Ehime, Shikoku
Phone: 0898.23.7292
Closed Tuesdays
Lunch: 11:00-15:00, Dinner: 17:00-22:00

Hotel Kikusui
1-2-5 Nakabama-cho
Imabari, Ehime, Shikoku
Phone: 0898.23.3330

takamatsu-ogishima-takamatsu-osaka

On our last day of Silver Week, we got up quite early to catch a cab to the pier.

At 8:00, we were on a ferry to Ogishima.

On my flight to Hawaii this summer, I was flipping through the in-flight magazine and came upon an article about Ogishima.

The island is supposed to have more cats than people living there.

During this time of year, the surrounding islands also participate in the Setouchi Triennale Art Festival.

Lots of contemporary artists display their artwork around the islands, some use abandoned houses.

Since the ferry ride to Ogishima is only half an hour, we were there too early to view some of the art displays, so we went around to the opposite side of the island to see their lighthouse.

It is about 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) from the ferry pier to the lighthouse.

There is a paved road so it is a nice walk.

The scary part is seeing signs that there are inoshishi (wild boar) in the area...

While descending down the incline to the lighthouse, tons of isopods were scurrying out of the way (they look like huge cockroaches!), while huge grasshoppers were in kamikaze mode, a lot flying into us....me screaming...gah!

The lighthouse is rather small, but I loved how they used the sea glass to decorate the signs.

Since the only way to go all the way around the island was to go up a hill (where there may be wild boar), we decided to go back the way we came...

Through the isopods and flying grasshoppers...

Each art display cost 300 yen per person to view, so we only went to see one.

Then we explored the southern part of the island.

There were some cats here and there but definitely not more than the amount of people living there.

We saw a poster explaining that cats on the island are being neutered/spade.

If their ear is "nicked" to look like a cherry blossom petal, then they have been neutered/spade.

Many of the cats that we did see were already neutered/spade.

Since we had some time before our ferry back to Takamatsu, we hung out at one of the only places open, Onba Cafe.

Onba means "cart" or "wheelbarrow" in the local language.

This cafe has a little workshop off to the side and they make custom onba...so cute!

We were feeling a bit hungry, so Satoshi had their ice cream with coffee while I had their chocolate pound cake with an iced coffee....total of 1400 yen for both.

It was nice to be able to sit and just space out.

The island is rather quiet and very peaceful.

We enjoyed our time on Ogishima but were ready for lunch.

Back in Takamatsu, we stopped at the first Sanuki udon shop we saw...Gainayatsu.

Sanuki Udon is the type of udon served in Kagawa.

The noodles are thick and chewy.

Purists eat it with just a little shoyu, while other prefer just a little dashi (stock).

Satoshi had their small curry udon, while I chose their cold niku (beef) udon.

Satoshi's was piping hot.

My noodles and soup were ice cold, perfect for the humid day, while the owner heated up the beef...and while this was sweet-salty delicious, this turned out to be quite gross toward the middle of my meal, as the fat from the beef congealed with the cold soup...

We both agreed that small was just the right size, leaning on a bit too much for me.

I picked up some soy salt by Kamebishi to try. I'd seen this somewhere online and was curious to try it. Soy sauce is dried to a flake type of "salt". I'll be sure to update when we try this.

And then it was time to get on the bus back to Osaka.

We were bummed to find out that the "business" type of bus with free wifi was not to be found on our route back to Osaka...boo!

The weather was overall cooperative, there were some sprinkles here and there, but for the most part, we were able to do and see what we intended to.

I hope you enjoyed our adventure, we sure had fun.

Gainayatsu
1-27 Nishinomatsu-cho, Matsuya Bldg 1F
Takamatsu, Kagawa
Phone: 090.5270.8779
Hours: 10:00-20:00, days off not set call before going

Onba Cafe/Factory
216 Ogi-cho
Takamatsu, Kagawa
Phone: 087.832.3123
Hours: 11:00-16:30
Open mostly for Setouchi Triennale period and weekends & holidays