Made in Japan, Outsourced Globally

When my cousin and I first wanted to take a "short weekend trip," we were determined to see the Japanese sakura (cherry blossoms).


The famous Sakura at Yoshino Mountain in Nara - this is what we wanted to go see

Unfortunately, it had been unusually cold in Japan this year (I was there late March - early April) and the flowers were to blossom much later than my stay. It's actually quite humorous how the entire nation is on edge about when the flowers are going to blossom (there are even people who observe the blossoms as their profession - and the Prime Minister declares the official blossom in Tokyo).

So... my cousin and I decided to head South, still hoping that we could see a glimpse of the blossoms. We headed to Shikoku, one of the four major islands of Japan (others being Hokkaido, Honshu, and Kyushu). Of course, we wouldn't be able to see everything, but we chose some "meisho" (famous places) of interest and let our stomach determine where to stop.

Saki & Hiroe's Route:
Nagoya --> Okayama --> Takamatsu --> Naruto --> Tokushima --> Ooboke/Koboke --> Takamatsu --> Nagoya


Legend of the Peach Boy (Momotaro)

We stopped in Okayama only because it was the last bullet train stop that went to Shikoku (if we went further, we would have been in Hakata). To be honest, the only thing this city is known for is the legend of the Peach Boy. We even found out that the "Ogre Island" in the fable was actually closer to the Takamatsu side (along with "Woman Island" and "Man Island" - I'm not quite sure why they were called that).

On to Takamatsu...

Tsukimi Udon ("Tsukimi" means "to see the moon" - like the egg in the middle)

One of the major reasons we chose to travel in Shikoku is because my cousin absolutely loves udon. The Sanuki region (in Northeast Shikoku) is a major udon region. It can definitely pride in the variety and the quality of the noodles.


Udon Buffet - get in line and choose your ingredients


Tempura Udon - the tempura was too big to fit in the bowls

Including the return trip, we ate a total of 6 bowls of udon between the two of us. And then we bought udon as souveniers at Takamatsu on the way back. Uf... deliciously full.

Naruto

Naruto is known for several things - kintoki yams, seaweed, "Uzushio" (or the whirlpool), and the land of historical romance (Minamoto Yoshitsune and Shizuka Gozen).


You can go across the bridge at the hour of the tides to see the two different currents come together - the calm Seto Inland Sea and the aggressive Pacific Ocean collide to make the natural phenomenon


The Uzushio is quite a spectacle, especially at high tide. If you fall in, you will never be able to swim out of it.

After udon hunting and seeing the Uzu, we decided to stop for the night in Tokushima

We had been looking through guidebooks for a good restaurant, and we thought we would give this 'Shishikui' a try. As seen in this picture, the women (with no diving gear, just their own pair of good lungs) dive underwater to gather the fresh seafood (this is called 'Ama-ryori'). It's a bit pricy because it is a dying art, but it's also nice to know that the tradition goes on.


To tell the truth, we were also drawn to the "Setta Ebi" (the red shrimp that's in half at the top), which is a shrimp that has a flat head. It tastes sweet but its meat is more refined than a crab. Some abalone sashimi and a little shrimp is also pictured here. The little sucker on the top right was actually alive when I ate it - it protested in my mouth and put up its last fight down to the esophagus.


The Ise Ebi is considered a real delicacy - although with an exterior much like a lobster, I think it is much tastier and sweeter than a lobster. What was particularly interesting about this one was - yup - it was still alive. Despite of us eating his insides, his nerves were still intact and his whiskers and legs were moving.

*Disclaimer: It may seem very cruel and odd that we are eating all these creatures alive, but in Japanese culture, we believe that we are receiving life when we are eating live food. It is the freshest and purest way of receiving an energy of an animal - and we are very grateful for them giving us life.


The Setta Ebi are getting a grilling here


Manpuku~ ^_^ (full & happy)


And of course, you can't forget some nice sake with good food! My cousin and I decided to try every sake on the menu, one by one. We actually found a liking to a local citrus sake called "Sudachuu," which tasted like gin and tonic concoction with a kalamansi-like fruit.


And as long as we are on the topic of alcohol, we shopped at a convenience store after dinner (to look for more "Sudachuu") and picked up this drink. I just liked the name of it - "Reggae Punch"!

One thing that I really like about traveling in Japan is the train rides. You can definitely go everywhere by train.
Train station in rural Japan

You also get some interesting trains, like this Anpanman Train. It's a children's cartoon character. When we went to Hokkaido a few years ago, we took the Doraemon Train in the undersea tunnel.

Another good reason to take trips on trains - buying bento with food of the region and eating them on your way to the next destination. Mmm... sushi.

We didn't really know what to expect in Ooboke. This was the last leg of the trip, and I wanted to go to a hot spring. This was probably the best part of the entire trip.

Ooboke Station

Japan is full of puns - "Ooboke" literally means "A very dangerous place to fall," but if you heard "Ooboke," it also means "Big clutz" or "Big looney". Without knowing the literal meaning, I thought that the people living here had quite a sense of humor. (In reality, people back in the days found the steep and slippery cliffs to be very dangerous).

When we approached Ooboke, we saw the rivers turn from a mossy color to this brilliant hue of glossy blue. It was unlike any water I had ever seen. Everyone on the train stood up, mesmerized by the sight that passed them by outside the window. We couldn't wait to get to Ooboke and walk around.

Yoshino River and Sakura at Ooboke

We got to see sakura afterall...

This hot spring was called "the hidden waters" - meaning that it was a little known secret. Well, thanks to advertising on guidebooks, it wasn't that much a secret.

The hot spring was relaxing and made our skins 100 times smoother. We also enjoyed the outdoor hot spring and the calm mountain scenery.

Hiroe and I wanted to walk around until the next train, but the weather was very bizarre - rain one minute, sunshine the next, a thunder in the distance... When there was a sudden down pour, we stopped in front of a house. A man who was walking, who also happened to be the owner of the house, approached us and lended us his umbrella. People are so nice and trusting here.

Koinobori - these fish-shaped windsocks are for Children's Day (May 5). When families do not have small children anymore, I guess they donate them as decoration for the valley.

The black one is the father, the red is the mother, and the small blue one is the child.

There is so much to do in Japan, but I think we did pretty well for a 1night/2days trip. It may seem like we were searching after good food all the time... well, actually I can't refute that because Japan is full of delicious spots. I can't wait to travel more in this beautiful country.