A fair bit of train(s) rides this morning - to get to #Yuasa in #Wakayama
Will grab lunch first and then some walk around. Original plan was to spend a couple of days - perhaps in Shirahama but the cold wasn't too helpful for the beach or camping so just a day trip #Japan#Travel #DasInYuasa
#DasInYuasa#Lunch 1/3
'Grabbed' was such a poor choice of word for the fabulous lunch we had. Had seen (online) they shirasu-(whitebait)-don [over rice] besides sashimi and udon and other items so went it. All of us got the sashimi set and 2 of us opted for the shirasu add on (except raw rather than fried as on the 'set'). #Food#Japan#Travel#Wakayama
#lunch 2/3
The #sashimi was terrific - came with fresh grated wasabi root too and terrific soy sauce.
The raw shirasu (which we had had as nigiri in Tokyo some weeks ago) came in a plate and to be added over the rice in the set - and we were told there was fresh ginger to mix in to a bowl of soy and poured over (+ nori).
Everything here was super o-ishi - including the Oden pieces (daikon, chikuwa, tofu; in center). #Food#Japan#Wakayama#Yuasa
#Lunch#DasInYuasa 3/3
Why not? Got some #sake as well - Nihonshu please, and said yes when the lady asked if we wanted it hot. Came in lovely water bath tokkuris with the cups as lids (is there a name for this ? @YamaguchiSake )
Good sake too! (Meant to but forgot to ask brand)
Most terrific and satisfying lunch.
Plenty of tea as well and with sake was just over 6K¥ - spectacular
Truly ごちそうさまでした。 #Japan#Food#Travel#Wakayama#Yuasa
After lunch we walked over - and just as we saw on the train ride, there were citrus trees , - mandarin oranges (marin) everywhere - different sizes (also a kumquat or kinkan)
Otherwise #Yuasa had fun narrow alleys with old buildings.
We went over to our reserved appointment atbthe soy sauce maker. That'll be a mini thread I'll tell you about and link to later.
While I'm on the topic of #oranges and #wakayama and #Yuasa - we were given small ones at the soy sauce place and told the small ones are really good. Anyways, we picked up some at a store then more at an unattended stand 200¥ per bag both places. Then the takoyaki lady at the evening snack place handed us some as well. An abundance of oranges (so deep orange and bursting with flavor these!!)
Catching back up here to add this mini thread 1/4 on our #SoySauce#FactoryTour at #Yuasa
I had made a timed tour reservation (via email via website) - not because of the historical reason (Yuasa town is where soy sauce started in #Japan - via kinzanji-miso, though heydays here are well past), but mainly because this place still does cedar cask (kioke) #fermentation and we wanted to see (and smell) that tradition
3/4 tours are free and anytime but with the pre-reservation (and 300¥) we got to do the fun fragrant moromi mixing - kaiire which is the mixing and aerating the morimi.
Here's a short 54 s vid of this bit
4/4 I won't belabor this (though Yuasa thread continues) but after the mixing, we saw other bits of the facility and then, and then (to the kids surprise!) we got to mix up and bottle our own (koji pre-inoculated) soy sauce! With instructions to aerate etc and to be filtered in a year. This took about 30+ mins
A terrific soy sauce factory tour and making experience (also ahem #homeschooling )
Getting to #Koyasan - once you get to Gokurakubashi (with the beautiful views from Hashimoto) there's a lovely cable car ride up including a point where you pass one coming down. Once at Koyasan station you'll have to take a bus to town (no pedestrian access road) but before that there's great views from the station upper floor #Wakayama#Japan#Travel#Photography #DasInKoyasan
Goodbye Ōsaka. I enjoyed your food, the “deep,” “sketchy” bar my friend took me to on that back street, and the onsen near Kōshien stadium.
Next stop: Shirahama. #Japan#osaka#shirahama#wakayama
Going to miss ducking into this place post dinner walk with partner and getting either #ramen or, as in tonight, just some #FriedRice * and #Gyoza
(* #Wakayama style I've gathered)
eta: 1000¥ so <US$7