I participated in the “Air & Rail Media Tour for Solo Trips” organized by Yamagata Prefecture’s Shonai Airport Utilization Promotion Council, and the first day (previous article) was filled with a visit to Dewa Sanzan Shrine, tasting Yamagata’s local sake, and being healed at the Jellyfish Dream Museum, which boasts the largest number of jellyfish species on display in the world.
On the second day, we had a pleasant morning at Tsukaya Ryokan in Yudagawa Onsen. The proprietress had recommended last night that the front bath, a public hot spring right next door, would be refreshing from the morning, so at 6:00 a.m. I decided to head there right away. I went with the proprietress and asked her to unlock the door. Inside the bathhouse, there were already locals enjoying the morning bath. Good morning! I felt refreshed. The baths are truly natural. It is the best healing from the morning.
After a refreshing bath, we returned to Tsukaya Ryokan for breakfast. The morning was filled with the bounty of local ingredients, and I felt energized. The herbal tea and coffee in the hallway were also very thoughtful.
Before departing, we stopped by the nearby “Kyubei Ryokan”. The proprietress of the Kyubei Ryokan was a student of Shuhei Fujisawa, a writer from Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, and was often visited by him.
On the second day of the tour, we first went to Shonai Shrine. The shrine is located where the main palace of the castle called “Tsurugaoka Castle” once stood. In the past, the Shonai Domain was ruled by the Sakai family, who ruled the domain for 250 years. Four of these lords, Tadatsugu Sakai I, Ietsugu Sakai II, Tadakatsu Sakai III, and Tadanori Sakai IX, are enshrined as deities at the Shonai Shrine.
The first thing that catches one’s eye is the hana-temizu. At this time of year, it was filled with hydrangea flowers. The hand basin is a place to wash and purify one’s hands before praying to the gods, but due to the Corona disaster, many visitors share hand ladles and other utensils. The flowers are sure to be a hit on social networking sites. Many people were taking pictures with their cameras and smartphones.
Here, a cheerful and energetic friend joined us on this tour. They are two “ANA SHONAI BLUE Ambassadors” who moved to Shonai, Yamagata Prefecture, and have been exploring and communicating the beauty of Shonai (Sakata City) while continuing to work as ANA flight attendants. There are five ANA SHONAI BLUE Ambassadors. Please check out their official website, where they are actively communicating on a daily basis.
The day of the interview was Tanabata (Star Festival), and the Shonai Shrine was decorated with Tanabata decorations, and the two members of BLUE Ambassador looked very happy as they hung strips of paper on which they had written their wishes.
The next stop was the Tsuruoka Food Culture Market FOODEVER, located in front of Tsuruoka Station. This is a center for disseminating information on the culinary culture of Tsuruoka, the first city in Japan to be recognized as a UNESCO City of Culinary Culture and Creativity. In addition to specialty stores and the “Tsuruoka Bar” food court, which allows visitors to experience the cuisine of the “UNESCO Food Culture Creative City of Tsuruoka,” the “Tsuruoka Ekimae Marche” featuring carefully selected seasonal ingredients and souvenirs is also said to be very popular.
Next, we went to “Fruit Shop Aomoriya. Aomoriya in Yamagata Prefecture? I wondered why Aomoriya would be located in Yamagata Prefecture, but it was the first president who brought apples from Aomori Prefecture to Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture. Today, the third president of Aomoriya personally visits the production area and offers carefully selected fruit, making it very popular among the locals. The shop also has a “fruit café,” so there is no choice but to stop by (laugh).
Our specialty is fruit juice made from seasonal fruits. If you enjoy it with a seasonal fruit tart, you will surely feel happy and relaxed all at once. Moreover, it is so photogenic and looks so good on SNS that it would be a shame to eat it. The two Blue Ambassadors were also very excited.
Next, we went to Chikeiken, where you can experience the lifestyle and food culture of Shonai. The restaurant is said to be the pioneer of farmer’s inn restaurants in Shonai, where you can taste “1 soup, 3 dishes and preserved foods that connect life” with a simple flavor that makes the most of the goodness of the ingredients, mainly home-grown vegetables, locally produced foodstuffs and rice.
One of the charms of the restaurant is the warm stories told by the proprietress, Chonan Mitsu, which makes you feel like you have returned to a nostalgic, spiritual hometown. The sight of a cat lounging by the window further soothed my heart.
The next stop was “Sanchoku Aguri,” which offers a wide variety of freshly picked vegetables and seasonal fruits. They sell their products under a system that allows the name of the producer and the cultivation history to be verified. In addition to vegetables and fruits, fresh flowers, rice, prepared foods, pickles, and more are available. Looking down, I see that the two Blue Ambassadors have ice cream in their hands! They are truly enjoying Shonai to the fullest.
Next, we went to “Suzuki Noen,” where visitors can experience blueberry harvesting and enjoy all-you-can-eat blueberries. Located in the town of Haguro, surrounded by the three mountains of Dewa and rich in nature, the vast site is filled with about 10,000 blueberries of various varieties. The blueberries are sweet, rich and delicious. They are sweet, rich, and, without any compliments, extremely delicious blueberries. The rich blueberry juice was also very good for my body.
In Shonai, the Matsugaoka Reclamation Plant must not be forgotten. After the Meiji Restoration, the land was reclaimed by 3,000 former Shonai domain warriors, who created a mulberry orchard and built 10 large sericultural buildings. Later, a silk mill and a silk fabric factory were established in Tsuruoka, contributing greatly to the improvement of the textile culture of Shonai, and indeed of Japan.
When the silk industry was eliminated, the mulberry fields were no longer needed. The mulberry fields were planted to grow grapes, which is the origin of the wine production in Matsugaoka today. From sword to hoe, from hoe to grape.
In 2020, “Pino Collina Garden & Winery Matsugaoka” by “Elsan Winery Matsugaoka” will be born; the vineyard was planted in 2017 and the first wine was brewed and sold in 2020. The “Matsugaoa Wine Project” is now underway, in which “Elsan Winery Matsugaoa,” “Tsuruoka Silk,” and the “ANA SHONAI BLUE Ambassador” are collaborating to produce a wine that will become a new page in the history of the region. The wine is called “VestitoCielo.
Dinner was served at Shonai Zakko, a Japanese restaurant that uses fresh seasonal fish and vegetables landed at the local Shonai beach. The omakase course is like a seasonal gift from the sea or the mountains. The dishes are seasonal gifts from the sea and the mountains, and the variety of delicacies that can only be enjoyed in Shonai at that time of the year will make you smile.
After filling our stomachs, we stayed the night at “SUIDEN TERRASSE,” a hotel floating in the rice paddies. I would like to tell you more about this fascinating “food and lodging” facility, but I will leave the details for the next time. But I will leave the details to the next issue. The second day ended with a great deal of satisfaction.
© Source travel watch
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