Star chefs’ special oyster menus, such as oyster nigiri sushi, oyster rolls, and oyster escabeche, represent an evolution of oyster food as well as the ”tradition x evolution” of Ondo oysters. This appealing food culture is offered to inbound tourists, especially foreigners with an intense craving for oysters.
Two bridges are built across the Ondo Seto between Ondo and Kure City on the mainland, which was opened by Kiyomori Taira, who built Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima), and many ships pass through the narrow strait. In Ondo, where one of the best natural landscapes of the Seto Inland Sea is woven, time moves at a leisurely pace, and the scent of the sea, the sound of waves, wind, and ships will captivate your heart.
The highest mountain on Kurahashi Island, a 400-meter-high Mt. Hiyama. Drive or ride your bike to the seventh station, then walk for 10 minutes. From the top, you can enjoy the breathtaking view of the Seto Inland Sea all to yourself.
Oyster rogaining is an outdoor sport with tourism elements. Special oyster menus will be available at three of the checkpoints, and participants will be able to eat them as they travel around the checkpoints acquiring points. The event will conclude with an all-you-can-eat event featuring Ondo oysters, allowing you to fully indulge in oysters along with athletics.
You will learn how to make and eat sushi at Gourmet College, where students will acquire knowledge directly from a sushi chef. The sushi toppings are Ondo oysters and fresh white fish from the Seto Inland Sea, a unique experience available exclusively in Ondo.
A new cycling tour that combines food and health while exploring the beautiful natural scenery of the Seto Inland Sea. Enjoy special oyster menus and meals at various restaurants and cafes in the Ondo and Kurahashi area. “An island-hopping cycling tour that blends into the sky and the sea”, Enjoy!
The city of Shimabara in Nagasaki Prefecture, with more than 60 natural springs, is also known as the City of Water. The ‘Swimming Town of Koi’ is beautifully maintained by residents who release koi into the city’s waterways, filled with spring water. The sight of various koi (red and white, three-color, golden, etc.) swimming in the beautiful waterways, still reminiscent of the old castle town, can be quite moving.
On the Shimabara Peninsula, a hot spring resort area, there is a “onsen steamed food” that takes advantage of the hottest spring temperature in Japan. This is a popular local method of using hot spring steam to cook local vegetables and seafood in a healthy way. The “steaming kettles” in the Obama hot spring resort use hot spring water that rises to about 105°C (221°F). The food is placed in a steamer basket and placed in the kettle, where it waits for a while to be steamed until it is hot and ready. There are many restaurants specializing in steamed food in the area, and visitors can enjoy a variety of steamed dishes.
Kanzarashi is a traditional sweet that has been made in the Shimabara area in the past. It is said that “Kanzarashi” originated from the wisdom of the residents of Shimabara, who used to make dumplings from rice flour and eat them in spring water to keep the rice scraps from spoiling. The recipe for the honey used on the dumplings differs from household to household and from store to store, making it possible to enjoy a variety of flavors, which is one of the charms of this sweet.
Kanzarashi are traditional sweets made by cooling boiled small dumplings in spring water. In Shimabara City, you can try your hand at making kanzarashi. Refined rice flour, called kanzarashi flour, is kneaded to form round dumplings, boiled, and then soaked in running water to finish. After immersing them in running water, the kanzarashi have a mild texture that goes well with sweet syrup. Try your hand at making your very own kanzarashi.
