There are three campsites such as a Miharashi Farm where visitors can experience harvesting crops and making various handicrafts.
You can experience soba making in a traditional house that was built in the late Edo period. The soba you made can be eaten for lunch straight away, whilst enjoying the atmosphere of an old Japanese building and immersing yourself more into the culture.
Natadera Temple is excellent scenery which was founded 1,300 years ago. The temple grounds contain Kigan Yusenkyo and other unique naturally occurring rock formations.
There are many ways to prepare the abundant seafood of Wakasa Bay to best bring out its natural flavors. Mackerel narezushi made with pickled mackerel is said to have been the forerunner of modern sushi such as mackerel sushi, a standard dish that no festival in Obama or Kyoto would be complete without. Wakasa Obama kodai sasazuke is prepared by pickling small sea bream fillets with salt and vinegar in a small cedar cask. Another specialty of the area is Wakasa grilled tilefish, a highly sought-after fish with tender meat and soft scales.
At an altitude of 650m to 1500m, the sunny weather and cool climate nurture high-quality agricultural products such as highland vegetables and fruits. It has prospered as a post town on Nakasendo since ancient times, and the fermented food culture such as miso-based dishes and pickles is still rooted in the people’s lives. The nutritious carp dish is a local soul food. No wonder it’s a prefecture known for health and longevity.
The rice terraces of Tagarasu create a rustic scene surrounded by the sea and mountains. At every turn, the coastline offers new panoramas of natural beauty.
It is a plateau of Mt. Asama to the north, Mt. Yatsugatake to the south, and the Chikuma River in the center of the Saku Basin. There are many natural hot springs that overlook the magnificent Mt. Asama, whose ambience changes depending on the place, time, and season. It takes pride in the beautiful starry sky with a refreshing climate and a high rate of sunny weather throughout the year.
Over a thousand years the Shinojima red snapper has been dedicated to Ise Jingu Shrine. It has a strong taste and you can even taste it’s sweetness. The fresh red snapper is carefully prepared and cooked. In Minamichita, the red snapper is not only enjoyed at special occasions but in various ways, such as sashimi, grilled with salt, cooked with salt crust, boiled, dried, etc.
The clear stream Miyagawa and its tributaries flow everywhere in the town, and in Taiki-cho, where the spring water is beautiful, natural sweetfish, natural eels, mitten crabs and endangered species inhabit here.
Harvest wakame seaweed, catch octopuses with a trap net, or go fishing for sea bream and clean and eat it yourself. You can also learn how to make your own set of chopsticks or participate in a local cooking workshop. There are lots of things to do and learn that will give you a new appreciation for life in a fishing village and the blessings of Wakasa Bay.
