In Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture, a town known for its Sukagawa soba (buckwheat noodles), visitors can experience soba noodle-making at soba restaurants and guest houses in the town. The experience begins with grinding locally-grown buckwheat on a millstone. Using the leaves of a type of burdock called oyamabokuchi to thicken the noodles, soba is made in an authentic, old-fashioned way.
The “snow monkey” is known overseas as a emblematic feature of Japan. More specifically, the term refers to “Japanese monkeys soaking in hot springs.” The Jigokudani Onsenkyo, a hot-spring village located in a valley near the Shiga Kogen Highlands in northern Nagano Prefecture, is famous for its snow monkeys. The “Jigoku Dani Yaen-koen” in the hot spring resort is a park where wild Japanese monkeys can be observed. In the winter, they can be seen soaking in the hot springs, earning the park the nickname “Snow Monkey Park” both in Japan and abroad.
Mountain carting originated in Germany is a mountain activity in which the rider drives through the mountains without an engine, using the steering wheel and brakes from the top of the mountain. The low weight, wide wheels, and easy-to-operate handlebars make it fun for beginners. The exhilaration of riding with the spectacular view of the Northern Alps at your back while looking down on the city is irresistible. Check it out to enjoy Hakuba in a different way!
With water trickling down from the Hotaka Mountains and a cool climate with high night-day temperature variation, the Hakuma area is well-suited to buckwheat production, and is a major producer within the “buckwheat country” of Nagano. Many lodgings and soba restaurants in the Hakuba area offer experiences making soba noodles produced from this buckwheat. Experiences are approachable even for those with no experience, and participants can try their freshly made soba on the spot. Popular with families and students.
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.
According to another report, after the riot in Shimabara-Amakusa, immigrants from Shodoshima introduced the method of making hand-stretch somen noodles. Visitors can experience the process of stretching the noodles to a length of about 2 meters by inserting a large pair of chopsticks called “sabaki. The texture of the freshly made “raw” somen noodles after stretching is chewy, a taste that can only be experienced in the area.
“LOG” is a complex of accommodations, restaurants, and stores that was renovated and revitalized from an apartment building near Senkoji Temple. The restaurant is popular for its menu, which uses a variety of ingredients from local producers, and also hosts events where visitors can taste local vegetables and fresh seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, as well as workshops where they can experience the traditional way of living, which places great importance on the calendar.
The islands of Minamichita have a history of flourishing as natural fishing harbors and are home to many fishermen. There are many guest houses run by fishermen on each island, where you will be treated to a variety of dishes made from fresh seafood. Why not enjoy a stay at a guest house in a harbor town where you can smell the salty sea breeze?
Himakajima Island, which is famous for the high quality octopus it produces, is known as the “octopus island” where dried octopus is actively produced, and visitors can experience the process of making dried octopus. Visitors can experience the process of removing the slime from the octopus, cutting it with a knife so that it can be easily dried, and then drying it in the sun.
The relationship between the Ise Grand Shrine and Shinojima has continued for a thousand years since Yamatohime-no-mikoto, who is said to have founded the Ise Grand Shrine, visited Shinojima and asked for tai long ago. Because of this relationship, Shinojima was in the territory of Ise Grand Shrine until the Keicho era, when it became a part of the Owari domain. Even today, the hunting continues, and every year a salted tai called “Onbedai” is dedicated to the shrine. Nakatejima, where the salting and processing happens, is still the domain of Ise Grand Shrine, and the promise and tradition between Shinojima and Ise Grand Shrine are upheld as always.
