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!
Tokachi wine has well-balanced acidity and is produced from local grapes, and Tokachi Beef is raised on the land and formed by the frigid winters.
Himaga Island is known as the “octopus (tako) island,” and visitors can enjoy looking for octopus characters on manholes and sundials throughout the town. The island is surrounded by reefs and is known for its abundance of seafood, especially octopus, which is delicious all year round. The taste of octopus is said to be sweet and does not become hard even after boiling, and many octopus dishes are available, including boiled octopus, sashimi, deep-fried octopus, octopus shabu, and octopus with vinegar.
Located between Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay, the fishing grounds Minamichita is blessed with boast one of the largest catches of whitebait in Japan. Spring and fall are the two delicious times of year, when the small but plump spring whitebait and the fatty fall whitebait have different tastes. Minamichita, with its many fishing grounds, continues to maintain high quality of Minamichita whitebait as exemplified by its fresh raw whitebait and processed products.
Fruit trees growing apples, grapes, peaches, and other fruits are grown under favorable conditions, such as sloping terrain with good sunlight and drainage, as well as a large difference in temperature between day and night. In addition, the mineral-rich melt water from the Shiga Kogen Highlands, which is registered as a UNESCO Eco Park, nurtures these trees and produces sweet and delicious fruit. Enjoy the exquisite fruit produced by the land of the Shiga Kogen Highlands.
Shinshu salmon is a new variety of salmon that crosses easily farmed, high quality rainbow trout with disease resistant brown trout, inheriting the strengths of both. It has beautiful silver scales and flesh with a delicate, melt-in-the-mouth texture and is getting attention as a fish that goes well with Japanese-Western crossover cuisine. Don’t miss your opportunity to try it while visiting Nagano.
The mild climate of the Seto Inland Sea, with its long hours of sunshine, was ideal for citrus cultivation, and citrus cultivation flourished on the entire slopes where sea breezes blow and sunlight pours down. Citrus varieties grown in Onomichi include lemons, satsuma mandarin, hassaku orange, Chinese citron, navels, anseikan, sumo mandarin, and Kiyomi orange. Lemon trees are planted on a sunny slope in “Lemon Valley” in Setoda-cho, Onomichi City, and their flowers bloom in early summer and the yellow lemon fruits ripen in winter and spring.
Shinshu beef is a brand of beef cattle raised in Nagano Prefecture and is called “apple-fed beef” because it is raised on feed with apples added. Its meat is characterized by its tenderness, aroma, and excellent marbling. There are many restaurants in Nagano Prefecture that specialize in sukiyaki using this Shinshu beef, and people become to call it sukiyaki in Nagano Prefecture. It is a must-try when you travel to Nagano.
Minamichita is famous for its natural puffer fish, and the offshore waters of the Atsumi Peninsula have become a good fishing ground for natural puffer fish. Locals can enjoy puffer fish dishes such as tecchiri and fugu sashimi.
“Edible flowers” are flowers that can be eaten, and the English word “edible flower” has become a common name in Japan. Edible flowers are made without pesticides or with low amounts of pesticides and can be eaten raw, and are often served with food or sweets. In Hakuba Village, edible flower production is thriving, and many restaurants serve dishes using edible flowers or hold edible flower events. How about a nice “flower meal” in Hakuba Village?
