This week, we travel around Japan in search of delicious seasonal fare. We will stay at tasteful inns but opt for cheaper packages which do not include meals. This way, we can use the saved money to indulge in sumptuous meals of our choice. We will enjoy elegant yet inexpensive service at these superb inns while having the luxury of tucking into authentic local cuisine in restaurants away from the inns.
For the first economical winter trip, travel from Tokyo to Shin-Chitose Airport. Next, transfer to a train and take a 1.5-hour ride to Toyako Station. From the station, take a bus to a town of scenic beauty facing Funka Bay, called Lake Toyako. Located in Hokkaido, this was the venue of the Hokkaido Toyako Summit. It has been registered as a national park. Get off at Toyako Spa. There is a sign here saying "Foot Spa, Touron Spa". The foot spa is particularly popular in winter, and is perfect for soothing your feet on a cold winter day. As you soak your feet in the refreshing warm water, admire the view of Lake Toyako and Mt. Yotei, which is also known as Ezo-Fuji. After this relaxing foot spa, go to the spa town for lunch. Drop by the Boyo-tei, a popular Western restaurant which serves delicious meals. Its specialties include Hokkaido reared beef and pork dishes. These dishes are served with special local vegetables and fruit sauce. You can try its famous pork chop for 2200 yen (S$34) or the pork hamburger. After lunch, you can go sightseeing by the lake. From here, you can see Mt. Showa Shinzan, which still emits fumes. Next, make your way to the Showa Shinzan Bear Farm. One hundred brown bears live here, and you can even feed them!
Next, make your way to a famous bath inn which features gorgeous views of the snow. It is located in Jozankei Spa, a spa resort near Sapporo which is nestled between mountains. Suizantei is a Japanese-style hotel with an elegant atmosphere. Established 50 years ago, it is an excellent ryokan situated on the hill overlooking the spa town. Opt for a package which does not include meals. The rooms on the 6th and 7th floors come with their own open-air bath. The hot spring comes straight from a fountainhead. You will be impressed with the tasteful atmosphere of the Japanese-style rooms. These rooms also feature a superb view of the winter scene. One night's stay with two meals costs 27,450 yen (S$450). With this package, you will be served dinner comprising pure Hokkaido seafood, and a healthy breakfast. However, it costs 13,800 yen (S$211) if you opt to do away with the meals. After enjoying the relaxing open-air bath, take a bus to Sapporo. Go to Odori Park, known as the Snow Fest venue. Before dinner, visit a TV tower here with a 90m-high observation deck. After admiring the superb view of the snow, go to Susukino, the best amusement area in Hokkaido. There is a famous restaurant here called Kani-tei (crab). The chef buys fresh live crabs from special shops all over Hokkaido. The restaurant’s signature meal is a full-course crab dinner. The course menus start from 5250 yen (S$80) onwards. The luxurious 10,500 yen (S$160) course features 11 crab dishes, including two kinds of king crab sashimi, grilled king crab, king crab steak, a crab steamed egg dish, hairy crab from Erimo-misaki, crab miso, crab dumplings, and rice porridge with crab. After dinner, take a bus back to your inn. Do bear in mind that the last bus to Jozankei departs at 10:30 pm, so make sure you do not miss it.
The next morning, take a bus and train to the port town of Otaru. This scenic canal town is known as a treasure house for fresh seafood. Go to the triangle market near the station in Otaru, and here you can find lots of fresh seafood and vegetables. There are 12 fish shops in the market. You can buy your food fresh from the market to eat in the restaurants. You can ask the locals for recommendations on where to eat. One popular shop in the market is Hayashiya, where the fish in grilled in front of you. Some dishes it serves include grilled salmon set and grilled herring set. After a hearty breakfast at Hayashiya, explore Otaru with its charming atmosphere and snowy canal. You can take a bus to a popular spot in the suburbs - a glass studio which offers lessons on glassblowing. You can try your hand at this unique craft and your finished work will be sent to you in two days. It serves as a good memento of this trip.
The next trip without inclusive meals takes place two hours away from Tokyo by Tohoku Shinkansen. After arriving at Shiroishi-Zaou Station in Miyagi, stroll around the town of Shroishi. Shiroishi city in Miyagi is a castle town built by Kojuro Katakura, who was a senior statesman of Date Masamune. Some samurai homes still exist in this elegant town, giving it an historical atmosphere. The current castle here was restored in 1995 and you can go up to the castle tower for a panoramic view of the city and the Zaou mountain range. After exploring the town, you may wish to try Uumen - the speciality noodles of the area - for lunch. There are several Uumen shops here which serve the light noodles, which are made of flour and salt water. Normally no oil is used, to ensure easy digestion, and the noodles are also cut short. It takes a mere three minutes to boil these noodles, after which the noodles are washed in cold water. You can go to Nakajima, the oldest Uumen shop in the city, to try the noodles. The restaurant serves the noodles with three types of sauces – sesame, walnuts and soy sauce. The hot pot Uumen also comes with lots of Shungiku, long green onions and chicken.
After lunch, visit the Zaou Fox Village at the foot of the Zaou mountain range. If you make a booking, a guide will pick you up and take you to this unique place. Here, you will see 120 foxes roaming freely in the village which spans 7500 tsubos. Six kinds of foxes reside here, including the Ezo red fox, Arctic fox and silver fox. You can feed them and even touch them if you wish. After this furry experience, head to a superb inn where you can stay the night. Take a train and bus to the famous Akiu Spa. It is one of Miyagi’s best spas with 1500 years of history. It has been known as a spa town since the Yamato Era. Sakan is the oldest inn located in Akiu Spa, and is known for its connection to Date Masamune. You can opt for a package which provides only lodging and breakfast. A normal package, costing 31,500 yen (S$482), includes dinner comprising seafood and beef from Sanriku and Sendai. Without dinner, the price is 15,750 yen (S$240). Learn about the history of the inn by taking an in-house tour. You can see a letter written by Date Masamune to the vassals in 1591. You can see other items related to the Date during the tour. The hot spring here was also used as Masamune's spa. Try out this famous and historical spa, and after your bath, you can have a glass of wheat tea or jelly.
For dinner, head to Sendai city for a delicious oyster meal. Walk to Kokubuncho, and drop by Tani Kaze (Valley Wind). It is an old established restaurant with 75 years of history. It offers local fare with seafood from Sanriku. The popular menu in winter is the full-course oyster meal. Sanriku oysters are used - the Sanriku sea is supposed to be the best place for oysters. Other dishes include grilled oysters with miso paste, deep fried breaded oysters, cooked oysters in sweet soy sauce and ginger, oyster tempura and oyster hot pot. The course, comprising seven dishes, costs 6,000 yen (S$92) per person. After dinner, go to Sendai's oldest jazz bar, which was established 41 years ago. It holds periodic live sessions so it is very popular with jazz fans.
The next morning, tuck into a deluxe breakfast at the inn. Items include hot spring eggs, free-range eggs from Zaou and hot pot with yuba (tofu skin). After breakfast, take a bus from Akiu Spa to Sendai Station, followed by a train to Matsushima, which is well known for its gorgeous views. There are about 260 large and small islands in Matsushima. There are many places here related to Date Mitsumune, including a temple, a beautiful dry landscaped garden and Mitsumune's mausoleum, built around 360 years ago. Next, charter a small boat and enjoy a Matsushima Bay cruise. The 25-minute cruise features a commentary by the captain. As you tour the area, you can feed the black-tailed gulls, and admire the beautiful sunset too. It is a fitting end to this trip to Miyagi.
The next trip during the spring season begins in Atami, which is 1 hour 15 minutes away from Tokyo by the Super View Odoriko express train. Start your adventure on a beautiful note by visiting the Atami plum garden to see the plum blossom festival. There are 454 plum trees of 60 different varieties at the venue and the sight of the flowers in bloom will take your breadth away. Sip on some free sweet sake or plum tea from the stalls here as you explore the beautiful garden. You can also buy some fragrant plum tea as a souvenir. For lunch, you may wish to go to Nishikigaura, a picturesque place by the sea. Drop by a Japanese restaurant, Nishiki-tei, which boasts a superb view of the sea and Hatsu Island. Try the restaurant’s famous spring bento (lunch box) set, which is full of colourful seasonal delicacies such as young sardines, pink shrimp and grilled skipjack. The set costs 3,150 yen (S$48) and comes with refreshing powdered green tea.
