Take a day trip to HigashiKishu in search of spectacular views and delicious food! I also went to Akagi Castle ruins and MaruyamaSenmaida ♪

The Higashi HigashiKishu region is located in the southernmost part of Mie Prefecture, facing the Kumanonada Sea and is warm and rich in nature. It is also a city where history and culture, including world heritage sites such as the Kumano Kodo, have been passed down. This time, I would like to enjoy a trip to rediscover the charm of HigashiKishu.

First, let's go to "Kinan Tour Design Center" in KumanoCity!

The building is a renovated 120-year-old traditional house and has a rich atmosphere. The furniture and accessories are all historical.

There is even a working ``Kamado''!
You can also experience cooking rice here and making Kumano's specialty `` Mehari-sushi'' (takana rice balls) and tasting it (reservations required).

View from the second floor. It is a space where you can feel the richness of the good old days and want to say ``I'm home.''

[Kinan Tour Design Center]
Address: 517-1 Kimotocho KumanoCity
Phone number 0597-85-2001
Official URL https://www.kinan-tdc.com
Business hours 9:00-17:00
Closed Wednesdays, New Year holidays
Access: Approximately 5 minutes from Kumano Odomari IC on Kumano Owase Road

About 3 minutes by car from the Kinan Tour Design Center, we arrived at the KumanoCity Tourism Organization.

The clean interior of the hotel is stocked with many ``tourist pamphlets'' and ``sightseeing course guide maps'' that allow you to learn more about Kumano's famous spots.

If you have any questions about sightseeing spots or access, we recommend asking the staff.
You might be able to learn some special information that is not included in tourist guides.

[KumanoCity Tourism Organization]
Address 653-12 Idocho KumanoCity
Phone number 0597-89-2229
Official URL http://kumano-kankou.co
Business hours 9:00-18:00
Closed on Mondays, holidays, year-end and New Year holidays
Access Approximately 10 minutes from the Kumano Odomari IC on the Kumano Owase Road, in front of JR KumanoCity Station

KumanoCity Ekimae Specialty Products Museum is located next to the KumanoCity Tourism Organization.
I would like to check out Kumano souvenirs here!

Local specialties and souvenirs are beautifully displayed.
It will be helpful if you can find a store with a wide selection of products at the beginning of your trip, as you won't have to worry later on that you don't have a place to buy souvenirs.

KumanoCity is also famous for hosting the Kumano Fireworks Festival every August.
The ``Maritime Suicide'', which blooms fan-shaped flowers on the sea, is a sight to behold, and many visitors come from outside the prefecture. Goods related to the fireworks display are also popular.

The most popular product is "Pouch Jelly Narumi" (300 yen/tax included). It contains plenty of pulp from Satsuma mandarin oranges, which have a higher sugar content than regular mandarin oranges, and the cute packaging is also attractive.

Thank you for letting me know about the charms of Kumano!
One of the best parts of traveling is talking with the locals.

[KumanoCity Station Special Product Hall]
Address 656-3 Idocho KumanoCity
Phone number 0597-89-6018
Business hours 9:00-18:00
Closed: Year-end and New Year holidays
Access Approximately 10 minutes from the Kumano Odomari IC on the Kumano Owase Road, in front of JR KumanoCity Station

Next, leave KumanoCity and head to the neighboring MihamaTown.
About 20 minutes by car from the KumanoCity Ekimae Specialty Products Center, we stopped by the locally popular Sagiri no Sato Direct Sales Shop!

The store is lined with vegetables grown by local farmers that are picked in the morning.
Please note that some items will be out of stock in the afternoon!

When you look at each vegetable, they all look fresh and delicious! I'm also happy that the price is reasonable.

We display numbers that allow producers to identify them at a glance. This thorough system creates a sense of trust in the store.

``Sagiri Mochi'' (500 yen/tax included) is the store's recommended non-vegetable product.
Kusa mochi with strained bean paste is topped with plenty of soybean flour. It has a soothing and gentle taste.

A shop with a warm atmosphere that not only allows you to purchase vegetables, but also serves as a place for locals and tourists to interact.

[Sagiri no Sato Direct Sales Office]
Address 616-2 Ueno, MihamaTown Minamuro-gun
Phone number 05979-4-1414
Business hours 8:00-16:30
Closed: 2nd and 4th Mondays (open if Monday is a holiday), year-end and New Year holidays
Access: Approximately 30 minutes from Kisei Expressway “Kumano Odomari” IC

I was getting hungry and it was time for lunch. We will have lunch at "Sagiri Chaya" next to "Sagiri no Sato Direct Sales Office"!

It's a shop with a homely atmosphere where you can feel safe and relaxed. From the window, you can enjoy the surrounding nature, which is soothing.

I ordered the ``Iwashimizu pork thick-sliced fillet cutlet set'' (1,080 yen/tax included).
The menu is hearty and uses local ingredients as much as possible, including rice and vegetables.

The main fillet cutlet is made with high quality meat, ``Iwashimizu Pork,'' which is grown by drinking spring water deep in the local mountains. The fatty meat is sweet and has a light taste, so you can eat it all in one go! it was delicious~! !

[Sagiri Chaya]
Address 616-2 Ueno, MihamaTown Minamuro-gun
Phone number 05979-4-1417
Business hours 11:00-14:00
Closed Mondays, 2nd and 4th Tuesdays
Access Approximately 30 minutes from Kumano Odomari IC on Kumano Owase Road

On my way back to KumanoCity, I stopped by MaruyamaSenmaida, one of the largest rice terraces in Japan, because I wanted to fully enjoy the great nature of Kumano.
The appearance of small rice fields stacked on top of each other is said to be ``Japan's best terraced rice field''. It is a spectacular view that makes you feel the mystery of nature! !

By changing the place you look out, you can encounter new beautiful scenery. It is said that rice is still grown by local people. The scenery was so beautiful that I forgot the time!

[MaruyamaSenmaida]
Address: Maruyama, Kiwacho, KumanoCity
Phone number 0597-97-1113 (KumanoCity Regional Development Division)
Official URL https://www.kumano-kankou.info
Access Approximately 40 minutes from the Kumano Odomari IC on the Kumano Owase Road

About 20 minutes by car from MaruyamaSenmaida, the last spot we visited on our trip was the Akagi Castle Ruins.

This castle was built by Todo TakatoraTodo, a military commander known as a ``master of castle construction.'' His method of building castles is known for ``piling up stone walls high,'' and you can see this characteristic in the ruins of this castle.
The ruins of the castle floating in the morning mist are also known as the "Castle in the Sky" and are a popular tourist spot.

It is said that castle ruins that still remain in their original form at the time of construction are rare in Japan. In spring, the cherry blossoms bloom profusely, and it is also known as a ``famous spot for cherry blossom viewing.'' Here too, I was able to feel the deep connection between Kumano's nature and history.

[Akagi Castle Ruins]
AddressAkagi, Kiwacho, KumanoCity
Phone number 0597-89-4111
Official URL http://www.kumano-kankou.info/
Access Approximately 40 minutes from the Kumano Odomari IC on the Kumano Owase Road

HigashiKishu region is a town with a deep history and culture amidst magnificent nature.
Even during my short trip, I was able to feel the people's desire to preserve the unique charm of this area for future generations.
I want more people to know about the charm of this place, which you can only understand by visiting!

*Information as of July 2018. Dates, prices, etc. may have changed, so please check with your contact information before going out.