narrow down
narrow down
  • Free Word Search

  • Tag search *Up to 2 can be selected

    Domestic
    abroad
    feeling
Find a Tour
JUN 27 2019

A trip to Ehime to enjoy the dignity of a regional city and its townscape rich in nature and culture (Part 2)

Our next destination is far south of Matsuyama city... Ehime prefecture is divided into three regions: Toyo, Chuyo, and Nanyo. We will take a short trip from Chuyo, where Matsuyama city is located, to Yawatahama city in Nanyo. The seaside town of Yawatahama prospered through various industries, including mining, sericulture, and spinning. We will tour the Jakoten manufacturing site in front of the station, buy some citrus fruits, and cycle to the town of Honai while eating bread.
画像: 地方都市としての貫禄と自然文化豊かな街並みを楽しむ愛媛の旅(後編)

Ai Nishimura

Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.

Click here for the first part

Try Ehime's specialty "Jakoten" at Torizu Kamaboko Shop, located very close to Yawatahama Station.

You can get to Yawatahama from Matsuyama City Station by train or bus. This time, I took a leisurely bus ride. Right in front of the bus stop I arrived at was a bicycle rental shop called "Mecenat Drive" (inside Tanimoto Kamaboko). You can make reservations online for bicycle rentals in Yawatahama, and you can even rent a bicycle for two days. Ehime Prefecture is a place where cycling is popular, as you would expect.

First, we headed to "Kuzushi Torizu (Torizu Kamaboko Shop)." Next to the store, they were in the middle of making Jakoten. We were given a tour.
Yawatahama is one of the ports in Western Japan that boasts the largest catches of fish. Small fish caught here are ground into paste, including the bones, and then deep-fried to make Jakoten. Each store uses different fish as ingredients and different methods of preparation, and each store has its own fans. Torizu Kamabokoten makes about 2,000 Jakoten a day, and accepts orders from restaurants around the country and via the internet.
In addition to its signature product, Jakoten, Ehime Prefecture has a wide variety of other products such as kamaboko and chikuwa, and as we talked we came to understand the depth of the region's fish paste culture.

Cycled to the Honai area of Yawatahama. On the way, I bought some long-awaited mandarin oranges and salt bread from Pain Maison.

As I was passing through the shopping district, my eye was suddenly caught by a mountain of mandarin oranges. I bought some citrus fruits at the local greengrocer. "Setoka," also known as the "fatty tuna" of mandarin oranges, and "Kiyomi Tangor." Both were super cheap at 40 to 50 yen each! As expected of Ehime, they have the potential to be number one in terms of shipping volume.

"Pain Maison" is a bakery in Ehime Prefecture that first came up with the "salted bread" that has now become a staple in bakeries. They also have a store in Yawatahama, so stop by to buy their popular salted bread. Customers come in one after another, buying 20 or 30 pieces in total. When you bite into this salted bread, the butter oozes out. It's common to eat several pieces at once, and you'll find yourself reaching for one after the other.
From here, we drive along the coast to the town of Honai. I'm looking forward to discovering this new town.

The exhilarating feeling of cycling along the Mokkin Road! Walking around the town of Yawatahama Honai.

Honai Town is a port town that developed greatly during the Meiji period, with mining, spinning, sericulture, finance, etc. The Western-style buildings and factory sites built at that time are now famous historical sites that retain their charm.
Along the Miyauchi River that runs through the town is the "Mokkin Road," which makes a lovely rattling sound when you ride your bike along it. As you pass by here, the first thing that catches your eye is the former Toyobo red brick warehouse. Toyobo once boasted a vast site, but this warehouse is all that remains today, making it an important building in history.

You can also visit the Western-style house of Kazutaro Shiraishi, who built his prosperity through mining and spinning, and the residence of Sojuro Utsunomiya, which stands next to it. You can also see the town's shipping wholesaler, where the shipping industry was thriving, stone walls made of blue stone stacked in a unique way called "Yabanezumi," and "Sajima bricks," made from waste material removed from copper ore. The town itself is like a museum condensed with history and life.
The road from Yawatahama Station to Honai is mostly flat except for one place, making it a great course for cyclists to enjoy a leisurely bike ride.

The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.

This article is a sponsored article by
''.

No Notification
日本語
English
简体中文
繁體中文
Translated by AI