A two-day, one-night trip to the sea and mountains. A sightseeing plan for Tokushima Prefecture (Eastern to Southern)

In the second part of our Tokushima trip, we will introduce a two-day, one-night plan that takes you around the seaside towns facing the Pacific Ocean and the southern part of the prefecture, where mountain towns are located in the center. From marine activities to the latest spots that have appeared in mountain villages, we will take you on a trip around the seaside towns on the first day and the mountain towns on the second day.

[Day 1] Enjoy the sparkling sea and sea breeze on the "Sea Turtle Marine Cruise"

Heading south from Tokushima Awaodori Airport, you will arrive at Minami Town in an hour and a half. The sea in southern Tokushima Prefecture is so famous that it is called a mecca for surfing lovers. "Umigame Marine Cruise" will take you on a journey through this magnificent and beautiful sea.

The 40-minute boat trip departs from Hiwasa Port in Minamicho and takes you around the coast of Ohama, which is also a nesting ground for loggerhead turtles. This trip is different from a typical cruise ship, as you can board a fishing boat owned by a fisherman from the Hiwasa Fishermen's Association.

This is a luxurious tour where you can feel the high level of the fishermen's driving skills while listening to the guide who talks about local folk tales and legends. There are many attractions such as Senba Cliffs with their 250m high rock faces and Ebisu Cave, a huge cavern 30m high. We recommend bringing a towel as you will be splashed with water.

Another thing to check out is the "fisherman's meal" that is only available to cruise passengers. The "fisherman's meal of spiny lobster and abalone" is a set meal filled with the bounty of the sea that is unique to a fishing town, and includes abalone sashimi, spiny lobster miso soup, and two small side dishes.

The thick, crunchy abalone and the miso soup with spiny lobster stock are exquisite. You can enjoy the seafood grown in the rich Hiwasa sea to your heart's content. *The photo is an example, and the contents may change depending on the season and weather.

At Odori, you can enjoy Tokushima's brand chicken, Awaodori chicken, for lunch and sweets.

Tokushima cuisine cannot be fully described by seafood alone. Awaodori chicken is a local chicken that Tokushima is proud of and is famous throughout the country. Awaodori chicken, which is raised freely in the nature-rich Tokushima prefecture, has chewy meat and is characterized by a rich flavor that spreads the more you chew it.

There are many restaurants in Tokushima prefecture that serve Awaodori chicken, but the place where you can enjoy both the meat and the eggs is Odori, a restaurant that specializes in Awaodori chicken.

For those who want to taste both the meat and eggs of Awaodori chickens, which are sourced through a unique route, we recommend the "Honto no Oyakodon." This oyakodon is made with Awaodori chickens, both meat and eggs. The rich and sweet broth, made from dashi and chicken stock, is the hidden driving force that brings the Awaodori chickens together. The juicy umami of the meat and the sweetness of the eggs are intertwined.

"odori sudachi pudding" is also popular, combining Awaodori chicken eggs with Tokushima's specialty, sudachi citrus. It is a two-layered dessert of jelly and pudding, which is both sweet and refreshing. It is also available for take-out, making it a perfect souvenir.

Odori also has a direct from the producers space where they sell Awaodori chicken shavings, curry and other products, so be sure to stop by.

GOGO SUP&CAFE: Enjoy the beautiful ocean of Anan City on a SUP

Besides boat trips, there are many other ways to enjoy the ocean. One of them is SUP. Awashima Coast in Anan City is a beautiful beach with white sand and green pines. Because it is a shallow coast, the tide recedes more than 50 meters offshore at low tide, revealing a wide sandy beach. GOGO SUP&CAFE is a place where SUP activities are held mainly around Awashima Coast, and even beginners can try it with confidence.

GOGO SUP & CAFE is located right in front of Awashima Beach, where you can enjoy the beautiful ocean of Anan City with experienced instructors.

There are four courses in total: the "SUP Experience Course" that even beginners can try out, the "Long Course" that cruises around the uninhabited islands of Anan City, the "Sunrise SUP Course" where you can spend the moment on the sea as the sky turns red at dawn, and the "SUP Yoga Course" where you can do some relaxing yoga on the board and train your inner muscles.

All the equipment needed for SUP is provided, so you only need a swimsuit and a towel. If you are worried about sunburn, it's a good idea to bring a rash guard and a hat. The sea around Anan City is characterized by the presence of uninhabited islands. Why not enjoy the spectacular views of this sea from the sea and immerse yourself in the vast nature with your whole body?

GOGO SUP&CAFE also has a menu of light meals, sweets, and drinks, making it the perfect place to take a break after SUP. You can satisfy your hunger with items like the "hot dog" filled with homemade meat sauce, and the "banana juice" made with two whole, sweet, ripe bananas. You can either eat in or take out, so take a break according to your schedule.

A private fireworks dinner made possible through collaboration between "WUTO-WURK" and a fireworks maker

After all that exercise, it's about time to get hungry. For dinner, we went to WUTO-WURK, a famous hamburger restaurant that everyone in the local area knows about. In a collaboration project between the restaurant and a fireworks maker, if you make a reservation, you can enjoy a private fireworks display of 25 shots.

This is a long-established hamburger specialty restaurant in a log cabin built on the coast of Anan City. The sea breeze is pleasant, and you can enjoy a comfortable time on the terrace on sunny days. It is spacious and relaxing, which is also an appealing point.

The specialty is the plump and juicy grilled hamburger steak. There is also a wide variety of menu items, including seasonal hamburger steaks, a la carte dishes and pizzas that use plenty of locally sourced ingredients.

A "private fireworks display" by "WUTO-WURK" and a fireworks maker living in Anan City. This is a special event that can only be held at this restaurant, which is adjacent to the sea in Anan City. After enjoying a course meal inside the restaurant, you can watch the fireworks for about a minute and a half. It is recommended to watch the large flowers floating in the night sky outside. *The photo is for illustrative purposes only.

This project started in 2019. Some customers have made reservations for fireworks for special occasions such as birthdays, important anniversaries, and marriage proposals.

The photo shows part of the course menu, which includes appetizers, pizza, meat-wrapped hamburger, and soup. The most popular item is the "Awa beef sirloin meat-wrapped hamburger," a luxurious dish of freshly ground minced meat wrapped in fatty sirloin.

The course menu can be flexibly tailored to suit your budget, so please ask when making a reservation. A private fireworks dinner at WUTO-WURK, where you can enjoy both food and the fireworks, is sure to become an unforgettable memory.

[Day 2] Find souvenirs at the stylish "Future Convenience Store" in a depopulated village

On the second day, we went on a mountain trip. Located on the south side of Mount Tsurugi, which is listed as one of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan, in the Kitagawa area of Kito, Naka-cho, on the border with Kochi Prefecture. In this small village, an unusual "Mirai Convenience Store" opened in late April this year.

The grey exterior wall has large "Future Convenience Store" signs. A digital clock is installed on the glass wall, and the futuristic visuals make a strong impact amidst the lush greenery.

The interior of the store is unified in gray and yellow, and the lineup of products such as rice balls, bento boxes, and bread is just like a convenience store. However, it is not just a convenience store. They have a wide variety of products such as dressings and yuzu pepper made with Kito yuzu, a specialty of the Kito area, yuzu drinks, and canned mackerel, making them perfect souvenirs.

A must-try at Mirai Convenience Store is the "Kito Yuzu Petit Soft Serve." This sweet and salty dessert is made with soft serve ice cream made from specially selected milk and topped with yuzu salt. The rich sweetness and saltiness are well balanced, and the refreshing aroma of Kitou Yuzu fills your mouth after you've finished eating, leaving you feeling refreshed.

The toppings available are yuzu salt, yuzu marmalade, and yuzu syrup, so you can choose whatever you feel like eating. Another great thing about them is that they come in mini sizes that are easy to finish.

Enjoy a relaxing lunch at Cafe polestar, where you can experience nature with all your senses

From Mirai Convenience Store, it's about an hour and a half by car west along the mountain roads. There you will arrive at Kamikatsu Town, a town of mountains and valleys filled with clear air and greenery. Cafe Polestar is a popular restaurant where you can enjoy meals that are unique to this town, and many customers come from far away to enjoy them.

This stylish cafe sits on the banks of the Katsuura River, which runs through the eastern part of town. The building blends in with the natural surroundings, and the glass doors give off a sense of openness.

Cafe polestar values the spirit of zero waste, an initiative to reduce waste that has been promoted in Kamikatsu Town since 2003. They aim to cook in a way that does not waste ingredients, and are proud of their lunches and sweets that use rice, seasonal vegetables, and fruits from Kamikatsu Town. All of their dishes make the most of the flavor of the ingredients and convey kindness.

The menu in the photo is "Chicken meatballs and stewed local vegetables." The lunch menu changes daily, so you can look forward to what you'll have that day.

The cafe closes at 3pm, but on weekdays between 3pm and 5pm it transforms into a shared space called "Karanama." The admission fee is 100 yen per person per cup, and you can also enjoy your own coffee.

Although you must take your trash home with you, you are free to bring in drinks and food during the "Sky Room" hours. They also sell scones, cookies, and other items, so it's the perfect space to take a relaxing break.

RISE&WIN is a brewery that continues to pursue craft beer unique to Kamikatsu Town.

If you come to Kamikatsu, we recommend you visit RISE&WIN Brewing Co. It is a brewery that produces craft beer using local ingredients. You can purchase craft beer and miscellaneous goods at the general store operated by the brewery, and you can also see the beer brewing process at the factory.

The exterior walls are made of wood from Kamikatsu Town, creating a distinctive design. Upon entering the store, you'll be struck by the shelves made from recycled waste materials and the chandeliers made from collected empty bottles.

There is a wide selection of unique craft beers on offer, including "Louvain White," which uses the peel of yukou, a fruit that is a specialty of Kamikatsu town, for flavoring, and "IPA," which uses Kamikatsu bancha, a lactic acid fermented tea that is rare nationwide.

Based on the "zero waste" spirit that the whole town of Kamikatsu is working on, they actively use items that would otherwise be discarded by farmers in their craft beers. It might be interesting to ask about the ingredients that are used in each beer.

The photo shows beer that is sold year-round, but they also have limited-edition craft beers. Be sure to visit and check out the flavors they have. The stylish bottle design makes them perfect as souvenirs.

Tours are held several times a month to allow visitors to see the actual production site of the craft beer sold at the store. First, visitors gather at the store and learn the story of how "RISE&WIN" was born and the concepts that are important to them. After driving for about 15 minutes to the factory, a building with the words "STONEWALL HILL" appears.

This is the craft beer brewery. You can hear about the brewing process and sample the beers that are available at the time.

You can also see the Indigo Tower, which has an indigo-dyed exterior, and the barrel warehouse where aged beer is stored. You can learn about Kamikatsu Town through the story of "RISE & WIN" and its beer.

Experience making your own exquisite miso at Hama Shoyu Brewery

It takes 30 minutes to descend from the mountains of Kamikatsu Town to reach Komatsushima City. Hama Shoyu Brewery, founded in 1897, is proud of its soy sauce and miso, which have been made using the same methods for over 120 years. Here, you can experience making miso using koji grown using traditional methods.

Hama Soy Sauce Brewery is located next to Tatsue-ji Temple, the 19th temple on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Komatsushima City. They sell handmade miso and soy sauce brewed in cedar barrels, which is rare even in Tokushima Prefecture. The brewery is run by the Hama couple, who are the fourth generation of the family.

They spare no effort in finding wheat, which is essential for making koji, and salt and soybeans, which are the raw materials for soy sauce and miso. They sometimes even go as far as to visit the producers on-site and purchase directly from them. Their spirit of pursuing high-quality ingredients is truly that of a craftsman.

Before making miso, you will start with a tour of the brewery where soy sauce is made. Don't miss the cedar barrels that have been in use for over 120 years. After seeing the actual manufacturing site, you will move on to making miso using the koji that has been painstakingly cultivated. His wife, Mariko, will teach you how to prepare the miso. You will learn the story and tips on how to make miso as you go along.

Everything you need for the experience is provided, so you can participate empty-handed. In this experience, you will prepare 2 kilograms of miso. First, you will mash the soybeans. Once you have mashed them to your desired size, add the raw koji and salt and mix thoroughly.

Once you've finished mixing, it's important to press the mixture into a deep container so that no air gets in. Cover it with plastic wrap, weigh it down with salt, and seal it to complete the preparation. From here, the miso begins to develop, and it will be complete after 10 months.

Store it at room temperature out of direct sunlight, and do not open it during the aging period. Resist the urge to open it, and wait. After 10 months of patience, the finest miso will be ready.

After making the miso, you can enjoy a small meal of rice cooked in a clay pot, miso soup, pickled vegetables made with salt koji, etc. The delicious flavors of the miso soup and pickles made with their proud koji will slowly spread throughout your mouth.

In the second part of our Tokushima trip, we introduced a trip to the southern part of the prefecture, where you can enjoy the great outdoors of the sea and mountains, as well as new facilities such as craft beer and convenience stores. Enjoy your trip to Tokushima while savoring the delicious local produce.

■Click here for the first part of the Tokushima trip

Tradition, culture, and spectacular views. A 2-day, 1-night tour of Tokushima's highlights (East to West)

Tokushima Prefecture is home to the majestic Yoshino River, the Naruto whirlpools, a coast frequented by sea turtles, and one of Japan's three most remote areas. Traditional crafts such as indigo dyeing, Otani ware, and Awa washi paper are thriving, and the local cuisine handed down throughout the prefecture is also unique. Even within the same prefecture, the townscape, natural scenery, food, and more all differ greatly from region to region.

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