This time's traveller: Uralie
With 68,000 followers (as of July 2023), she is an Instagrammer who mainly posts information about Kobe. Her posts are characterized by magazine-like typesetting, and she is followed by a wide range of people, not just women of her age. She is also active as a regular on television and radio.
Instagram: @urarie83
The place Urarie says she "wants to go back again!"
Another place I'd like to visit is Miyoshi City in Tokushima Prefecture!
Urarie-san mainly shares information about Kobe, but because of her ability to convey information, she often receives invitations to monitor tours around Japan. Among them, the place that left the biggest impression on her was Miyoshi City in Tokushima Prefecture.
Instagram #Urarie's Tokushima Trip
Editorial Department: What is the most memorable thing about Miyoshi City?
Freshly made tofu from Kurie Shoten!
Tofu produced in the Soya region of Tokushima Prefecture is famous for being so hard that it is called "iwa tofu."
Urarie-san was given the freshly made treat, and said that the rich, firm tofu was surprisingly delicious.
Editorial Department: The location, surrounded by nature, is wonderful! It feels like something out of a Japanese folk tale.
We stayed in an old house called "Togenkyo Iya no Yamazato," which had a great atmosphere!
In the eastern Iya region of Miyoshi City, there is the "Ochiai Village," where thatched-roof houses built in the Edo period remain. The plumbing and other facilities of these old houses have been renovated and are now used as accommodation facilities that can be rented out as a whole building, making it the mountain village of Shangri-La Iya.
You can cook a meal using ingredients sold at the roadside station in an old, charming house, and enjoy a relaxing time forgetting about time.
Urarie says that the stay was very refreshing and helped her to forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The property is quite large, so she recommends staying with friends.
Editorial Department: What would you like to do next time in Miyoshi City?
I want to enjoy Tokushima's nature once again!
On another day, they stayed at the Iya Onsen Hotel, where they got to feed some friendly titmice!
Also, I really like the T-shirt I made with Akane-zome and wear it all the time, so I'd like to make another one!
Many people may be familiar with "indigo dyeing," but may have never heard of "akane dyeing." This is a valuable experience that can be had in Miyoshi City, where the roots of the Japanese madder plant are boiled to make a dye and dyed red.
Other items on offer included delicious meals made with locally grown vegetables and river fish, as well as souvenirs made with sudachi citrus, a flavor typical of Shikoku; Urarie, who loves to eat, was more than satisfied!
He says the reason he wants to go back is that "there are so many things I didn't know and things I've never experienced before, and there's so much to see."
Urarie also shared photos she took in Miyoshi City.
Come and experience the charm of Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, as seen through Urarie's filter.
Q & A about Uralie's travels
We get a glimpse into the real Uralie, who shares information from a unique perspective! We asked her a variety of questions in a Q&A format.
Q. What prompted you to start sharing information about outings?
A. Cafe hopping!
I started blogging when I was a teenager, and I've always loved sharing things. With a dream of opening a cafe, I started posting about my cafe visits as a hobby, study, and record.
Gradually, the number of followers who looked up to my posts increased, and it became more fun to share them. Now, if I don't post on social media, I feel as bad as not brushing my teeth (laughs).
Q. What criteria do you use to upload to Instagram?
A. Places that I would wholeheartedly recommend!
Truly delicious gourmet spots and wonderful places don't always look as good as they should (laughs).
But, if I'm going to share, I want to share places that I've been truly moved by and that I would like to recommend, and even if they don't look great, I'll try to make them look good!
Q.What are the key points of this magazine-like posting style?
A. Keep your antenna up even in the city
The reason for my current style of text placement was because I wanted to stand out more than others.
I look at magazine layouts, and of course, if I see a poster on the street that I think is great, I take a photo of it and save it. I use a lot of different designs as inspiration, so much so that I even have a folder just for layouts.
Q. Finally, what does “travel” mean to you, Urarie?
A. Travel is about food
I love to eat. Even now I'm thinking about where I'm going to have lunch (laughs). So when I travel, I'm looking for delicious local cuisine. I'm always excited to encounter new flavors.
And when I come back to Kobe, I can once again feel the charm of Kobe and think, "I really love Kobe!"
I would like to continue traveling to eat delicious food all over Japan, with Kobe as the main focus!
Urarie, who embodies the saying "to eat is to live," was overflowing with love for food and social media. I feel like I understand why just looking at her posted photos is so enjoyable.
Traveler's friends
Urarie introduced us to Maro (Instagram: @ohitorigram), who is also attracting attention as the original creator of the manga "Ohitorisama Hotel" illustrated by Maki Hirochi.
Uralie was so amused by her posts, which uniquely introduced her experience staying alone in a hotel, that she immediately followed her. Even now that they're friends, she happily told me, "Your unique worldview is something I respect."
What kind of travel stories will she tell us? Look forward to it!
Domestic Discount Fares Skymate
Limited to ages 12 and over and under 25!
Extremely affordable discount fares available for booking from the day of departure (4 hours before departure)
Articles by other travelers who have appeared so far can be found here
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
