Discover the new charm of southern Senshu in Misaki Town, the southernmost part of Osaka

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.

8:30 From Kansai International Airport to Funamori Shrine, an Important Cultural Property

From Kansai International Airport, I went to Tannowa Station via Izumisano Station. I strolled around Tannowa, the largest town in Misaki. First, I headed for Funamori Shrine, whose shrine building has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, and walked through the residential area from the station.

Funamori Shrine enshrines three deities: Ki Funamori, Ikinishikinirihiko, and Ki Koyumi no Sukune. Some of you may have already guessed it, but Tanoura was the territory of the Ki clan, an ancient powerful clan. The Ki clan was a so-called prestigious family that served the Yamato dynasty, and Ki no Tsurayuki, who wrote the Tosa Nikki, was also a member of the Ki clan.

Upon arriving at the shrine, you will first see a simple old stone wall. After walking along a short approach to the shrine grounds, you will be greeted by an 800-year-old camphor tree, a designated natural monument.

We went further to the shrine and prayed at the main hall. The main hall is surrounded by trees full of life and has a wonderful Nagare-zukuri roof made of cypress bark. Although it is an old shrine, it seems to have been well preserved.

Funamori Shrine is especially revered as the guardian deity of those involved in the fishing industry. A few hundred meters from here you will reach the sea, and along the coast you will find Funamori Shrine's "Otabisho." I decided to go there.

Funamori Shrine

10:30 Walk around Tanoura Port

From Funamori Shrine, we pass through residential areas and head towards Tanoura Fishing Port. There it is! The Otabisho, where the torii gate of Funamori Shrine stands. During the shrine festival, it is customary for the mikoshi (portable shrine) to be carried through narrow alleys to Kurosaki Beach, where the torii gate is located, and then put on a boat and made a circuit of the harbor.

On the stone monument at Kurosaki Beach, there is a passage from the "Tosa Nikki" written by Ki no Tsurayuki, who returned from Tosa and passed by the beach. In it, he laments the decline of his own clan, the Ki clan, saying, "The black of the place name, the green of the pine trees, the white of the waves, and the red of the shellfish caught on the shore," alluding to the five colors of Japan (yellow, green, red, white, and black), and the only thing missing is "yellow = Ki."

At the yacht harbor in Tanoura Port, pure white ships stretch their long masts into the sky, enhancing the resort atmosphere. If you walk to the end of the pier breakwater with the yachts on your right, you will see a red ship-shaped lighthouse, the Tanoura Port West Breakwater Lighthouse. With a light on top, this artistic monumental lighthouse resembles a sail fluttering in the wind, and can be seen from far away.

The weather was good, and we could see Kansai Airport and airplanes in the distance. The sunset at Tanoura Port was said to be beautiful, painting the calm sea surface red.

Kurosaki Beach

11:30 "IROHA Picture book and Cafe" - Enjoy a homemade lunch surrounded by picture books

Lunch in Tanoura is at a cafe about a 5-minute walk from the station. If you head in the opposite direction from the sea, you will soon find yourself surrounded by fields. It is a little secluded, so we searched for it, but we arrived safely. The beautiful lawn and hammocks are the landmarks.

"IROHA Picture book and Cafe" was opened by a young couple who renovated a 40-year-old building. They opened a cafe where customers can read picture books, which are essential for children's development. By removing the walls, eliminating steps, and lowering the eye level, they created a space where children can play freely and a shop where adults can relax.

For lunch, the main dish is fish, which is perfect for children. The small dishes are made with a variety of seasonal vegetables and are nutritionally balanced. The restaurant is also available as a rental space on certain days of the week, and various events are held there.

A new cafe has opened in Misaki Town, filled with the joyful voices of children, and the faces of mothers happily exchanging information were also delighted.

IROHA Picture book and Cafe

13:00 Marine Lodge Kaifukan: A memory-making facility in Misaki town with a great view of Osaka Bay

Marine Lodge Kaifukan is located on a small hill and can be seen from Tanoura Port and Yacht Harbor. It looks like a large luxury cruise ship with green trees representing waves! I was really curious, so I decided to climb the stairs leading to Kaifukan.

Marine Lodge Kaifukan is a well-known resort hotel in Misaki Town, equipped with a restaurant and banquet hall. It is close to the beach and is used for extracurricular activities at nearby schools, so it is a familiar facility filled with memories of family outings and childhood training camps.

You can see Osaka Bay from the rooms, lobby and restaurant, and you can also see the sandy beach of nearby Tanoura Tokimeki Beach and the Yacht Lighthouse we visited earlier below.

Right in front of the facility, the Osaka Prefectural Youth Marine Center, you can experience things like a ship's wheelhouse, sailing a yacht, and canoeing on the sea. It is also located right next to Tanoura Amusement Park, which is famous for its azaleas, so it is surrounded by lots of greenery and nature. With a melon soda in hand, I looked out to the sea and saw fishermen and children having fun.

Marine Lodge Kaifukan

14:30 Take a break. Hiroshige Coffee Club is filled with nostalgic memories of the Showa era.

On the way from Marine Lodge Kaifukan towards Tanoura Station, we stopped off for a rest at the end of our walk around Tanoura.

When talking about Misaki Town, everyone talks about how it used to be a tourist destination where people from Osaka and Wakayama would come to have fun. The street where this shop is located is the town's busiest, with people passing through from the station to Tanoura Amusement Park and Marine Lodge Kaifukan to enjoy the sea, and at the time, the street was lined with a variety of bustling shops. This cafe was formerly a souvenir shop, and is located in the place where the current owner's family home was.

The coffee specialty shop "Hiroshige Coffee Club" was opened up in the shop and his family home as a cafe. A large roaster is placed at the back of the shop, and carefully selected beans are roasted to the appropriate temperature and served by hand drip.

What's most surprising is the price! Customers can choose their favorite coffee beans, grind them themselves, and brew their own coffee for 250 yen per cup. If you want to drink as much as you like, it's 590 yen. If you let the owner brew your coffee, it's only 400 yen, so you can drink authentic coffee at a reasonable price.

What's more, there are 11 original coffees blended by the owner, and a total of about 20 varieties, making it difficult for even coffee lovers to choose. Not to mention the high quality of the carefully selected beans, the beans are carefully hand-picked (the process of removing damaged beans one by one) before and after roasting, allowing you to enjoy a cup of coffee that is free of impurities and allows you to enjoy the sweetness and aroma of the beans.

The nostalgic furniture, retro glass, and even the Buddhist altar are still there, just as they were in the Showa era, making it feel like you've returned to your grandma's house in the countryside. The owner also offers an all-you-can-drink coffee option, so you can stay as long as you like in this relaxing and comfortable space. There are also sweets from nearby cake shops and Japanese sweet shops, so you can enjoy them with your coffee.

Immersed in nostalgia, I left Tanoura with a feeling of wanting to stay and relax for as long as I could.

Hiroshige Coffee Club