[Day 2] Exploring Shinshiro: A City Packed with Japanese Charm. Immerse Yourself in Local Travel, Enjoying Nature, Hot Springs, and Cuisine | Shinshiro City Wellness Tour Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Feb 28 2024

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Categories: Aichi

[Day 2] Exploring Shinshiro: A City Packed with Japanese Charm. Immerse Yourself in Local Travel, Enjoying Nature, Hot Springs, and Cuisine | Shinshiro City Wellness Tour

Shinshiro City in Aichi Prefecture. Despite being just over an hour away from Nagoya, it's a small town that few people know about its charm. However, it's a wonderful town where the richness of vast nature, nurtured ingredients such as Japanese beef, and deeply rooted culture and history converge, making it a place where the charm of Japan is tightly packed and condensed.

See full listings of restaurants found in and around Aichi.

≫ Day 2 of Shinshiro City Wellness Tour

9:30 am: A forest bathing experience to reset your senses.

The Tokai Nature Trail is a vast natural trail spanning 1,697.2 kilometers, connecting Hachioji in Tokyo to Minoh in Osaka, traversing one metropolis, eight prefectures, and two urban prefectures. Its scale makes it one of the largest nature trails in Japan.

On the second day, we start with a forest bathing experience. We'll take a leisurely stroll along the Tokai Nature Trail, which connects Tokyo and Osaka, located a bit up the mountain.

Exploring Shinshiro: A City Packed with Japanese Charm. Immerse Yourself in Local Travel, Enjoying Nature, Hot Springs, and Cuisine | Shinshiro City Wellness Tour

The guide for this excursion is Ms. Kudaka, who hails from Aichi Prefecture. She specializes in plans that utilize nature to promote the charms of the local area.

"Forest bathing is a bit different from mountain climbing or trekking in terms of its purpose," says Ms. Kudaka. "It's not about reaching a goal at the end of the walk. Instead, it's about simply walking without thinking and enjoying the activation of the human senses."

The flickering sunlight filtering through the trees, the deep scent of the forest, and when you close your eyes, the vivid sounds of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves. In our daily lives, we often overlook or fail to hear these things unless we consciously pay attention. Taking the time to absorb these unnoticed aspects of nature is truly enriching.

On the left is cedar, and on the right is cypress. They're so different, yet you wouldn't notice unless you consciously look.

The moss, fluffy and rough, was created by nature. It's our first time experiencing the sensation of touching it with bare hands.

Just walking, nothing more. Yet, we feel surrounded by so much. Walking on concrete, you forget about the softness of the earth beneath your feet that you can feel through your soles. It's a luxurious moment to savor.

The sight of various types of trees illuminated by the sunlight, sparkling and shining, could be considered a kind of breathtaking view in its own right.

12:00 pm: Enjoy the legendary "Horai Beef," a delicacy produced in Shinshiro.

Experience the rustic charm of the Okumikawa Horai Nikusho Kadoya Shokudo spoon, a restaurant housed in a renovated traditional farmhouse.

We visited the Okumikawa Horai Nikusho Kadoya Shokudo spoon for lunch. Regardless of whether it's a weekday or a weekend, it's always bustling with people praising its delicious and generous portions. The restaurant directly sources its meat, ensuring freshness and allowing customers to enjoy rare cuts that aren't typically available in the market.

We were shown the "Horai Beef" that would be prepared for us shortly.

Among the menu items, the ones made with "Horai Beef," a Japanese Black Wagyu beef that Shinshiro City prides itself on, are a must-try whenever available. "Horai Beef" is often referred to as a "legendary brand beef" due to the scarcity of breeding farms and strict certification criteria. It is characterized by its rich flavor in the lean meat and elegant marbling.

First up, it's prepared in a sukiyaki style! The aroma is delightful.

The meat seems to glisten ever so slightly, doesn't it?

"Horai Beef has very few impurities, so we wanted to showcase its premium fat aroma as is and have you enjoy it in a simple way, hence the sukiyaki style. The eggs are also from Toyokawa in Aichi Prefecture," said Chef-owner Ogasawara. Indeed, the sweetness of the fat melts in the mouth, allowing you to directly experience the taste of the meat itself.

The "Okumikawa Horai Beef Enjoyment Set," including sukiyaki, is priced at 6,000 yen. You can enjoy a comparison of three different cuts of beef placed on the plate.

It's only when you compare the different cuts that you realize the quality of the fat varies significantly. Some cuts are translucent, while others melt with a strong sweetness or have a firm texture... Truly, it's a dish where you can fully enjoy Horai Beef. The accompanying vegetables, mostly root vegetables evoking the bounty of winter, allowed us to taste the flavors of Japan's four seasons.

The ambiance, with its decor evoking a traditional Japanese home where nothing seems altered outside the kitchen, creates a very calming atmosphere.

Okumikawa Horai Nikusho Kadoya Shokudo spoon

Phone: 0536-34-0100

Address: 42, Kamiyoshida Matsuzawa, Shinshiro-shi, Aichi

Close: Monday, Tuesday

Open: 11:30 pm - 2:30 pm (L.O. 2:30 pm)

From 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm, you can enjoy products from Okumikawa Horai Nikusho Kadoya for dining in.

>>About Horai Beef

2:00 pm: Cycling around the Yuya Onsen area.

The suspension bridge "Ukiishihashi" connecting the opposite banks offers a magnificent view.

Until dinner time, you can explore the Yuya Onsen area. There are places where you can rent bicycles, so riding around on a bike is also enjoyable. You can also enjoy free foot baths and other amenities.

The rustic charm of "Inaka Chaya Matsuya" catches the eye with its traditional farmhouse-style building.

Inaka Chaya Matsuya is a teahouse where you can enjoy the taste of the mountains in a setting that exudes a traditional atmosphere. Popular items include "Goheimochi" (rice cakes with miso paste) for 300 JPY and "Konnyaku no Misodengaku" (konnyaku with miso paste) for 300 JPY, both made with traditional miso.

Inside the shop, they also offer simple yet flavorful udon and soba noodles, and their souvenir selection is also extensive.

The "Umanoseiwa" (Horseback Rock) viewable from the "Ukiishihashi" bridge. Its rocky shape resembling the spine earned it the designation as a national natural monument.

The "Itajiki River" which creates a rich landscape and murmuring stream. Its characteristic feature is the flat riverbed that looks like it's paved with boards.

5:00 pm: Enjoying a hot spring before dinner.

From the moment you step inside, the lobby exudes a folk art-style ambiance, evoking a sense of the extraordinary.

Staying at the Hazu Bekkan since the first night, this ryokan is charming with its interior designed in a Taisho Roman style. It's so popular that on weekends, it often fills up with regular guests from the prefecture.

With a total of 12 rooms, each room has its own unique charm, offering a different experience every time you visit.

Yuya Onsen, with its ancient history dating back 1300 years, is nestled amidst the picturesque valleys. Among the nine hot spring inns lining both banks, Hazu Bekkan is one of them. The spring source, known as "Houekisen," is said to have healing properties effective against various ailments.

The open-air bath in the garden is where you can feel the mountain stream the most. It's beautiful during the day, but at night, you can gaze up at the starry sky overhead.

The baths at Hazu Bekkan consist of three naturally flowing hot springs. They alternate between male and female times, switching at 9:00 PM, allowing guests to fully enjoy the various aspects of Yuya Onsen. I was pleasantly surprised that my body stayed warm and didn't cool down until bedtime after getting out of the bath.

The "Houekisen" bath.

The Folk Crafts Hinoki Bath.

7:00 pm: Horai Beef shabu-shabu on the last night.

We raised a toast with the aperitif "Homemade Hourai Ume Fruit Liqueur."

On the second day, with the final day rapidly approaching, we enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Hazu Bekkan. The cuisine, carefully crafted with a sense of seasonality and local ingredients, evoked a nostalgic warmth that warmed not just the body but also the heart.

They offer cuisine that embodies the four seasons, based on a kaiseki-style meal, using plenty of local ingredients.

In the photo on the right is "River Fish Sashimi with Mochi Yuba, Ume Soy Sauce, and Karashi Soy Sauce." Today's fish is rainbow trout, and its firm texture pairs wonderfully with the refreshing plum soy sauce. In addition to the appetizer, there are delicacies such as "Taro and Nanohana with Walnut Miso" for the first course, and for the intermediate course, "Satsuma Sweet Potato Manju with Snowball Anko and Grated Ginger," showcasing meticulous craftsmanship using plenty of winter root vegetables.

For the grilled dish, we have "Grilled River Fish with Salt." This is also rainbow trout, but it offers a different texture and flavor from the sashimi, providing an enjoyable contrast.

The main dish on the winter menu is "Horai Beef Shabu-Shabu with Shirayuki Hot Pot and Yuzu Kosho." Along with the seasonal cabbage, there is also an abundance of mushrooms.

"This is a part where you typically taste the lean meat with little fat, but the balance between lean and fat in the Horai Beef thigh meat is excellent, and it offers a unique tenderness," says Chef Hodate. While marbled meat can sometimes feel heavy, the texture of this meat is delicate, and its flavor is light yet rich, allowing you to truly appreciate the excellence of Horai Beef.