Japan Hour: Road Trip On Kotoku Line (Part 1)
Local lines. Trains travelling through beautiful places of Japan that make us feel nostalgic. Season by season, we enquire local residents to find breathtaking scenery, delicious cuisine, and wonderful accommodations. It's a journey to uncover recommendations only the locals know.
All aboard to find the home in our hearts. (Home in our hearts) (JR Kotoku Line) This time, the journey takes place on the JR Kotoku Line, in Kagawa Prefecture and Tokushima Prefecture. Outside the train windows spreads a peaceful rural landscape. Lotus fields spread out all around.
They walk from a small station and discover a surprising treasure! Wow, this is beyond what I was imagining. On the journey, our travellers need to rely on people's recommendations. He scared me! Little-known great places found only through enquiring people. Our travellers eat up local seafood, and other speciality foods. It has the perfect chewiness! -It's incredible. -Isn't it? They also have cute encounters.
-No. -Where do you come from? -French! -French! Bonjour! -Bonjour! -So cute. However...
At this hour, the office is... -Is it closed? -It's closed? They face a series of unexpected events! Are you going to take a photo of me? Is it okay? Do I look like the president of APA Hotels? It's an unpredictable two-day overnight journey! Let's get started! All aboard our journey of enquiry and discovery! The journey begins in Takamatsu City, in the centre of Kagawa Prefecture. Takamatsu Station is where the journey on the JR Kotoku Line begins. -Nice to meet you. -You too.
How should I call you? -You can call me Kawamura. -Kawamura? -Or Emiko. Call me anything you like. -Okay. I'll call you Emiko then. That would be great! We meet for the first time, right? -Yes, first time. Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you. How should I call you? -Call me Mayo. -Really? Okay, I'll call you Mayo.
-Okay, I'll call you Emiko. -Great. Both of the travellers are joining the show for the second time. This is Mayo Kawasaki, an actor. This is Emiko Kawamura from the comedy duo Tanpopo. She's also a certified Onsen Sommelier.
The JR Kotoku Line connects Kagawa Prefecture and Tokushima Prefecture. Our travellers will start from Takamatsu Station, and head to Tokushima Station, the goal. There are 29 stations total, and a route distance of 74.5 kilometres. Their goal is to get recommendations from local residents and create an original travel guide with 10 entries. (Enquire the local residents and discover 10 great places) -Wow, a lady-first treatment. -Of course. This time, Mayo decided the stations to get off and the time in advance.
Which line are we going to take, Mayo? From Takamatsu Station, we'll take this line called Kotoku Line. We'll take the Kotoku Line to Tokushima. Right there? Ko comes from Takamatsu, and Toku comes from Tokushima. Kotoku Line. I see. Which station should we go first? First...
We'll go to Ritsurin-Koen. Ritsurin-Koen. -There's a park there. -There must be a lot of nature. To find an oasis with greenery, our duo first goes to Ritsurin-Koen- Kitaguchi Station, two stops away. What will we find here? (Takamatsu, Ritsurin-Koen-Kitaguchi Station, Tokushima) It looks nice. Which way to go? -Now it's up to us to decide. -That's right.
Which way is your instinct telling you to go? -Why don't we go this way? -Sure. Let's hope Mayo's instinct is right. -Shall we enquire him? -Sure. Excuse me. -Excuse me. -Can we speak to you?
Are there any interesting places around here? Do you have a place you often go that you recommend? That place... Kita Rihei Ware. Kitari? Kita Rihei Ware.
-Kita Rihei Ware. -Kita Rihei Ware. It's from Takamatsu Domain. Is it pottery? That's right. There's a lady who makes them, and now her son is making them too. I've never heard of it. Is it far? It's right there.
It's where that car is parked. -The one with a blinking light? -You see it? -It's Kita Rihei Ware. -Does it have a long history? A few people know about it. -Really? -Only a few people know? That's exactly what we are looking for.
-Thank you very much. Bye. -Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Nice, but I'm not sure if we can ring the doorbell.
-I feel nervous. -Me too. It's rare to ring someone's doorbell when filming a travel show. -We just only open doors. -Exactly. -Shall we ring it? -Sure. -Excuse me. Good morning. -Good morning.
-Sorry for visiting so suddenly. -Someone -Yes? -recommended this place. We heard that you make incredible pottery. Are you filming? -Yes, we're on a journey of enquiry. -Is that okay? Will I be on TV? Would that be difficult? -It'd be better without a camera. -Okay. You look pretty.
-That's true. -Not really. Let us know if you don't want to be on TV. Well, it's my son and myself. I see. Can we see your work? -We have some pieces on display. -Would it be possible for us to see them? Come on in.
Great. -Sorry for the trouble. -Thank you very much. -She's fine with it. -It's okay. Thank you for doing this despite our sudden visit. Is this your workshop on the left? That's right. -Nice. -It's wonderful.
How wonderful. Please come in. Thank you very much. -Thank you. -Sure. -It looks impressive. -It does, doesn't it? This is for the Year of Boar.
These look modern. So cute. I get nervous around them. -Me too. -Feel free to touch them. I'm nervous. This one is 49,000 yen.
It has a detailed image. -Does Rihei Ware have a long history? -Yes. It's been... How many years? 370 years. Incredible. And your son is which generation? He hasn't taken over the business yet.
But he'll be the 15th generation. Wow, 15 generations. -It was originally a kind of Oniwayaki. -Oniwayaki? It started as Oniwayaki of Matsudaira Family in Takamatsu Domain. Oniwayaki. Rihei Ware got started more than 370 years ago, when the Takamatsu lord invited Kita Rihei, the founder, to his mansion, and had him make personal things out of pottery.
(Bowl with a hollyhock family crest from the early Edo period) Some of their work from the Edo period was appraised for shockingly high prices. (Large plate with painting, from the early Edo period) Rihei Ware is known for its three-dimensional painting. They paint and fire, and repeat the process. To finish one piece of pottery, sometimes it takes more than one month. (The current head is the 14th generation) Under his mother, who's the 14th generation, the son of the family is currently training to take over the business.
-I'll show you a large piece. -Wow, incredible. It's beyond what I expected. -Amazing. -It's incredible. -Can we touch it with bare hands? -Wow, incredible.
Amazing! -Wow, is it okay if we touch it? -Sure. Is this from 300 years ago? -That's right. -No, before that. -Even before that. -Really? Incredible. What did they put in it? That's true. I wonder what this was used for? -Water. -They probably poured water in it.
It was for washing hands. -For washing hands? -I see. Wow, incredible. There's a dragon. Wow, it's curved out. That's right.
Isn't that amazing that they had skills to do that over 300 years ago? The dragon looks like it's coming out. How much is this worth? Back when it was appraised, they said it was about 30 million yen. Yes, between 20 and 30 million yen. 20 to 30 million yen? That's what we were told. -But actually... -It's not really worth that much.
I don't think anyone wants it, anyways. Wow, you can buy a house with that money. You could buy a house.
This is a wash basin created by the founder over 300 years ago. It was made for the lord of the domain, and was not on the market which increased its value. Amazing. Are you all right? This is 30 million yen! This is 30 million yen, Mayo! Please be careful, Mayo! Incredible.
I'm too scared to touch it. I'm intimidated by its 300 years of history. Wow, nice. It's pretty.
Would you like to be in the photo? Here you go. Nice. Take a look at this. I could drink sake like that. The first entry in the guidebook, a family specialised in pottery for 14 generations and their pottery called Rihei Ware.
-Ritsurin-Koen-Kitaguchi Station. -Yes. We got off at that station, but is there a park nearby? Ritsurin Garden is right in front of this house. Really? I saw some buildings. That's right.
Do you have a spot to recommend? -The overall Ritsurin Garden is pretty. -Kikugetsutei. -Kikugetsutei is nice. -Kikugetsutei? -What is that? -It's a place inside the garden. -It was for the lord. -A tea house. That's where the lord used to take a break.
That's a great name. You get a very nice view when you sit down in the tea house. -Is it relaxing? -Yes, it's relaxing. Shall we go there? Yes, I'd love to. -Let's go there. -Ritsurin Garden is wonderful. You know...
It's the beginning of the trip and we already saw wonderful pottery. I'm truly impressed. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. I look forward to seeing more beautiful pieces. -Thank you very much. -Impressive.
Our duo now heads to the garden where the recommended Kikugetsutei is. -Okay, so... -It's here. Really? It's so close. Ritsurin Garden. What was it called? -It's Kikugetsutei. -Kikugetsutei.
Wonderful. You need to get permission to go inside. Oh yes, let's go ask. -Is there a reception? Let's go ask. -Reception. -Okay. -They said okay. This place looks impressive.
What is it called again? Kikugetsutei. -Kikugetsutei. -Do you see it? Do we turn right and go this way? I see Kikugetsutei. -It's at the very back. -True.
-We should keep going towards the back. -Yes. -Two adults, please. -Two, please. It'll be 820 yen. It's surprisingly cheap. It's already cooler. Yes, it's already cooler.
-The greenery looks great. -Yes! This calms my mind. This really is a wonderful garden.
Ritsurin Park is a Japanese garden designated as a special scenic beauty spot by the Japanese government. Matsudaira Family of Takamatsu Domain who ruled this area in the Edo period repaired and expanded it for generations to use it as a suburban residence. (Matsudaira Family of the Takamatsu clan renovated it for generations) With Mount Shiun next to the garden included, it has an area of approximately 230,000 "tsubo" It's 16 times the size of Tokyo Dome! Look at the lotuses.
Are they lotuses? So pretty. (Lotuses) Lotus flowers are blooming. They're pretty. Can I borrow this? Beautiful. They have large leaves. How does it look? You're good at it! Very nice. There's a dragonfly. It's on a flower.
With Mayo's advice, Ms Kawamura also tries to take photos. Did you get it? It's out of focus. Unfortunately, it's out of focus. Now they head to Kikugetsutei.
Wow, it looks pretty. -Nice! -It feels like we're in the Edo period. -That's true. -Awesome.
-It's really like the Edo period. -Yes. It's wonderful. The entrance is this way, right? -Yes. -It says Kikugetsutei. -This is Kikugetsutei. -Amazing. They go inside right away. (Kikugetsutei) -Hello. -Do we pay the entrance fee here?
Yes, please order green tea. -Okay. -You can drink it inside. -Okay. Tea for two people, please. -Sure. Thank you, Mayo. We don't have a lot of time.
-Thank you. -Thank you. It's so spacious. Great. You can sit here if you want.
Here. -Great. -This is luxurious. This is different from what I had expected.
There are no tables. -It's to enjoy the view. -I see. Wonderful.
Nice, I see the maintenance people passing by. -Great. -It really feels like... we're living in the Edo period. Places like this calm my mind.
Kikugetsutei was built in the Edo period. The tea house was named after a phrase in Tang poetry. (It was named Kikugetsutei after a phrase in Tang poetry) From the inside, there is a spectacular view of the garden pond and greenery. This tea house was loved by feudal lords for many generations.
This is very nice! It looks cool. Here you go. Thank you very much. This is confectionery called Kenjoguri, made with Wasanbon sugar from Kagawa. It's a sweet made with chestnuts.
-Is it a speciality here? -Yes. Amazing. -Let's try it. -Yes.
Thank you very much. Excuse me. Thank you for it. There's a chestnut inside.
How is it? Is it good? I wasn't expecting this. Hop. That was terrible. Hop, hop. Great. Thank you for it.
It's good. It really is. It has perfect sweetness. It's not too sweet. It has natural sweetness, which is good. This enriches my heart.
The second entry in the guidebook, Kikugetsutei, a place Takamatsu's feudal lords loved. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. Bye. That was a great place. Yes, it was the best! -We don't have time, Mayo. -Right.
They have 15 minutes until the next train, so they rush back to the station. We need to hurry. (15 minutes left until the 11:16 am train) -Here it is. -Here's the exit. Let's go out from here.
Which way is it? I want to take a taxi. Taking taxis is not allowed. Oh, my gosh! -We're almost there. -We've finally arrived. We'll make it to the train. -Yes, but... -We can. We rushed back.
The next station is... Where are we going next, Mayo? I thought we should go to Sanuki-Mure. Sanuki. -Mure. -It has the name Sanuki, so... I'm wondering if we can get udon noodles. That'd be great.
The station has the name Sanuki. -This is a peaceful place. -Yes, it is. 1:21 pm. -1:21 pm. -I think 1:21 pm would be perfect.
They walk along a national road. Look, the train is... running parallel to this road. Oh yeah, that's true.
I guess it's a different railway. -Shall we cross the road? -Sure. I don't see anybody around. That's true. -What now? -Shall we go this way? Maybe this way? What? Really? There's nobody.
-What should we do? -What should we do? -I see someone! -I see someone! -I see someone. -She might be a local. She looks like a local. -I hope she won't be suspicious of us. -I hope not. We'd startle her if we talk to her from afar. -Excuse me. -You know...
-Hello. -Sorry for the suddenness. You're the first person we saw after getting off the train. -I'm so happy to see you. -It's Mr Kawasaki, and... I'm Kawamura.
Which show is this? It's a journey of enquiry and discovery on local lines. This... We're walking around railway stations.
Do you know any place where we can eat great udon noodles? -Great udon noodles? -Yes. Please let us know if you have an udon noodle shop to recommend. Maybe that way? -The place that I recommend, -What do you think? you'll have to go to Shido Station.
Is there one around Shido Station? Yes, there are udon shops in Shido. Really? What's the name of the store? -I can't remember the name. -Okay. Shido was the next station I was planning to go.
-It was one of the stations you chose? -Yes. -Shido. -Shido. Shido sounds nice.
That's enough. Thank you for the joke. The lady didn't get the joke at all.
He said Shido instead of Shiro. Shall we go? We have two hours before our next train, though. That's not good. Are there any places around here that local residents recommend? -Or any place that we should see? -That way... -There's Genpei's roadside station. -Roadside station?
It takes about 10 minutes on foot. What do you recommend about the place? It's a roadside station. It has a view of the sea.
-A view of the sea? -Yes. It's pretty. -Does it have a nice view? -Yes. -That sounds good. -Let's go. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
-Sorry, I know it's hot outside. -No problem. -Thank you. -Thank you. -Take care. -Thank you.
Please protect yourself from heatstroke. Do we go straight? Go straight, and go this way. I understand. Thank you very much.
So we'll go to the roadside station. Yes. It's Genpei's roadside station. -According to the lady... -She said it has a view of the sea.
-Yes, the landscape here is nice. -Wait. -All I see now is mountains. -Yes, but... Isn't the sea quite far away? -But she said it'd take 10 minutes. -Yes, but... But in places like this, -10 minutes can actually mean 20 minutes. -That's true. You're right. They're getting a bit worried. They get back on the national road again.
It says there. Genpei no Sato Mure. It's 500 metres away. Signs like this are helpful. Yes, they're helpful. They ended up taking 30 minutes to walk to the roadside station.
This is it. We're here! Yes! -Genpei no Sato Mure. -Yes. -We're here. -Where is it? We're here. Is it this way? They ask for a permission to film right away. It looks like it.
-Shall we ask? -Sure. Excuse me, we're on a journey on a local line. What did they say? They said okay to filming. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. -No problem.
-We heard you can see the sea. Where? -Yes, we can. -There's a park behind this building. -Okay. You can see it from there. Not sure if you can see it well today though. This is the spot where you can see the water. -It's a bay called Shido Bay. -Okay. Oh, yeah, I can see the sea.
Really? Is it because you're tall? For me, I can't see it yet. Is that it? It's pretty. On the JR Kotoku Line, our duo visits a recommended spot with a great view near Sanuki-Mure Station. Is that it? I don't have energy left to run.
The island in front of us is Shodo Island, which is famous for their olives. That's Shodo Island? -Yes, the island in front of us. -I see. -Yes. -I've heard of that island.
It's a calm bay. It's pretty! (Shido Bay) This park behind the roadside station has a panoramic view of Shido Bay of the Seto Inland Sea. When it's sunny, Shodo Island, an island known for olives, can also be clearly seen. Incredible.
-I'll include you in the photo. -Me too? Wonderful. Yes, that was awesome! Very cool. What should I do? It's Shido Bay and Emiko. Is it okay? Do I look like the president of APA Hotels? Do I look like the President of APA Hotels on a trip? Wow, it's a great portrait. Wow, you took a great photo of me.
I'm not sure, because it's not my own camera. We actually got off the train at JR Sanuki-Mure Station. It's called Sanuki, so I thought we could eat Sanuki udon noodles here. Can we do that here? Sorry, we don't serve udon noodles at the roadside station. Not at the roadside station? -No. -But it's called Sanuki.
I wasn't expecting this. What does that mean? -We offer seafood meals but not udon. -I see. -I'm curious now. -But you sell a lot of udon noodles. We have udon noodles for souvenirs and products related to udon noodles. What do you mean products related to udon? I have this.
-What's that? -What is that? Is that a tempura? -Is it a business card holder? -That's right. It's cute. I don't have cards left. People from Kagawa Prefecture bring this on business trips. You'll be popular if you introduce yourself to business people with this.
-I can see that. -I see. It's a must-have for Kagawa people. -I'm confident about that. -You can tell they're from Kagawa. -It's only sold at our store. -Really? -Let's both get this to remember the trip. -Please show us the store.
Let's both get this. This roadside station opened in 2007. They have crafts from Kagawa Prefecture and Sanuki udon noodles souvenirs. They sell more than 500 kinds of products.
This is it. -It's cute. -It's cute. So cute.
It's cute. The one with an egg is also cute. -Should we get one? -Sure. Other products include a special brooch made with coated real udon noodles. Pin badges and key chains are also popular. (Key chain with real udon noodles, 950 yen) Please take the train wearing that.
This brooch looks cute. -Are you going to get that, Mayo? -Yes. The third entry in the guidebook, roadside station Genpei no Sato Mure with a panoramic view of the Seto Inland Sea.
-Have a safe trip. -Thank you. -Thank you very much. -Thank you, bye. They walked back to the station.
Shido. -It's the neighbouring station. -It'll be quick. It also has a green colour. That means it's a station where express trains stop. It's a big station, so I'm sure there are many things.
-We can count on it. -Yes, we can. This time, to actually eat authentic Sanuki udon noodles, our duo heads to Shido Station. Let's put on the badges we bought. Yes, that way, it'll really feel like we're in Udon Prefecture. How is it? -I like it. -It looks good!
It looks good! -It looks great! -I'm happy about it. Great. Udon. How is it? -It looks great. -Nice. -Great. -It's not very colourful though. It's cute.
All right. -Watch your step. -Yes. Can we sit with you? -Sure. -Thank you very much. I'll sit next to you.
(1:21 pm) They start enquiring on the train. We're getting off at Shido Station next. Me too. Do you know any good udon noodle shop there? Any recommendations? Udon noodle shop I recommend? That's right. Somewhere local residents often go to.
If you go a bit farther towards east, -There's a place called Men D. -Men D. How long does it take to get there from the station? If you walk, let's see... -About 10 minutes. -10 minutes? At the udon noodle shop, what kind of udon noodles do you recommend? What's something you often get? Udon noodles in broth. -Udon noodles in broth. -Udon noodles in broth. They've got a great piece of information, and it sounds promising.
In three minutes, they arrive at Shido Station. -We're here. -Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Oh, yeah, you're getting off too. Oh, sorry. -There are different kinds. -Yes. -Thank you very much. -Thank you, ma'am.
Thank you very much. It's 1:30 pm right now. Let's get udon noodles.
-2:53 pm. -That sounds good. Yes, the 2:53 pm train sounds good. -Shall we take this then? -Yes.
-We'll eat and come back. -Yes. Men D. Hello, do you know a place called Men D? -Yes, I know. -It's an udon noodle shop.
-We heard that they're good. -Which way is it? It's that way. -Shall we go straight on that street? -Yes. Then...
-Turn right at the second traffic light. -Right? Okay. -Thank you very much. Bye. -Thank you very much. -I'm hungry. -Me too. -On the plane to here... -Over there. What is it? There's some kind of a pagoda.
-Oh, yeah, it looks great. -That must be Shido Temple. -It probably is. -Yes. -Right? -Shido... It's the temple number 86. -Yes, yes, yes. -The 86th temple visited by pilgrims. It's one of the last temples on the path.
You're right. There are 88 temples total. I see the word udon. Is that the place? It's open.
It's here. The lights are on too. Yes, they're on. Men D! But we need permission to film. -That's right. -We need permission to film. Let's go ask. Excuse me.
-They said okay. -We did it! -Their food looks great. -Yes! Welcome. Wow, look.
Look at that, Mayo. -They have Kamabonara, which is unique. -Kamabonara? They have dishes with interesting names. Tama curry? That looks good.
I want to try something that's unique. -I see. -Welcome. How does this work? It's self-service. Please order your udon noodles here, and we'll make them. It's an udon noodle shop that has just opened last December. Their chewy udon noodles are made with high quality flour.
They're soft and sticky, which is what makes them popular. Their noodles also go down easily. Men D is a self-service udon shop.
For the toppings, they have 17 different kinds of tempura including squid, shrimp, and aubergine. What do you recommend? Gaga Special, which is regular soy sauce-based udon noodles, but it's served with grated daikon radish, pickled plums, and perilla leaves. Is it unique to this place? Yes, it's our special dish. I love dishes that are unique to a store. -I think I'll get Gaga Special. -Gaga Special. Here's Gaga Special.
-Gaga Special? -Here is special soy sauce for it. Please add the sauce little by little. -Okay. -I'll take udon with an egg and meat. Udon with an egg and meat.
That sounds good. One serving, please. -Here's one with an egg and meat. -That looks great. -It looks incredible. -I'm glad.
The kind Mayo got is served with simmered beef, grated daikon radish, and an onsen egg, and is very popular. Gaga Special is served with a pickled plum, chopped perilla leaves, grated daikon radish, and tuna. It's a refreshing dish offered only during the summer.
There's something our duo is curious about. Where does the word Gaga come from? -Is it because you like Lady Gaga? -No, it's not that. Everyone thinks it comes from Lady Gaga. But one of the employees here has a nickname Gaga. She came up with the dish.
Is the person nicknamed Gaga here now? -Yes, she's here. -We'd love to meet her. She doesn't have crazy outfit, -but I'll go get her. -Really? Thank you. Oh, hello! Our duo is at a popular udon shop near Shido Station of the JR Kotoku Line.
Who's Ms Gaga who came up with Gaga Special? Oh, hello! Are you Ms Gaga? Yes, I'm Gaga. Ms Gaga. Please come here.
-Thank you. -What's your actual name? My last name is Kagamihara. Ms Kagamihara.
-My last name is too long to say. -Ms Gagamihara? -Kagamihara. -Ms Kagamihara. It's Ms Kagamihara. I wanted to get a shorter nickname. So I decided to use the same name as Lady Gaga. -Gaga comes from Kagamihara. -That's right.
-Is that why it's called Gaga Special? -Yes. How did you come up with this idea? -I'm from Tokushima. -Okay. One of the speciality from Tokushima is Handa soumen noodles. I used to make fried soumen noodles with it. I used to use tuna for that, along with perilla leaves, pickled plum, and soy sauce.
It was very good. I thought that it'd also go well with udon noodles. -And we decided to add this to the menu. -Incredible. Thank you.
-Thank you. -Thank you very much. -Let's eat, Mayo. -Let's eat. -Let's take a bite. -Thank you for it. Mayo ordered udon with hot broth with an egg and meat. You know... They're perfectly chewy! I'm excited! Oh, I need to pour this.
This is the special soy sauce. How is Gaga Special? This is worth the walk. Thank you for it.
You need to chew on this. It's very chewy. -It's very chewy. -Very chewy and tasty. But they're nicely cooked, so they're also soft.
Soft and chewy. They also go down easily. The soup is also great. For Gaga Special, I like the sourness of the pickled plum and the special soy sauce. It has a gentle flavour. This is amazing.
It's incredible. The two can't stop eating. It didn't take long before...
-I finished it! -You finished it! The fourth entry in the guidebook, authentic Sanuki udon noodles from Men D. -It was amazing! Thank you. -Thank you. -It was great. -Thank you very much.
-But... -Yes? I'm glad we waited until this station. Yes, it was brave of us...
-to wait. -Exactly. They're back to the station. Where do we go next, Mayo? -Which station? -The next station will be... -the last station of the day. -Really? Do you see Sanuki-Tsuda? Sanuki-Tsuda? Sanuki-Tsuda? Does that mean -we need to find an accommodation? -Yes, I wanted to do that.
According to the map, the next station is near the sea. So maybe there are accommodations with great views or ones that are by the sea. Maybe there's a great hot spring. I thought we should look for one. Oh, look.
-Yes. -Nothing much here, it seems. What do you think? What do you think? It looks like a quiet station, which is nice. Doesn't that look nice? -You're right. -See? -We're by the coastline. -That's true. -We're by the sea. -Yes.
-Let's go that way. -Sure. There's even a beach. -Great, let's go towards the sea. -Let's go. I'd love to find an accommodation with a great view.
Can I ask you a question? -Hello. -Sure, you can ask me anything. Thank you. Sorry to bother you when you're riding a bike. -I've seen you before. -Really? I'm glad to hear that. We're looking for a place to stay today.
If possible, somewhere with a nice view. What about Quataraso? -Quataraso? -Quataraso? If you go straight, -there's a hotel named Quataraso. -Is that so? What do you recommend about the hotel? I'm not sure because I've never stayed there before. It has a panoramic view of the sea.
-Really? -Yes. -It's not blocked by anything? -No. Does it have a hot spring? Yes, there are baths.
-Really? There are baths? -Yes. -Yes, there is. -There are baths. -Let's go. -Let's go.
It's that way. If you can't stay there, you could stay at my house. -My house. -Are you sure? In case you can't stay at the hotel.
Really? Do you mean it? Quataraso. We'll go check, ma'am. -Okay, just go straight. -Okay.
-Thank you very much. -Thank you very much. -Take care. -Thank you. -You too. -I'm going this way. -Thank you. -Straight on this road, right? Yes, go straight. Thank you very much.
She was a very sweet lady. Wow, amazing. These are all pine trees. I wonder who planted these? We can't make it an entry, but it's so nice that I wish I could. They came to a scenic spot which is a part of the Setonaikai National Park called Tsuda no Matsubara. Along with the blue sea and the white sand beach, around 3,000 pine trees are planted for one kilometre.
In the early Edo period, they started planting pine trees as a windbreak forest for Iwashimizu Shrine, a shrine nearby. It's nice to walk among the trees. It calms my mind. The pine tree forest is ending. -The hotel is on that side. -Is that it? It says Kuapark.
Kuapark Tsuda? Is it not the hotel? The hotel that the lady recommended is called Quataraso. I wonder. Kuapark. They'll go ask. So this place is... Excuse me.
-Is this Quataraso? -No, this isn't Quataraso. It seems that they're at a wrong place. Here we go! It's okay! -This is great! -I'm so glad.
But this isn't Quataraso. You're right. This is a place called Kuapark Tsuda.
But this is their hotel. -Quataraso is where the pools and baths are. -It's in the back. -But they're the same place. -That's right. -They're connected together inside. -That's right. -It looks nice. -Yes.
They also gave us permission to film. -Okay, let's stay here. -Yes. -Hi. -Hello. Thank you for having us.
This is a resort hotel opened in 1996. All their hotel rooms are facing the sea. The hotel is attached to a facility with hot spring baths and pools called Quataraso Sanuki Tsuda. It is connected to the hotel by a connecting corridor. (Quataraso Sanuki Tsuda) We have an annex called Quataraso Sanuki Tsuda with pools and hot spring baths. This is a free ticket to the facility, which we give to our guests.
-Really? -Yes, we give this to all our guests. Please feel free to use it. -Can we go in for free? -That's right. -Great. -Just the guests of the hotel though.
For the guests of the hotel, it is free to use the hot spring baths and the pools. It's required to wear swimwear, which can be rented, in the hot spring baths. I'm really glad we can stay here. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. -It looks great. -Look. We're right by the sea.
(Room with breakfast, 8,760 yen) We're right by the sea. It's pretty. We're right in front of the sea. -She said it's a panoramic view. -She was right.
From the room, islands such as Shodo Island can be seen. It's a relaxing room with a view of the calm Seto Inland Sea. It's pretty. Shodo Island is visible too. -Yes, that's Shodo Island. -Shodo Island. -Yes, it's visible from our hotel. -Amazing. Mayo, since the water looks pretty, -we should go to the beach. -Sure.
-Let's take a walk. -Yes, while it's still bright. (5:00 pm) This is great. -We're already by the sea. -This is really fast. It's the beach. Nice.
This looks great. It looks great. So pretty! This is amazing! I feel free. Right? There's nobody else. It's a private beach. This is great.
-The water is very clear. -Yes, it's transparent. Let's touch the water. Oh no! Oh, my gosh! My feet went in the water. Do you want me to take a photo? It's really... Let's take a commemorative photo with the beautiful sea. Do I look like the President of APA Hotels again? Be more energetic.
Energetic? Here I go! I look like I'm having fun. It's a great photo. -This is nice. -Yes. It's just us on the beach.
This feels really like a private beach. Here's dinner that they've been looking forward to. -I'm hungry. -You are hungry? They will have dinner at the hotel's speciality restaurant.
The colour of the sea is changing now. -I like the sea. -Me too. -Those terrace seats look great too. -Yes. In this region, chicken on the bone is popular. Oh, yes, that's right. -You mentioned that this morning. -Yes, I mentioned it.
These are very good. We might as well try this one. -Yes, the one produced in Kagawa. -That's right. -Can we get separate dishes? -Can we get them? If you'd like a separate seafood dish, we have dried sardines, deep-fried with seaweed. They're from Ibuki Island.
-Yes, they were caught on the island. -We'll take this, and... -Shall we get a set meal? -Set meal... -Let's get one each. -Maybe a sashimi set meal. Shall we order this and this? -Let's do that. -Okay.
Our duo orders a sashimi set meal and a boiled whitebait rice bowl set meal. Here are the dried sardines. Thank you very much. Sudachi is used here too. That looks great. Oh, sorry.
Dried sardines are called "iriko" in western Japan. Here are dried sardines from Ibuki Island, deep-fried with seaweed. -How are they? -They're crispy. Very good. I can hear the crispy sound from here. -Here's chicken on the bone. -That looks great.
That's what you told me about. It looks great. (Chicken on the bone, 850 yen) It already looks good. -Is this one of Kagawa's specialties? -Yes. Chicken on the bone is one of the local specialties from Kagawa Prefecture.
A bar in Marugame City was the one who made this dish popular. A tender young bird is cooked in an oven with some spices. -Let's eat. -Let's eat. What do we do with this? -Let's cut it. -Yes. -I'll cut it so it'll be easier to eat. -Sure.
I see, so that's how it looks. It looks great. Can I cut it into large pieces? Sure.
Okay, thank you for it. Here's the chicken on the bone. -This is... -How is it? Very good. It's tender. It's probably because it's a young bird. Thank you for it.
I'm excited! Is it good? Yes, it's good. It's tender. I wonder why it has such a great aroma. -The outside is cooked thoroughly. -When they cooked it, they cooked it slowly.
-The flavour is locked inside. -Yes. It's always a good idea to eat local food. Here's the sashimi set meal. It looks great. It looks great. From the left, we have amberjack, sea bream, and this is called Sanuki salmon.
-Sanuki salmon? -Yes. It's from a place called Hiketa in Kagawa Prefecture. Sanuki salmon. -Sanuki salmon. -They mix herbs in the feed.
-I see. -Is that so? It looks great. I've never heard of Sanuki salmon. Sanuki salmon is rare. -Sanuki salmon. -Sanuki salmon. When you put it in your mouth, it melts away. Here it is.
Boiled whitebait rice bowl. Amazing. (Boiled whitebait rice bowl set meal) It looks great. This is sesame oil, so please pour it to your liking.
-Okay, so I should pour some sesame oil. -Yes. The rice bowl is made with a lot of locally caught whitebait. It's good to mix in an egg yolk as well as adding some sesame oil. -Here I go. -I didn't know you'd put sesame oil. It's unique, isn't it? Around the entire bowl.
That's a lot of food. Doesn't it look great? -I'll break the egg yolk. -Sure. Wow, it looks great. Thank you for it.
-It's good. -Is it good? It's incredible. It's incredible. The sesame oil flavour spreads out. Boiled whitebait is soft and fluffy.
-Is it amazing? -Yes. Thank you for being such a gentleman today. Thank you, it was fun. After dinner, they go take a bath which they were looking forward to.
They pass the connecting corridor to Quataraso next door. (Quataraso Sanuki Tsuda) Wow, there are different kinds! Subtitles: Iyuno-SDI Group
2021-08-29 16:24
