Japan Hour: Road Trip on Yamagata Tetsudo Flower-Nagai Line (Part 1)
(Local line) There is still a lot to see in Japan. A spontaneous trip on a local line across Japan. Let's walk freely and aimlessly. We will surely find beautiful scenery and heart-warming encounters. From the first station to the last, we'll look for places that cannot be found in the guidebook. The locals always know the best places.
So all aboard on this trip of enquiry and discovery! This time, the journey takes place in Fukui Prefecture, on the Echizen Railway Mikuni Awara Line heading for the Sea of Japan, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Outside the train windows spreads the vast Fukui Plain and the majestic flow of the Kuzuryu River. Let's get off the train at a station we've never been before and discover great places in Japan. -It's huge! -It's impressive. Is there any place that you'd recommend us to visit? Any famous spot in this area? Little-known great spots found only through enquiring the locals.
We can't move horizontally. Awesome. Ready? Amazing! (Echizen Cuisine) -It looks amazing. -Incredible! Our travellers enjoy excellent food. However... They said no.
It's closed due to interior renovation. To get to Takesho, you still need to walk a bit. Really? Please wait. We might not make it in time. No way! They face some struggles along the way. Wait! A spontaneous two-day overnight journey with nothing planned.
Our local line journey of enquiry and discovery begins now! (Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture) The journey begins in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture. The first station of the Echizen Railway is located in the centre of Fukui City. -It's my first time visiting Fukui. -Really? -Yes. -Is that so? Here are our travellers.
(Anna Hachimine, Satoshi Jinbo) We thought it was their first time meeting, but... I heard that we've actually worked together before. Yes, your role was the father of the character I played. -Was it when you were little? -Yes, I was in elementary school.
I see. Joining the show for the third time, this is Satoshi Jinbo, whose acting career is blossoming more than ever. Anna Hachimine is a former child actor who's now a TV personality and an actress.
This is the second time she's appearing on the show. -I've been meaning to ask you something. -What is it? What's with that? The last time I was on this show, we went to Akita. Thanks to this Teru Teru Bozu, the weather was pleasant, and we had clear views of mountains. The food was incredible too. Everything was great.
-It's all thanks to him. -We're counting on you again. Is that so? -Third Sector, Echizen Railway. -I'm so excited. Nice. Where is it? It's over here. Look. -Good morning. -Good morning.
This is it. -Here's the route map. -Yes. -Awara? Is that how you read it? -Echizen Railway, Awara Line.
Apparently, it's Awara. Which station is your instinct telling you to go first? I'm curious about Taromaru. Right? I am curious about that too. What is Taromaru? Maybe there is a ship there because ships' names often end with maru.
Maybe that's where the name came from. Look. -Let's go to this station. -Nice.
Awara-Yunomachi. -It's a hot spring. -There's definitely a hot spring. -We can count on it, right? -I'm certain that there's a hot spring.
Let's start with one of these stations first. -We don't want to go too far. -I agree. Let's see... -Well... -What's in Nishibetsuin? -I'm curious. -Nishibetsuin.
I wonder what's there. -Let's go to Nishibetsuin first. -Let's do that. -Let's go. -Yeah.
Our duo will first head to the station three stops away from Fukui Station called Nishibetsuin Station. (Fukui, Nishibetsuin) -They first buy tickets. -Two, please. -Where's the timetable? -We need to check that. -It's so easy to memorise the timetable. -It's so easy. Look. Ten... Forty... -All 10s and 40s. -It's very easy.
I like it. -When's the next train? -The next train is... (18 minutes to the 9:10 am train) -at 9:10 am. -9:10 am. Since our duo has to go back to Tokyo by the end of tomorrow, their time limit is set at 5:00 pm tomorrow.
Please be careful not to miss trains. You're still using that tool. -Wait on Platform One. -Okay. Please wait on Platform One, the left side of the platform. -It's probably... -The train's just arrived.
-It's welcoming us! -We have good luck. -You know... -This is great. It was such perfect timing. -What great timing. -It's a single-car train!
It's a single-car train. -Is this the train? -Yes, it is. -Let's go. -Good morning.
It's more spacious than I thought. -Shall we sit in a box seat? -Sure. Let's do that.
-Is she a guide? Look. -Please wait for a few minutes. Not many trains have guides. -That's true. -There's a guide. You see guides on buses but not on trains. She is actually an attendant. The Echizen Railway was established in 2003.
The locals have nicknamed it "Echitetsu". (9:10 am) All right, let's go. On this winter journey on the Echizen Railway, let's hope that our duo will find delicious food along the way. Hello. Hi.
-Are you an attendant? -Yes. -You're not a conductor? -No, I'm not. I sell tickets and give information on buses to tourist attractions.
-I see. -I do many different things. -Please tell us one thing. -Yes? Is there any food in Fukui that we should definitely try? Let's see. In this time of the year, -I'd definitely recommend crab. -I thought so. -Thank you very much. -Good luck.
-Thank you very much. -Thank you. The Echizen Railway has two lines connecting the northern parts of Fukui. This time, they will take the Echizen Railway Mikuni Awara Line, which starts in Fukui and heads northwards towards the Sea of Japan. It's a local line with 23 stations in total and a route distance of 25.2 kilometres.
(Fukui Prefecture) Their goal is to enquire local residents and make an original guidebook with 10 entries. A timetable and a map are the only source they have. Because it's winter, our duo gets to enjoy beautiful snowy scenery from the train. -There's a lot of snow. -Yeah, a lot of snow in this area. I believe this is less snow than average. There will be more as we go.
-There'll be more snow? -I think so. After a seven-minute train ride, our duo arrives at Nishibetsuin Station. (Nishibetsuin Station) We're arriving at Nishibetsuin Station. This is our station. Oh, yeah, we almost missed it. (9:17 am) Thank you.
-Hello. Good morning. -Good morning. (The fourth station from Fukui Station) This isn't an unmanned station. -Hello. -Thank you. We're in a residential area. Yeah. Let's check the timetable. We already looked at it. It leaves every hour, at 10 minutes.
-Yeah, but it's different here. -That's true. It leaves every hour at 17 minutes and 47 minutes. -I knew it. -It's so easy to remember. Which train should we try to take? How about the 10:17 am train? Okay, so we'll come back to the station at around 10:17 am.
Let's explore the area then. (58 minutes to the 10:17 am train) -Yes! -Let's go. Yeah! Ms Hachimine is acting strangely. -Look at this! -Nice. The snow looks fluffy.
-Can I go this way? -Go ahead. -Wait. -It's quite hard. It's hard. It's hard, isn't it? It's very hard.
Look at you. She's a free-spirited person. We'll run out of time if we don't pick up the pace. -You're right. -Let's enquire the locals. -Let's do that. -Yeah.
Our duo finally gets back on track. Why don't we play on a see-saw? Look at that building. I wonder what that is. -That's a bell. -You're right. Let's go over there. The duo is curious and walks over to the building with a bell.
But remember, a place that isn't recommended won't count as an entry. Wait. Why don't we ask the taxi driver? -Are we allowed to do that? -Sure.
Good morning. Knock, knock. Excuse me, can we ask you some questions? Sure, what is it? Is there any place you'd recommend visiting near Nishibetsuin Station? Any recommended spot? -That building is Nishibetsuin. -Is that so? That is the biggest temple in Fukui.
-Is that so? It's the biggest? -It's the biggest temple? If it's the biggest temple... -that's quite impressive. -Yeah. Fukui has the third largest number of temples after Kyoto and Nara. -Is that so? -Yes. -Fukui? -Yes. -Shall we go there? -Sure, let's do that.
-Thank you for your help. -Thank you. -It's a huge temple! -It's impressive! On the journey of enquiry and discovery on the Echizen Railway, our duo gets off the train at Nishibetsuin Station. -It's a huge temple! -It's impressive! I didn't expect the temple to be this big! (38 minutes to the 10:17 am train) It's huge. I wonder if anyone's there.
They first ask for permission to film. In the past, some large temples didn't allow filming without appointments. What will they say? It's okay if we just film the exterior.
-Really? -Yes. -This is really impressive. -Yeah, it really is. (Honganji Temple Fukui Betsuin (Nishibetsuin)) The official name of Nishibetsuin is Honganji Temple Fukui Betsuin. As the temple is a branch of Nishi Honganji, the head temple of the Honganji sect of the Jodo Shinshu sect, it is called Nishibetsuin. The station was also named after the temple. -Why don't we visit the temple? -It's Impressive.
-We should pray for a safe journey. -Sure. -Excuse me. -Excuse us. It's open. (No shoes allowed inside) How amazing.
Look at this! -Incredible! -This is impressive! Look at those thick pillars. Yeah. It's breathtaking. I feel like I'm being watched over. It looks majestic. The temple was established in 1475.
Later, it became the centre of the Jodo Shinshu sect in Echizen. Let's put our hands together to pray for safety on our journey. Please protect us. Please protect us. (Opening hours: 5:30 am to 10:00 pm) The very first entry in the guidebook, historic Nishibetsuin. Our duo had a good start.
The highest number of entries found on this show was 14. Yes, that's what I heard. Why don't we aim for 15 entries? -Sure. -For that, we'd need seven entries today.
No, eight. -Eight? -Right. I think we can do it. (14 minutes to the 10:17 am train) Let's try to break the record for the most entries found.
(Nishibetsuin Station) -Let's decide on our next station. -Sure. I get this feeling that there won't be much to see at these two stations. -I get that. -Right? This town must be filled with students.
And this one's filled with workers. In that case... -What? -Nittazuka.
-Nittazuka would have places worth visiting. -Right? -Don't you think so? -Yes, I think so. The name ends with "zuka" (mound), so there must be something to see. Let's go to Nittazuka. (Fukui Prefecture) Are you sure it's a good idea to decide on a station so easily? In any case, our duo will now go to Nittazuka Station, five stops away. Will things really go as predicted? -It's a longer train. -Yeah.
What? The number of cars varies? Hello. Should we take these? -Thank you very much. -Thank you. (10:17 am) They'll soon arrive at Nittazuka Station. -It looks like a residential area. -Yeah, you're right. It's probably just a residential area.
(Nittazuka Station) It should be easy to find people and stores since it's a residential area. -Let's go. -Okay. (10:24 am) Here we go. -Okay. -It's 420 yen.
420 yen. Okay. (The ninth station from Fukui Station) -It leaves at 24 minutes and 54 minutes. -Right now, it's 10... -We'll keep these numbers in mind. -Yeah, let's go. Anna, there's a store that I'm curious about.
-Good morning. -Good morning. (59 minutes to the 11:24 am train, 1 hour 29 minutes to the 11:54 am train) Why don't we stop by at this store? -It smells so good. -Right? -I want to eat it. -We can't miss this. Good morning.
(Taimu Nittazuka Location) -Good morning. -We're filming a travel show on BS. -May we film your store? -Is it okay? -Is this a store specializing in taiyaki? -Yes. Is there something special about it? -We have thin, crispy crust. -Thin and crispy?
-I'd love the sweet potato paste filling. -Sure. -I'll take the chestnut bean paste. -Sure. This taiyaki shop is located in front of the station. Their taiyaki is popular for its crispy crust and rich sweet bean paste. Is there any place in Nittazuka that you'd recommend us to go see? This is a new residential area, so there is a factory and a hospital.
Recently, our Fureai Park has been attracting some attention. -Fureai Park? -Fureai Park? There's an assembly hall. -And it's illuminated during this season. -There you go. -See? -It's pretty.
It's illuminated. -Here you go. -Thank you very much. -I'll take that. Thank you. -Thank you. -How far is the park? -About 500 to 600 metres from here. It only takes three to four minutes on foot.
Thank you very much. -May we eat here? -Sure, go ahead. -There's an eat-in corner. -Can we eat here? A place like this is always appreciated, especially on a cold day. Thank you for it.
(Chestnut bean paste, 160 yen) -Is it like Mont Blanc? -Chestnut. Can you taste it? -Is it sweet? -Yes, it is. The crust is crispy. Thank you for it. You're right. (Sweet potato paste, 160 yen) It has a unique texture, doesn't it? Is it that good? This is incredible.
-Thank you, the food was great. -Bye. (Opening hours: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, Closed on Tuesdays) -It warmed me up. -Me too. If we can find a nice spot now, that would be perfect. This must be the park.
Fureai Park. -I see. -Fureai Park. -This really is... -I see the illumination. -Look, it's in the shape of a crane. -You're right. This is it.
(Nittazuka Fureai Park) I see. Nittazuka Fureai Park was completed 12 years ago by locals' popular request. (Local events are held, Equipped with barbeque grills) A variety of seasonal events are organised, making it a place where local residents meet and mingle.
The park is illuminated only during the winter. (Between November and early January) -Look. -This... -This would be fun. -Why don't we try it? Where do we start?
Probably from that side. Here I come! Ready, go. This is fun! But it's cold! It's cold! -It looks fun. -It's freezing! It looked fun. Nice. Why don't you try it? This? -Here I go. -Go.
See you! This is kind of fun. This is kind of fun. -It's fun, isn't it? -Yeah. -I'll be back. -Go explore. Okay.
-It's so small. -Anna. -Do I look like an alien? -A little. -Nice, nice. -What do you think?
I can see things clearly. The second entry in the guidebook, Fureai Park. By the way, Nittazuka was named after a mound where the famous general Yoshisada Nitta was buried. We could go to Taromori after this. Shall we go to Taromaru? -Taromaru... -I've been wanting to go there.
I'd be sad if there's nothing in Taromaru. (Fukui Prefecture) Taromaru Station, which has been on our duo's mind since departure, is three stops away. They have high expectations for this station. (Fukui, Nittazuka, Taromaru) Let's board the train.
Hello. (11:24 am) The landscape changes once the train leaves the station. -Look. -Nice.
The mountains look beautiful. -What a great view! -Yeah. We're going to cross a bridge. What is it called? Kyoto... -It's the Kuzuryu River. -Kuzuryu River?
-Kuzuryu River? -Yeah. -That sounds so cool! -Doesn't it? The train crosses the Kuzuryu River and heads to the countryside. Wow, what a beautiful landscape! (Kuzuryu River) It's a great view.
Very nice. Slowly, the Echizen Railway carries the travellers' spirits. Heart-warming winter landscape spreads out. You don't get to see landscape like this often. That's true. I'm jealous that people here get to see this view every day.
We're surrounded by mountains. It looks like a painting. Our duo is arriving at the long-awaited Taromaru Station.
Let's see what this station is all about! (Taromaru Station) I'm not so sure about this station. (11:31 am) -But it's called Taromaru! -Taromaru. Taromaru. -Hello. -Hi. (The 12th station from Fukui Station) Hello. -Can we ask you some questions? -May we? Is there any place that we should visit here in Taromaru? Any recommendation, dear? Let's see.
I like that place, Heart Pia. Heart Pia? -You don't know? -No. It has a large park.
There's even a theatre. -There's a theatre? -Yes. It's about one kilometre away. -One kilometre sounds fine. -One kilometre? -Yeah, about 1 kilometre. -That's fine.
How do we get there? Keep going straight on that road. That road over there. You mean where the railway crossing is? -This side? -Yes. Keep going towards the right. We need to take the train or we'll miss our flight. -Oh, yeah. -You're catching a flight today? Yes, we're going to Vietnam.
To Vietnam? -You're going to Vietnam? -You're going to Vietnam? Taking a vacation? -Our son is in Vietnam. -Your son is there? Please say hi to your son. Have a safe trip! Our duo is able to get recommendations easily.
We've got good instincts. There are places to see in Taromaru. -It's impressive. -Yes, it is. -There might be other things too. -That's true. Let's enquire people. Also, Mr Jinbo, we're starting to see a bit of blue sky.
You're right. We had thick layers of clouds this morning. You're right. It's thanks to Teru Teru. I knew it.
-Teru Teru is working hard. -He's a hard worker. She's washing something. Hello. -Do you have a minute? -Can we ask you some questions? Sure.
Is there any place that you think we should visit around here? -A recommendation? -Yes. It's got to be Angel Land. Angel Land? We've got Heart Pia and Angel Land. -Is Angel Land also known as Heart Pia? -Angel Land? Heat Pia is one thing, and Angel Land is another thing. -They're places for kids to play. -They're separate places? They're famous. You don't know?
Our duo enquires people near Taromaru Station of the Echizen Railway. Is there any place that you think we should visit around here? -A recommendation? -Yes. It's got to be Angel Land. Angel Land? We've got Heart Pia and Angel Land. -Is Angel Land also known as Heart Pia? -Angel Land? Heat Pia is one thing, and Angel Land is another thing.
They're places for kids to play. -They're separate places? -They're famous. You don't know? -No. Does everyone in this area know? -Is that so?
Yeah, all the children in nursery school go there. -They take field trips to Angel Land. -To Angel Land? I see. -Is it a big place? -Keep going and you'll see a big building.
Is it near Heart Pia? Yeah, it's behind Heart Pia. -Thank you for the great information. -It's for kids. You should visit.
-Angel Land. -We've got two recommendations. What were you doing just now? Washing daikon leaves. These are tasty, aren't they? I love these. -Did you harvest them in your garden? -Yes, I did. They're good to stir-fry with small fish.
I love that. -It's perfect with rice. -It's good. -It's delicious. -I love that.
-Thank you very much. -You'll see a signboard. Sorry to bother you. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. They walk for about 15 minutes. -This is it. -Yes, Heart Pia Harue.
It doesn't say "Angel Land". No, it doesn't. (32 minutes to the 12:31 pm train, 1 hour 2 minutes to the 1:01 pm train) Here's Heart Pia Harue. It's a big facility. -Yeah, it is. -It's huge.
It's quite... spacious. -Wow, what is that? -Wow, look at that stained glass! -Look at this! -Incredible. I'm impressed.
-It's like a painting. -With snowy mountains in the back. -Hello. -Excuse me. We're filming a travel show on BS. Is it okay if we film this place? Heart Pia is usually closed on Tuesdays, but since it was a holiday yesterday, it's actually closed today. So it's usually closed on Tuesdays, but it's closed today because of a holiday? Exactly. I see.
I guess we're out of luck. Too bad. Things were going so well up to this point. It's really closed today. I wasn't expecting this.
It's usually closed on Tuesdays. But this looks nice. -Yeah, it's nice. -What is that? It says "Communication Hall."
-It's impressive. -It is. It's vast. What a great facility. Heart Pia Harue, with a library attached, is a cultural hall in Harue Town, Sakai. It holds events such as concerts.
(Multipurpose hall with 764 seats, used for concerts and lectures) Let's go to Angel Land. -Let's become angels. -That looks like the entrance. Yeah. There are so many kids! Awesome.
-There are so many kids. I'm excited. -So many of them. Which channel is this for? This is a BS show. What is it? Come on! Wait! See you later.
-See you. -Bye. All right. They first ask for permission to film.
This is awesome! What did they say? -They said okay. -We're good. Yes! (Angel Land Fukui) -Look at this! -It's got Christmas decorations. Look at the ceiling.
Wow, awesome. Nice. -This is incredible. -Awesome. Nice. -Nice. -Beautiful.
The song is in Japanese. The song... It's a great place for families.
That's right. Let's pretend that we're father and daughter. -That'd be great. -Okay. -Great. -I'm speechless. -Hello. -What is this facility used for?
What is this? We have something called Moon Walker for adults. It's a ride that lets you experience one-sixth of the gravity we have on the Earth. -We can go on that? -Yes.
Nice. We also have this spaceship, where you can experience space travel. Angel Land Fukui is a large prefectural children's centre that opened in 1999. Visitors can learn about space, science, history and more in a fun way. It's a very popular local spot where there is also an obstacle course.
(Giant playground equipment is also installed) How much is the entrance fee? For adults, it's 100 yen. -One hundred yen? -Yes. -That's so generous! -Please press the orange button there. -Only 100 yen? -Yes. Children get in for free. -It's free? -Really? -I'll get two tickets. -It's perfect for families on holidays.
Yeah, it is. First, our duo visits the Space and Science Mystery Zone. Push the pins with your body or with an object. Push. Look.
-This is interesting. -Awesome! (Pin relief) Can we do that with our face too? Here I come. Amazing.
I want to try too. -You want to try too? -Yeah. This is fascinating. Is this me? This is so cool.
-I look a bit scary. -Nice. This is awesome! It's very interesting. -It's really funny. Look. -Look. Isn't it cool? Are those your hands? -Yeah. -Yeah. Which area do you recommend here? My recommendation here? The zero gravity experience like you're in space. -Yeah, that one! -Let's do that.
-I want to try that. Is it fun? -Where is it? Where is it? -Wow, cool. -Cool. You can also take the space shuttle. You get to go inside a comet. -What? -That sounds great.
-This way. -It's like we're in a space station. Our duo is guided by children who are visiting the centre. -Wow, awesome. -Awesome.
-Nice. -I see what they meant. You can experience zero gravity. Awesome. We'll be back. (Moon Walker) See you.
-This is exciting. -Isn't it? I can't wait. What will this be like? We can't move horizontally. Awesome.
-Cool. -Nice. You've already mastered this. Here I go! This is great. The Moon Walker lets visitors experience the moon's gravity, which is one-sixth of what we have on the Earth.
Next is a popular ride for which people queue up on holidays. It's called Spaceship. See you later. -See you later. -Bye.
Now, off to space travel! We've just received news that a mysterious comet appeared near Cygnus. Cool. The shuttle you're all on will be launched now, so please hold on tight. -Awesome! -Cool. A shuttle is being launched from the exhibition area.
The shuttle needs to move to the underground hangar. Angel Gate opening. Soon, the ship will dock with the rocket booster and will be launched into space. I just hit my head. There's a comet in front of us. -Awesome! -Cool.
From Angel Land Fukui to the shuttle. I believe Earth is visible from there. -We can see Earth. -It's Earth. Congratulations. Awesome.
This quality is worth way more than 100 yen. That was impressive. The third entry in the guidebook, Angel Land Fukui, where not only children but adults can also have fun.
-Thank you. -Thank you very much. -I had a lot of fun. -I'm glad. -It was a lot of fun. -Thank you very much.
-Please come again. -Thank you very much. I can spend all day here, but... Aren't you hungry? It's already 2:00.
That's not good. Let's go. -Let's eat something. -We lost track of time. Yeah, we got a bit too carried away. Let's enquire people. Yeah.
He's running away. -Excuse me, hello. -Hello. -We're very hungry. -Yes, we're starving. We'd like to get some recommendations on restaurants. Is there a restaurant you'd recommend? -I don't know anything around here. -No?
Where do you often go? If you go on this road for a while, there's a restaurant called Keyaki. What kind of place is it? They serve set meals. It's pretty good. Keyaki? What dish do you recommend from the restaurant Keyaki? Their fillet cutlet. -Fillet cutlet? That sounds nice. -Nice. -Over here, right? -Yes. Turn left at that traffic light.
-Left? Okay. Thank you very much. -Thank you. They head to the restaurant right away. After walking for 15 minutes... -It's farther than we expected. -Yeah, it is. -I thought it was closer. -Just then, a car stops.
Yes? Yes? -Sir. -Thank you very much. It's the gentleman they met earlier. That restaurant is famous.
Which one? Is it popular? Is that so? Thank you. Their sauced cutlet is good? -Thank you very much. -Thank you for your help. What did he say? If we make a turn there, there is a sauced cutlet restaurant which is very famous in Fukui. Is that so? Why don't we go there? -Let's go there. It's famous. -Yeah, why not?
-He went out of his way to tell us. -Yeah, he stopped just for us. The restaurant is nearby. There it is. I see it. -Where is it? -There. They've put out their sign.
It's over there. I can tell this place is good just by looking at it from the outside. I know it.
Let's ask for permission to film. (Sauced cutlet) Ta-da! What will they say? We're good. That's great.
-Thank you for having us. -Thank you. -Sorry for the commotion. -Why don't we sit here? When people visit this restaurant...
-Most people get the cutlet bowl set meal. -That's what I thought. -I'll take that. -I'll take the cutlet bowl set meal. -Sure. -Two of that, please.
This restaurant opened as a branch of the famous restaurant Yoroppaken, known for its original signature dish, the sauced pork cutlet bowl. Their most popular dish is, of course, the sauced pork cutlet bowl. It's fine. -Thank you for waiting. Here you go. -That was quick. -Here you go. -Perfect timing.
Ta-da! Look at that. -Ta-da! -Awesome. There are three pieces.
Great. The portions are very generous. -I love the smell of their sauce. -This is amazing.
Three slices of great loin cutlets dipped in their secret Worcestershire sauce. This is a feast. Thank you, sir. Thanks to that man, we are able to eat this amazing food. Thank you for it.
It's hot. How is it? It's so tender. I love the flavour of the sauce. -Yeah. -Right?
I can eat a lot of rice with this. The fourth entry in the guidebook, Yoroppaken, with their speciality sauced cutlet bowl. Right. We need to check that. -3:31 pm. -Can we make it? (29 minutes to the 3:31 pm train) We'll take the 3:31 pm train. Sure.
-We need to decide where to go next. -Next... To get a general idea. That's true. Go with your instincts. -Your instincts. -My instinct says
we should go to a manned station, which will be this station, Nishi-Osada. Sure. Why not? -Nishi-Osada? -Osada? (Fukui Prefecture) They're now heading to Nishi-Nagata Station, not Nishi-Osada. A manned station would be a good place to meet people and find places. -We'd like to ask you something. -Thank you for the food.
-Yes? -How can we get to Taromaru Station? -Go straight on this street. -Straight on this street? -It's close. -Keep straight on this street? -Yes, it's close. It'll be on your right. -That close? -Thank you very much. -Thank you.
-Thank you. The food was delicious. -Thank you. We've already made four entries. Yes, we did. I'd be happy if we can find two more entries today. I'd be happy even with just one.
-Our inn will be an entry, right? -Yes. So we'll at least have five entries. That's right. The question is, where will we find our next entry? We can go directly to the next station.
Okay. -We can enquire there. -Okay. We could potentially ask people about accommodation. -Yeah, that's important. -We need to ask them about that.
Our duo holds a strategy meeting on the road. Is this really the right way, Anna? -We made a slight right turn. -We did, didn't we? Is this the right way? But she told us to keep straight on this street.
-Yes. -I see it. -I'm glad. -Good. We've come to the next station. What? It says "Nishi-Harue." You're right. On the journey of enquiry and discovery on the Echizen Railway, our duo walks back to Taromaru Station where they got off the train.
We've come to the next station. What? It says "Nishi-Harue." You're right. -Did we do one station worth of walking? -We did. -I knew something wasn't right. -Me too. The scenery looked different.
That's right. (Fukui Prefecture) It turns out that Nishi-Harue Station was closer from the restaurant where they ate, so the lady at the restaurant thought it would be easier for our duo. (Nishi-Harue Station) Mikuni-bound. There it is. -Let's check the timetable. -3:34 pm.
(The 13th station from Fukui Station) -This is it. 3:34 pm. -3:34 pm. (Six minutes to the 3:34 pm train) They spent a lot of time between Taromaru Station and Nishi-Harue Station. It's been a while since they last took the Echizen Railway. -Thank you very much. -Hello. Hello. -Please take numbered tickets. -Thank you very much.
(Fukui Prefecture) Now, our duo will head to Nishi-Nagata Station. Their plan is to enquire about accommodation at the next station. (Fukui, Nishi-Harue, Nishi-Nagata) (3:34 pm) The next station is Nishi-Nagata.
The train travels swiftly, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It passes Fukui Plain and continues to head north. -This is incredible. -Look! -It's pretty. -Boys love scenery like this. -Yeah. -It's a straight line.
It's straight. This really is a rural area. We're surrounded by fields.
-It's peaceful. -I like single-track railroads. So do I. -It's... -It's straight all the way. -You know, -We're arriving at Nishi-Nagata. I don't think there's much here. -The doors on the left side will open. -But we should still get off.
Let's go. (3:37 pm) Let's check the timetable inside. We took the 3:37 pm train. (The 14th station from Fukui Station) -Next, we have a train at 4:07 pm. -Yeah. Okay, it's at 4:07 pm. We have 30 minutes.
If we don't find anything, let's quickly take this train at 4:07 pm. -That sounds good. -But we still need information -Yeah, we need information. -about accommodation. -We'll need to decide on an inn. -Yes. Let's get some information. Yes, we need information.
Anybody? Nope. -There's nothing. -That place is open. -Oh, yeah. -It's a hair salon. Let's go. -Let's go. -There's always a hair salon. Yes.
Let's enquire there. All right. Hello there.
Hello. Can we ask you some questions? Sure. We're travelling on the Echizen Railway right now. -We need accommodation for today. -What? Where can we go to find accommodation? There's Awara Onsen. -Awara Onsen? -Yes.
You should take the Echizen Railway towards Awara. -Awara-Yunokuni? -Exactly. -That's right. -I thought so. Is there an inn that you'd recommend? Let's see. Either Grandia Housen... -Grandia Housen? -Housen.
Either Grandia Housen or Matsuya. Matsuya? -Do you recommend that too? -Yes. Why do you recommend those places? I'm sure they serve crab during this season. Yes! Sir.
You need to eat crab when you're in Awara. -Which place has the best crab dishes? -Where should we go? Matsuya, I guess. Matsuya has great food? Great food. Grandia Housen is also nice, though. Grandia Housen is also nice. -I see. -That's such great information.
Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Sorry to bother you. -Let's take the 4:07 pm train. -Sure.
-Let's go to Awara-Yunokuni. -Let's do it. Our duo will now head to Awara-Yunomachi Station, where there are nice inns. But are you sure it's a good idea to advance so much on the first day? -Thank you. -Bye. It's quite crowded. (4:07 pm) It's winter in the Hokuriku region, and the cold is becoming unbearable.
It would be great to find a hot spring and Echizen crab. I didn't think we would stay at a hot spring. -We don't know yet. -We don't know for sure yet.
-But it already feels like we are. -Right? It would be terrible if we can't stay there. Yeah, if we can't stay there... It would be awful, especially after getting so excited about it. I'm determined to find an inn. Here we are.
-Here? -Yeah. Please take all your belongings. It looks a bit like a hot spring town. (Awara-Yunomachi Station) (4:20 pm) We're having crab tonight! I told you, don't get ahead of yourself.
(The 19th station from Fukui Station) Hello. -Thank you. -Thanks. Look, there is a map there. Nice. Let's take a look.
Is it okay to check that? Grandia Housen is right in front of us. I also see Matsuya Sensen. -Sensen? Matsuya Sensen. -Sensen is how you read it. -Let's go talk to them. -Let's do that. -Let's start with Matsuya. -Sure. -Look. -We'll cross the road.
Yukemuri Yokocho? -It looks interesting. -What's that? -Let's go see. -Sure. Can we afford to be this laid-back? -Let's go check it out. -Maybe we should find an inn first. -What is that? -I'm curious about this, though.
-It's too early. The stores are closed. -Yeah, they're closed. -But I like the atmosphere of this place. -Yeah. This place looks very fun.
What is that? -Let's go look. -It looks nice. I wonder what it is. Are you two making another detour? What about the inn? It's a footbath. It says that it's mixed bathing. Oh, no, I can't. Ms Hachimine is excited about mixed bathing, but this is a footbath. (Mixed bathing) (Ashiyu) Are they okay with filming? Yeah, no problem at all.
It's incredible. Please come in. It's impressive. -When you walk in... -They're separated by temperature. That's right. This one is set at 41 degrees Celsius. What about this? This one is even hotter, 45 degrees. It jumps to 45 degrees? This footbath, which just opened last April, is free of charge.
(Hot spring quality: Sodium, calcium, chloride) (Effective for bruises, muscle pain and joint pain) There are three hot springs at different temperatures, each with its own unique bathtub. It is one of the most popular spots in Awara Onsen now. (Enman no Yu, 39 to 41 degrees Celsius) Step on the stones at the bottom. This feels nice. These green stones are from a mountain in Fukui called Mount Asuwa. This type of stone can only be found there.
-It's a local speciality, unique to Fukui. -Exactly. -At first, the stone has this colour. -You should talk about this part too. When the stone gets wet, it turns green. -The white stone turns green? -That's right.
It's green now. Do you mean these stones? They normally have this colour. -But the colours change. I wonder why. -Look. -This one changes colour halfway through. -Oh, yeah. You're right.
-It's called Shakudani Stone. -Shakudani Stone? What is the stone usually used for? It's used for garden pavements. -So when it rains, the stone turns green. -Exactly.
-That's wonderful. -Nice. Shakudani Stone is also known as Echizen Aoishi, and it is a rare stone that's currently quite hard to find. -What are you doing? -What are you playing? -We're playing Old Maid. -I see. -You're playing a card game? -Yes. Can we join? -Sure. -Thank you. I want to join too.
-It's clear water. -It's a jet bath. My name is Jinbo. -I didn't know your name. -We should've looked him up. -I've definitely seen you on TV. -Right? I've seen you many times on TV.
Did you notice that just now? It's not my lucky day. Our duo plays a card game with local middle school students. Take this. -This is terrible. -Yes! -Awesome. -I did it!
You two have forgotten about the inn, haven't you? -Thanks, guys. -Thank you. -Thank you very much. -How late will you be staying? Until around 7:00. -To do what? -Well, to relax. We have deep conversations about our future.
I'm sure that's a lie. Good luck finding a girlfriend. -This way. -It's none of your business. Hey! Hey! (Opening hours: 7:00 am to 11:00 pm Price: Free) It's already 5:00. We just can't help making detours. Yeah.
-Can we still find an inn at this hour? -Maybe not. We can't have dinner at the inn unless we get there early. Oh, no! First, they go to a recommended inn called Matsuya.
I want crab! I want to eat crab. -I'd be so sad if we can't get crab. -Crab! There's Matsuya. -It's a big inn. -Oh, wow. Matsuya Sensen.
Right, Matsuya Sensen. I'm surprised that the parking is packed even on a weeknight. -Absolutely. -Right. Crabsolutely! Subtitles: Iyuno-SDI Group
2022-05-18 16:17
