Gourmet Mie Day 1 – Abalone feast at exotic Shima Peninsula（Article created by Cheeserland）
I’m sure you already knew about my #47PrefectureMission and that I have completed this life mission early June this year.
I visited Mie in 2016 for two things:
1.Ise Jingu Shrine
2. Matsusaka Beef
The two things that Mie is probably most famous for. And these two things alone warrant a visit to Mie. This time around, I’m on a new mission – to go deep. Real deep. For all 47 prefectures. All over again.
I am a proud #VisitMieSupporter of 2019.
We Malaysians and Singaporeans love food. So in this series of blog posts, I’m bringing you on a journey with me to Mie, the paradise of world class gourmet all condensed in one single prefecture.
Here’s Day 1.
※This article was created by Cheeserland.
Access – Shimakaze Scenic Train
I have always grouped Mie under the Kansai region, but the fact is that it might take you shorter time if you come from Nagoya (Aichi prefecture). Either way, Mie is a large prefecture bordering also Kyoto, Nara, Gifu and Shiga, so no matter which neighbor you pick to travel in from, you have a long long way to see the many wonders of Mie prefecture.
One of the best ways to make your journey to Mie more memorable is to embark on a scenic railway ride.
I travelled to Mie prefecture via Kansai airport, although it was a rather long journey of 2.5 hours, I totally enjoyed a luxurious time in Shimakaze Limited Express, a premium train bound for Ise-Shima running from Kyoto, Osaka and Nagoya by Kintetsu Railway.
Do note that Kintetsu is runs most of the lines in Mie prefecture so it would be wise to get a Kintetsu Rail Pass. I have covered this in my previous blog post on Kansai here.
Do note that Kintetsu is runs most of the lines in Mie prefecture so it would be wise to get a Kintetsu Rail Pass. I have covered this in my previous blog post on Kansai here.
Love that they have large-sized luggage locker free of charge.
Relax yourself into the ultra-comfy leather seats that have way too many buttons for reclining and seat adjustment.
Shimakaze is one of the rare trains where you can order freshly cooked meals at the cafe, or as you like, a light bento at the comfort of your own seat.
Visit car no.3 to enjoy some Mie specialty meals such as seafood pilaf, Matsusaka beef curry rice, Ise lobster miso soup and more.
Watch the stunning greenery change as the train speeds through, while enjoying your in-train lunch.
This train runs once daily from Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya, and arrives at its last station, Kashikojima.
This train is highly popular among the locals so do make advanced booking online before your trip.
Ama Hut Satoumian
In my previous blog post on Kansai, I visited an Ama hut located in the Toba region called Ama Hut Hachiman, so this time I decided to try another Ama hut experience, as I was so fascinated with this rare tradition since thousands of years ago in Japan.
To recap, an Ama (海女) is a female diver who starts to free-dive since she is a child by observing her mother or other older ama, for various treasures in the sea including abalone, pearls, sea urchins, Ise lobster and other seafood and even seaweed.
You can more about it in my previous blog post on Ama divers. And today we are focusing on the food!
Ama Hut Satoumian, a humble ama hut that just received Cool Japan Award 2019, focuses on offering the most premium fresh ingredients – the traditional style.
Ama Hut Satoumian, a humble ama hut that just received Cool Japan Award 2019, focuses on offering the most premium fresh ingredients – the traditional style.
Because slippers are too mainstream.
The meal prices start from JP4000, depending on your choice of seafood. We had a whole squid, assorted clams, himono (dried fish) and really humongous whole abalone grilled to perfect for only JPY8000.
This is going to cost at least double when it is served in Tokyo, or more, when it arrives at the shore of Singapore.
As always, chatting with the ama is a pleasant experience. These wise ladies invariably have this cheery temperament, gentle smiles, chatty with their stories while multitasking on ensuring your seafood is grilled to perfection.
An whole grilled squid just for me!
Drop by its little Ama museum located next to the hut to get to know more about this amazing tradition and their daily life.
And perhaps cosplay a little too! This is the traditional Ama diving costume when they are at work – diving. Yes, no fancy diving gear! I was told they only wear the wetsuit during winter season when the waters are cold.
Trust Japan to create a cute anime out of every single profession imaginable.