Gourmet Mie Day 4 – Kuwana clams and world-class roller coasters（Article created by Cheeserland）
Today we are onto the last day of my #visitmie trip. I spend 4 good full days in one single prefecture and yet there are still lots of places I have not covered. #Ineedmorelifetimes.
Today we will be venturing into the very exciting Kuwana city to explore a beautiful botanical park, and some of the world’s top thrill rides that will guarantee to give your heart some good kicks.
※This article was created by Cheeserland.
Read my Day 1 blog post here about abalone feast at Shima Peninsula.
Read my Day 2 blog post here about divine Ise and Matsusaka beef.
Read my Day 3 blog post here about Iga ninja and Iga beef sukiyaki
Gozaisho Ropeway
Mt Gozaisho houses the only ski resort in Mie, which also means that this is the only place you can see and play with snow in the prefecture.
But if you go in summer time, you can still enjoy a great view and a refreshing time away from the heat, as the temperature can be 5°C lower up the mountain compared to the city.
But if you go in summer time, you can still enjoy a great view and a refreshing time away from the heat, as the temperature can be 5°C lower up the mountain compared to the city.
You will see an antelope-like animal as the mascot of the ropeway, it is called “Kamoshika”, or Japanese serow, a really rare animal that is only found in dense woodlands in central Japan. If you spot one on the way up/down, consider it your super lucky day!
No kamoshika
for me, but I found bambi!
for me, but I found bambi!
Gozaisho Ropeway also has the highest ropeway iron tower in Japan – check out that white iron tower! Standing at the height of 61m (200ft), this tower is 60 years old and with regular maintenance it’s as strong and tough as it has ever been!
Although there’s not much you can do in summer time, you get a great view from the summit and also this torii in the sky. For hiking buff, there are a few hiking tracks but they all looked like they are for advanced hikers. So I’d say go with the scenic ropeway!
Ito Shuzou Sake Brewery 伊藤酒造
Japanese sake! ♡
Today we are visiting Ito Shuzou at the foot of Suzuka mountains.
Mie is an important region to produce good sake since ancient time dedicated to the most important shrine in Japan – Ise Jingu.
Mie is an important region to produce good sake since ancient time dedicated to the most important shrine in Japan – Ise Jingu.
Since sake’s main component is water, it is also important that Ito Shuzou uses only the best award-winning water for their sake making.
Have you ever seen a ball-like decor at the shopfront of a sake brewery? This is “Sugitama” made of cedar, which serves as the omamori “good luck charm” of protection from the sake gods. Some brewery also use it to signify that a new batch of sake has been produced and hang a fresh new sugitama in green. Over time the sugitama turns brown as a symbol that the sake has matured.
Ito Shuzou was founded in 1847 by Koemon Ito, a farmer who wisely took advantage of the high quality of Mie-grown rice water and weather of the region. The tradition is passed down from generation to generation, now the 5th generation is still brewing their sake the traditional way.
“Uzume” is a main brand by the brewery and has won a good number of awards including the Gold Prize from the most prestigious competition in Japan and overseas.
With the very beautiful Rika from the Ito family.
This brewery is foreign-visitor friendly as they do conduct brewery tour in English. They host different kinds of tours so just make a reservation and choose from different courses.
They even have desserts made of sake lees, which tastes like milk pudding to me (and no dairy is used it in!!).
Uojuro 魚重楼
Not a single day can pass in Mie without sampling some of the best gourmet produce of its local region. We are moving on to Kuwana, a city known for its glorious hamaguri – hard-shelled clams.
The lunch place was Uojuro, a hamaguri specialty restaurant that was famous since the Edo period. It’s also proudly listed in the Michelin guidebook.
The lunch course meal is JPY5000 and is a luxurious feast on everything-hamaguri.
Hamaguri are rather huge clams, the largest could easily be size of a human palm.
These clams did not get so big without the passing of years, so you are eating clams the age of 4 usually, the bigger, the older the clam is. On rare occasions there are 12-year-old clams but of course the price do increase too.