Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Tsukemen Honbo Karabu Tokashi Branch つけ麺本舗 辛部 十日市店

Visited 24.04.2015 (Fri)

Noodle culture. There are many varieties of noodles dishes that Hiroshima is proud of. For example, Hiroshima Ramen which the soup is Tonkotsu shoyu sauce based, dried dandan noodles (汁なし担々麵) with chili oil and sichuan peppercorn and spicy version of Tsukemen (つけ麺). Tsukemen is the dry version of ramen in which the cold noodles (typically) and soup/broth are served separately. Being sipping the noodles, they are first dipped into the soup/broth, similar to how cold soba/udon is eaten. Tsukemen enjoyed with a spicy dipping broth is specialty of Hiroshima. Do not relate this spicy broth to any other Japanese curry you have eaten, which is usually very subtle in heat. The spiciness level of Hiroshima's tsukemen is definitely much way beyond that!

Give me Level 1. Followed a book recommendation and made our way to Tsukemen Honbo Karabu, which is just a stone throw away from Honkawa-cho streetcar station. The restaurant utilises the traditional counter seating arrangement and open kitchen concept where you can observe the dynamics in the kitchen while waiting for your food to be served. First, choose the size of noodle serving; from half portion, normal, 1.5 times, twice or thrice the normal portion. Being a small eater myself, I usually go order the half portion. Next, select the desired spiciness level of the dipping broth to go with the cold noodle.
The spiciness level ranges from 0 to 30:

• Level 0 to 3: 普通, normal spiciness suitable for kids or people who are trying for the first time
• Level 4 to 6: 辛い, spiciness level will generate a little sweat
• Level 7 to 9: 中辛, medium spicy
• Level 10 to 15: 大辛, very spicy, for people who are confident of their tolerance for spicy food
• Level 16 to 20: 激辛, very very spicy
• Level 21 to 25: 超辛, extremely spicy, to the point you will start tearing
• Level 26 to 30: 猛辛, most spicy of all

I am not confident of the amount of heat I could handle, therefore decided to be conservative and chose Level 1. The cold noodle was served with two slices of char siew and covered by huge amount of cabbage and green onions. The soup base is flavoured by bonito and shoyu sauce, mixed with chili peppers, chili oil, vinegar and sesame. On first look, the dipping broth looks rather mild and "harmless", and was oozing fragrance of chili oil and sesame continuously, whetting my appetite. Coated my noodles with the dipping broth and enjoyed my first sip of tsukemen. The noodle was chewy and springy; and it did not taste spicy at first. Just when I thought I have over-estimated the spiciness level, the heat from the chili peppers and chili oil gradually crept in and swelled my lips! The numbing sensation is what you will get from eating mala hot pot and I have to admit that the it was quite good (or "shiok"). Char siew meat was tender, with the right amount of fats. Love the hearty serving of crunchy cabbage and green onions which elevated the taste further. Overall, I am pleased with the outcome of this food exploration as this is my first time eating tsukemen. This definitely falls into the list of food that I will want to eat again if I visit Hiroshima next time!  

======

Tsukemen Honbo Karabu Tokashi Branch つけ麺本舗 辛部 十日市店
広島県広島市中区十日市町1-4-29
Opening hrs: 1130 - 1500 hrs; 1800 - 0000 hrs

How to get there?

(1) By streetcar. Take Hiroden Streetcar 2 or 6 from Hiroshima Station and alight at Honkawa-cho (本川町). Less than a minute walk away from the streetcar station.

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Kure JR Station 呉駅

Kure JR Station (呉駅) is located on the Kure line, which runs alongside Seto Inland Sea. Kure was a navy base during the Meiji era and is well known for being the birthplace for Japanese battleship named Yamato shortly before WWII. Now, it is one of Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF)'s bases and houses manufacturing industries such as shipbuilding and steelworks.

View from Yamato Hatoba park.

Unplanned visit. Passed by Kure JR Station on Day 3 while on board Setouchi Marine Liner. In fact, visiting Kure came as a backup plan on Day 9 because Miyajima Ropeway to Mount Misen was closed on the day of our visit and we had to end our day trip in Miyajima earlier than planned. Arrived at Kure in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day at JMSDF Kure Museum and nearby Yamato Hatoba (大和波止場) park facing the Seto Inland Sea. There are other interesting sightseeing spots which we did not manage to cover, such as Yamato Museum and Areikarasugojima where JMSDF's submarines and ships are docked here. Navy curry rice is served as a local specialty dish in many restaurants here and there is even food stalls, otherwise known as yatai, set up along Kuramoto-dori (蔵本通り) after 6 pm almost everyday (closed on Tuesdays). Looks like there are more to discover in this city!

Apart from local trains, other trains serving this station include:
(1) Setouchi Marine Liner (瀬戸内マリンビュー), commutes between Mihara and Hiroshima via Kure line and operates only on weekends and public holidays.
(2) Akiji Liner (安芸路ライナー) is rapid service train which commutes between Hiroshima and Hiro via Kure line.

======

What's nearby?

(1) Shopping malls
- Recre (レクレ), a shopping mall connected seamlessly to the train station. Household brand such as Uniqlo and Daiso are located on the second floor, which you will pass by along the way to JMSDF Kure Museum and Yamato Museum. Yamato Onsen Monogatari (大和温泉物語) is a large scale, one stop hot spring facility with both indoor and outdoor pools, restaurants and entertainment facilities where you can spend a relaxing day here.
Recre: http://www.kure-recre.com/wp/wordpress/
Yamato Onsen Monogatari: http://www.yamato-onsen.com/

- Youme Town (ゆめタウン), a familiar name that you will see in Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu area. Located about 5 minutes walk away from the train station (which you will also pass by along the way to JMSDF Kure Museum and Yamato Museum), this shopping mall has ground floor dedicated to supermarket, ABC Mart and Seria (100 yen shop) on the second floor, and MUJI on the third floor.
Youme Town Kure: http://www.izumi.jp/kure/

(2) JMSDF (Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force) Kure Museum 海上自衛隊呉資料館, about 5 minutes walk from train station.
An exact replica of submarine where visitors can enter to better understand JMDSF operations and their life on board the vessel. This is a one of its kind museum in Japan which I will strongly recommend to visit if you plan to explore Kure city.
- Operating hours: 0900 - 1700 hrs, closed on Tuesdays
- Free admission

Yamato Museum.

(3) Yamato Museum 大和ミュージアム, about 5 minutes walk from train station.
- Operating hours: 0900 - 1800 hrs, closed on Tuesdays
- Entrance fee: 500 yen

======

Commemorative stamp:

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Kaki-ya 牡蠣屋

Visited 24.04.2015 (Fri)

Gems of the sea. My conclusion from this Chugoku trip was Hiroshima is a food paradise! Enjoyed sipping the noodles coated with broth infused with chili peppers and chili oil (tsukemen) and love the hearty serving of crunchy cabbage strips packed in a pancake (okonomiyaki). In fact, the most unforgettable meal I had was the oysters in Miyajima. Hiroshima is well known for its fat and juicy oysters harvest, which make up 60% of the overall domestic market in Japan. This is largely contributed by the favourable breeding grounds, both in terms of sea temperatures and weather conditions experienced by the Seto Inland Sea. Though oysters can be enjoyed all year round in Hiroshima, it is said that the best period to enjoy these gems of the sea is between November to March. Before coming to Miyajima, we ordered the teppanyaki style oysters at Micchan (where we had our okonomiyaki) as a side dish and were already won over by its taste. Because of this delectable experience, we were all looking forward to indulge in more oysters on the following day in Miyajima.

Best so far! Came to Kaki-ya, which literally means "oyster house", to enjoy our lunch after visiting Itsukushima Shrine. Kaki-ya is one of the many restaurants, located along Omotessando Shopping Arcade, offering oysters related dishes and aims to bring out the goodness of oysters using various cooking methods. Before coming here, I already had in mind to try their signature Kaki-ya set meal (牡蠣屋定食). Though this meal was on the pricey side (2,150 yen), I felt that for the quantity of oysters served on the plate, it was value for money. The sumptuous set meal comprised of:

- 2 x grilled oysters in the shell. This is the first thing you will see upon reaching the restaurant! The grill station is located at the storefront where fresh oysters are shucked and cooked on the spot. The oysters were cooked to perfection, retaining its natural sweetness and flavours.

- Half serving of oysters cooked on rice. The rice was cooked with a broth created using oysters and the oysters were simmered with soy sauce. I was totally blown away by the rice which was infused with the rich flavours of oysters. It was so enjoyable that I could not bare to finish up the last grain of rice...

- 3 x fried breaded oysters, served with homemade tartar sauce and ketchup. I am a fan of fried food and this hit the spot on the first bite. Love the crispy breaded skin encapsulating the moist oyster meat.

- 1 x oiled oyster. This is Kaki-ya's signature creation. Also available for sale in individual glass can, the oyster is first baked with oyster sauce at moderate temperatures in the oven and this step is repeated several times until the oyster sauce is infused into the meat, which has shrunk in size during the cooking procedure. Next the oyster is soaked in grapeseed oil, mixed with chili oil and bayleaf, for a period of time before it is best consumed. I was amazed by how rich the flavour was in this small piece of meat and it totally whet my appetite during the lunch course. In a spur of moment, I was so tempted to bring a few bottles of oiled oysters back home!

- Lastly, a bowl of red miso oyster soup to complete the set.

Kaki-ya was featured in Michelin's Guide for Hiroshima/Ehime published in 2013.
http://gmhiroshimaehime.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0913026801/

======

Kaki-ya 牡蠣屋
広島県廿日市市宮島町539
Opening hours: 1000 - 1800 hrs
http://www.kaki-ya.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By foot.
Kaki-ya is located along Omotessando Shopping Arcade. From Miyajima Pier (Miyajima Sanbashi 宮島桟橋), it takes about 7 minutes to reach here by foot.

======

Video: Scroll to 2:30 for 爱玩客's feature on Kaki-ya.

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Miyajima 宮島, Itsukushima Jinja (Itsukushima Shrine) 厳島神社

Visited 24.04.2015 (Fri)

UNESCO World Heritage. Hiroshima Prefecture is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites - Genbaku Dome 原爆ドーム and Itsukushima Jinja 厳島神社. Genbaku Dome, a preserved ruin to remind mankind of the destructive forces left behind by World War II, is located within Hiroshima city and less than 15 minutes ride away by electric tram and bus from Hiroshima JR Station. On the other hand, Itsukushima Jinja is located on Miyajima, a small island in Hiroshima Bay, and requires an additional 10 minutes ferry ride to cross the water channel separating Miyajima from Honshu island. Itsukushima Jinja was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in December 1996 and it is well renowned for its stunning vermilion giant torii “floating” gracefully offshore - an extremely picturesque sight that has graced the front covers of travel guide books/magazines on numerous occasions. More than three centuries ago, Miyajima was already named as one of the three most scenic spots of Japan, alongside Matsushima 松島 and Amanohashidate 天橋立 by Shunsai Hayashi, a Confucian scholar who has travelled throughout Japan on foot.

Advanced closer to otorii by ferry.

Sika deers basking in the sun.

Do not disturb mode.

Managed to capture both the stunning otorii and adorable sika deer within the same frame!

Deers or shopping? With our JR West passes, we hopped onto the train from Hiroshima JR Station, alighted at Miyajima Guchi JR Station and connected to the next JR West Miyajima Ferry. While on board the ferry, our excitement grew as the iconic giant torii came clearer and closer within sight. After alighting at the ferry terminal, it takes another 12 minutes by foot to finally arriving at Itsukushima Jinja. Having said that, the route leading to the shrine is pleasant and interesting to explore! There are three routes to choose from, the seaside, Omotesando shopping street 表参道 or Machiya-dori 町屋通り. For the seaside route, enjoy the sea breeze while accompanied by adorable and friendly sika deers during the leisure walk. Along Omotesando shopping street, shop houses, comprised of souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants, lined both sides of the street and is filled with tourists all year round. Whereas, Machiya-dori, which is one block away from Omotesando shopping street and lined with centuries old stores and houses, provides a glimpse of life in the olden days and a stroll along this street is a truly a trip down the memory lane. We decided to play with the deers first by embarking on the seaside route to Itsukushima Jinja followed by making the return trip to the ferry terminal via Omotesando shopping street.

Reached our destination!

Entrance to Itsukushima Jinja.

Admiring otorii from Higashikairou 東回廊, the east corridor of the shrine.

Witnessed a traditional wedding ceremony held at the main shrine on the day of our visit.

The five storied pagoda in the background is also an iconic landmark in Miyajima. Said to have been built in 1407, this structure is 28 m high and combines the architectural style of both Japanese and Chinese elements. 

Floating shrine. Itsukushima Jinja was first built in 593 and it was remodeled into its present grand structure in 1168. The architecture of this shrine is unique from the rest; its location on the coastline and building extending outwards to the inland sea makes it looks as if the shrine is “floating” on the waters during high tide as the supports below the platforms are submerged under water. Itsukushima Jinja is composed of the main shrine (Gohonsha 御本社), with a drama stage (Nobutai 能舞台), music rooms, halls and several other shrines arranged around it; and all these structures are connected by wooden corridors spanning a total length of about 300 m. Here, Munakata goddesses, Ichikishima-home, Tagitsu-hime and Tagori-hime, are worshiped as deities of sea, traffic safety, fourtune and accomplishment. On the day of my visit, we happened to witness an ongoing traditional wedding ceremony held in the main shrine, which also became one of the highlights during our stay here. 

Tide was low enough for us to step onto the sand bed and come closer to otorii.

Amazingly picturesque sight of otorii and Hiroshima Bay in the background.

Front view of Itsukushima Jinja.

Majestic otorii. Standing at 16 m tall, weighing an impressive 60 tons, the giant torii (or otorii) is designated as a National Important Cultural Property. The main pillars are 9.9 m in circumference and are made of natural camphor trees, while the other four supporting pillars are made of natural cedar. The current standing otorri is the eighth since Heian period and was erected in 1875. The ultimate challenge for most visitors who visit Miyajima is how close they can get to otorii, which requires a bit of luck or essentially dictated by the tidal changes that differ with time of the day and seasons. On the day of our visit, the tide was not sufficiently low enough for us to touch the pillars of otorii. Fortunately, the tide has subsided enough to reveal the sand bed below and a few metres around the shrine, which allowed us to walk down to see the shrine from its front and also move a bit closer to otorii - was already quite contented to admire this beautiful structure from a shorter distance. One thing I remember vividly was the tidal transformation was faster than I thought. When we made our way to catch another glimpse of otorii about three hours later, we noticed the waves have reserved its direction of movement and were sweeping towards the shrine, completely submerging the sand bed which we stood on previously.

Hopefully, I will make a return trip soon to fulfill the wish of standing side by side to otorii. One other item in my bucket list, is to take the ropeway to ascend Misen-san, the highest peak on the island. During our visit, the ropeway was down for maintenance and we had to end our expedition of Miyajima earlier than planned.

Tide timings: http://www.miyajima.or.jp/sio/sio01.html

======

Itsukushima Jinja (Itsukushima Shrine) 厳島神社
〒739-0588 広島県廿日市市宮島町1-1
Operating hours: 0630 - 1800 hrs
- Admission fee to Itsukushima Jinja = 300 yen
- Admission fee to Treasure Hall = 300 yen
- Combined ticket to both Itsukushima Jinja and Treasure Hall = 500 yen
http://www.itsukushimajinja.jp/

How to get there? 

(1) By foot. 12 mins walk from Miyajima ferry terminal.

Ferries from Miyajimaguchi Pier to Miyajima. There are two ferry operators covering the sea route between the two ferry terminals. If you are holding on to Nationwide JR Pass or JR West Pass (such as Sanyo and San'in Area Pass), please use JR West Miyajima Ferry as the fare is covered by the rail passes. Upon exiting from Miyajima Guchi JR Station 宮島口駅, walk straight and you should see JR West Miyajima Ferry first. The pier for the other ferry operator, Miyajima Matsudai, is located on its left.

- JR West Miyajima Ferry JR西日本宮島フェリー
http://jr-miyajimaferry.co.jp/en/
Fare = 360 yen (for round trip)
- Miyajima Matsudai 宮島松大
http://miyajima-matsudai.co.jp/english/index.html
Fare = 360 yen (for round trip)

For both ferry operators, the time taken to travel between Miyajimaguchi and Miyajima is about 10 minutes. On most part of the day, a ferry sets off every 15 minutes from either pier.

======

Commemorative stamps:

Itsukushima Jinja entrance ticket.

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Miyajimaguchi JR Station 宮島口駅, JR West Miyajima Ferry JR西日本宮島フェリー

Miyajimaguchi JR Station 宮島口駅 is located on the Sanyo main line. Upon arriving at this train station, you are one step closer (actually separated by a waterway) to Miyajima, a small island in Seto Inland Sea where the UNESCO World Heritage site - Itsukushima Shinto Shrine (厳島神社) is located in.

There are no limited express trains operating between Hiroshima and Miyajimaguchi. To get to Miyajimaguchi JR Station, board the local train heading towards Iwakuni from Hiroshima JR Station. It takes slightly less than half an hour to commute between both locations.

======

What's nearby?

(1) Ferry terminals, less than 2 minutes walk from the train station.
There are two ferry operators covering the sea route to and fro between Miyajimaguchi pier and Miyajima. If you are holding on to Nationwide JR Pass or JR West Pass (such as Sanyo and San'in Area Pass), please use JR West Miyajima Ferry as the fare is covered by the rail passes. Upon exiting from the train station, walk straight and you should see JR West Miyajima Ferry first. The pier for the other ferry operator, Miyajima Matsudai, is located on its left.

- JR West Miyajima Ferry JR西日本宮島フェリー
http://jr-miyajimaferry.co.jp/en/
Fare = 360 yen (for round trip)
- Miyajima Matsudai 宮島松大
http://miyajima-matsudai.co.jp/english/index.html
Fare = 360 yen (for round trip)

For both ferry operators, the time taken to travel between Miyajimaguchi and Miyajima is about 10 minutes. On most part of the day, a ferry sets off every 15 minutes from either pier.

(2) Hiroden Miyajimaguchi Station 広電宮島口駅, an electric tram station located nearer to the ferry terminal. However, from Hiroden Hiroshima Station, it takes more than an hour to commute to the terminus station (while it takes only half an hour for JR West). Therefore, JR West train is still the preferred option if you are departing from Hiroshima Station.
http://www.hiroden.co.jp/train/route-guide/stop-guide/m-39.html

======

Commemorative stamp: 

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Via Inn Hiroshima ヴィアイン広島

Stayed 24.04.2015 (Fri)
Reserved via Jalan.net
- Single A room (with breakfast) = 7,800 yen
- Economy twin room (without breakfast) = 10,000 yen

Convenience & bonus. Via Inn Hiroshima beats other competitors hands down in terms of location - hotel is less than a minute walk away from Hiroshima JR Station. Via Inn is a relatively new brand under JR West group, following identical operating model like other popular budget business hotel chain such as Toyoko Inn and Super Hotel. Rooms are compact with limited walking space (economy twin room area is only 12 m2, similar to its single room) but enough for a good night rest. In fact, the decor of Via Inn's lobby is much more classy than what I have anticipated it to be (especially for a budget business hotel). Chic design and spacious environment make guests feel very comfortable upon arrival at the hotel lobby. Chose this hotel because its economy twin room was a bargain, especially for its strategic location. Its close proximity also allow half of the rooms to take in views of the train station, observe the commotion on the platforms and occasionally hear muffled sounds from trains - a bonus for train fans!

A peek at the train station at night from my room. I was really that close to the train station!

Daytime.

Complete with breakfast. There is no cafeteria in the hotel. Instead, Via Inn collaborates with two eateries situated right in front of the hotel, to provide breakfast for their guests. Guests are give the choice of western or Japanese style breakfast which is served in Cafe Di Espresso and Eki Zen (駅膳), respectively. Had the western breakfast set comprised of sandwiches and a drink.

What's nearby?

(1) Hiroshima Electric Railway (Streetcar) Station, located in front of Hiroshima JR Station South Exit.
- To Genbaku Dome (Atomic Bomb Dome) and Heiwa Kinen Koen (Peace Memorial Park), take Streetcar Route 1, 2 or 6 and alight at Genbaku Dome mae (原爆ドーム前).
Hiroden 広島電鉄: http://www.hiroden.co.jp/en/index.html

(2) Bus stops, located in front of Hiroshima JR Station South Exit.
Do note that the bus stop to board airport limousine bus departing for Hiroshima Airport is located on the Shinkansen exit of Hiroshima JR Station. 
Airport Limousine Bus: http://www.hiroko-group.co.jp/kotsu/kousoku/limousine/unchin-jikoku.htm

(3) Hiroshima Higashi Post Office 広島東郵便局; the building on the right upon exiting from the hotel.
Website: http://map.japanpost.jp/p/search/dtl/300151615000/?&cond200=1&&his=ar,nm

======

Via Inn Hiroshima ヴィアイン広島
〒732-0822　広島県広島市南区松原町2-50
http://www.viainn.com/hiroshima/
1 min walk from Hiroshima JR Station South Exit.

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Day 9 Miyajima 宮島, Kure 呉

Day 9: 24.04.2015

* Day 2 of 7 Days Sanyo & San'in Area Pass

Miyajima - The Great Torii

Breakfast: Hotel Flex ホテルフレック

Checked in: Via Inn Hiroshima ヴィアイン広島
http://www.viainn.com/hiroshima/

Hiroshima JR 広島駅 > Miyajima guchi JR 宮島口駅

by local train.

Miyajima guchi 宮島口 > Miyajima Pier

by JR West Miyajima Ferry JR西日本宮島フェリー. (Fee covered by Sanyo San'in Area Pass)

Explored Miyajima:
http://visit-miyajima-japan.com/en/
- Itsukushima Shrine 厳島神社
- Omotessando 表参道
- Treasure Hall 宝物館

Lunch: Kaki-ya 牡蠣屋

Tea break:
- Miyajima Coffee 宮島珈琲

- Yamada Ya やまだや

Miyajima Pier > Miyajima guchi  宮島口
by JR West Miyajima Ferry JR西日本宮島フェリー. [Fee covered by Sanyo San'in Area Pass]

Miyajima guchi JR 宮島口駅 > Kitachi JR > Kure JR 呉駅

by local train.

Visited JMSDF Kure Museum 海上自衛隊呉資料館. [Free admission]

Kure JR 呉駅 > Hiroshima JR 広島駅

by local train.

Hiroshima ekimae 広島駅前 > Tokaichi machi 十日市町
by Hiroshima Electric Railway 広島電鉄電車.

Dinner: Tsukemen Honbo Karabu Tokashi Branch つけ麺本舗辛部 十日市店

- End of Day 9 -