Summer Events and Traditions: Beach

  You can’t talk about summer time in Hyogo without talking about the beaches! Hyogo is one of the rare prefectures in Japan that faces the Sea of Japan in the north, and the Seto Inland Sea in the south. There are many beaches suited for swimming, and many people visit from surrounding prefectures as well. In today’s blog, we’re going to introduce some of the popular beaches in Hyogo, as well as the beach culture in Japan.

Summer Events and Traditions: Fireworks

 We hope you enjoyed our last month’s Gourmet series. There are many other delicious gourmet foods in Hyogo, so we hope you get a chance to come and enjoy them.

 This month, we are going to focus on “Summer Events and Traditions,” and our first topic is going to be on fireworks.

 Fireworks are one of the first things that come to mind when talking about summer in Japan. With a long history, it is said that the first fireworks started in the Edo period. Japan creates some of the most intricate fireworks in the world, and they are known for their unique designs and colors. 

Port of Kobe Fireworks Festival  

Japanese Sake of Nada

  Nada-gogo is the popular sake brewing area between the Nada ward of Kobe city to Nishinomiya city. The five sake brewing districts of Nishi-go, Mikage-go, Uozaki-go, Nishinomiya-go, and Imazu-go, have many sake breweries. Nada-gogo has a 30% share of all Japanese sake sold in Japan, which is the biggest share in the country. 

 Sake Brewery of Nada Gogo

[GOURMET] Hyogo's Ramen

  The third installment of our Gourmet Series is Kobe Ramen. Japanese people love ramen, but these days, it’s becoming increasingly popular among foreign visitors as well.

Hyogo prefecture is known for delicious ramen. Route 2 between Sannomiya and Shukugawa is also known as the Ramen Road, and there are numerous ramen restaurants in the area, all competing to become the number one restaurant.

  I visited one of the most popular restaurants in Kobe to try out a very unique ramen.

  Before we continue, let’s talk little bit about ramen itself.

Many people in Japan think that ramen is a Chinese dish, but it’s actually a Japanese dish that originated from a Chinese dish in the Taisho era. It’s sometimes called Chuka-soba, or Chinese noodles.

  Ramen uses wheat noodles and the soup is made from stock based on chicken or pork, and different flavored sauce. The toppings usually consist of char-siu pork, green onions, kamaboko (steamed fish paste), bamboo shoots, and egg. Some of the most popular flavors include soy-sauce, miso (bean paste), salt, and tonkotsu (thick broth made from pork).

 Tonkotsu Ramen

[GOURMET] Akashiyaki vs. Takoyaki

  In our second installment from the Gourmet series, I decided to show the difference between Akashiyaki and Takoyaki. They look very similar, so some people may wonder what the difference is. I visited Akashi to taste the true Akashiyaki. 

  A famous dish from the city of Akashi in Hyogo prefecture, it is also called tamagoyaki by the locals. Akashiyaki is considered to be the root of Takoyaki, which is very popular throughout the country.

        

Akashiyaki of Akashi                            Takoyaki of Osaka

[GOURMET] Sweets

  Starting today, we’re going to write features on a series of popular themes. The first theme is gourmet food, starting with Kobe sweets.

  Kobe is the birthplace of Japan’s western sweets. This makes Kobe sweets famous throughout Japan, and it has many of the country’s most famous stores, cafés, and restaurants that serve delicious sweets.

  Western-style sweets in Japan are known for their cute displays, but Kobe sweets are made with extra attention given to looks and presentation. The stores are known to be very chic as well. But of course, the taste of these artworks is also amazing.

 

They all look so delicious!! 

 

The “Egret’s Eye View” is Now Open

 On March 26, a special visitor’s facility for the Himeji Castle Restoration named heron in the sky officially opened.

The famous UNESCO World Heritage Site is currently undergoing restoration. The castle main keep is covered but they have built an elevator that will take visitors straight to the very top of the castle. Visitors can watch the restoration of the large roof and the exterior of the castle up close.