Kinmedai, the splendid alfonsino, in Shimoda is regarded as a first-rate brand in Japan. The name “Kinmedai” represents its feature, “golden eyes”. Looks weird, huh ? It does, because this is kind of deep-water fish and its large eyes glow gold in the dark water. But, believe it or not, it tastes just like the king of fish ! Shimoda lands Kinmedai the most in Japan !＾＾

This second visit to Shimoda finally brought me the opportunity to reach Kinmedai to my heart’s content.＾＾ After strolling around Shimoda station enough, I opened a map to find a fine Japanese restaurant, “Uogashi”. It’s just around the station, maybe less than 1 minute walk away. You can see their website from here.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant seemed a little too high-class to me. A brisk man showed me to the table. What is most recommended particularly here ? “Kinmedai Teishoku”, a set meal of Kinmedai. You can choose 2 dishes among 3, Sashimi, grilled, or boiled in sweet soy-sauce based soup. I was so happy also with its price.＾＾
In 20 minutes, a large tray was carried to me. I was totally astonished by the gorgeously arranged dishes. Which one should I begin with ?＾＾

Choose 2 among 3 dishes

First, I tried Sashimi. Fleshy and firm, I could tell how fresh it was. As you can see from the picture, it is white meat without fishy smell. Next comes the boiled one. The soy-sauce based sauce was rich in flavor and the meat was partly firm for its muscle and partly soft for its juicy fat. It was good enough for me to finish my rice up ! Actually, I finished it all first, not unable to stop my chopsticks.＾＾； Lastly, grilled one. I squeezed the lemon onto the grilled Kinmedai and poured a little bit of soy-sauce. It tasted light with the simple flavor of itself. Maybe this one would best with Japanese Sake.＾＾

Sashimi with wasabi

Boiled in sweet soy-sauce

Grilled with slightly salted

Now, which one do you think is best for you ?＾＾ This set meal comes with rice, miso soup and others. Some of you may think these pictures gross especially for its eyes, but you know what ? We love them. I mean, we love to eat these eyes. We suck gelatin around eyeballs. It tastes killingly wonderful ! Try it !＾＾

Lastly, I introduce one more thing this time. While walking from Shimoda Sta. for about 10 minutes, I found a small store “Fukusei” that sold Kinme-Croquette. I tried it, wondering how it would taste. Potato and real Kinmadai. Sweet with Kinmedai’s flavor. It didn’t take a minute for me to finish it.＾＾； You can find it at some stores in this website.

Here, I strongly recommend you to get this guide-map at the station, or tourist information center near the station, no matter whether you read Japanese or not, because this guide-map includes special coupons on it. More than a hundred shops, restaurants and facilities including museums and traditional Ryokan Inns in Shimoda are on it. Actually, I got this croquette 10% off the price, I got a small desert at “Uogashi”, just by showing it to them.
Anyway, if you visit Shimoda of the historical city, be sure to taste Kinmedai, the Splendid Alfonsino.

Have a good day !＾＾

Uogashi, the local fish restaurant
Access ： 30 seconds from Izukyu Shimoda Station
Open Hours ： 11:00 – 20:30
Closed ： Basically every Tuesday

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾

So, what did I find on my way back to the bus stop ? It was a small garden. Not very special, huh ? Still it seemed spectacular to me because it was surrounded with hundreds of flowers, some of them in full bloom, in this cold winter ! Here, I make an extra report after Narcissus Festival.
I’m not very good at flower names, telling you the truth. So, I dare not mention each specific name this time. YOU tell me, OK ?＾＾
What I was impressed most among all beauties was the yellow flowers in the right picture. I know it in Japanese, “Nanohana”. My dictionary says “Rape blossoms” in English. Is it correct ?＾＾； It always brings me the image of spring. I walked for a while along the pathway, feeling somehow warm in the cold air, in the scent of flowers.

Then, I found a glasshouse. Why not expect more flowers ? I checked the time for the bus. 10 minutes to go. Good enough !＾＾
Fortunatelly, it was free to look around. I stepped in it, feeling a little bit humid. First, huge banana trees with small banana hands said hello to me, followed by various flowers of, maybe, the southern land. Very good to my eyes, and my body to warm itself. I stayed there until the last moment and rushed to the bus stop to go back to Shimoda Station.

I was meant to find a good Japanese restaurant for Kinmedai, the Splendid Alfonsin, landed most in Japan and known as the first rate specialty of Shimoda City.
Next time, I’ll introduce Kinmedai in Shimoda.

Have a good day !＾＾

English website for more tourist information about Shimoda City

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾

My first trip this year, 2011, is Shimoda City. It has a kind of southern climate aspect and they are just in the midst of flower event in this cold air. Flowers make us feel warm, aren’t they ?＾＾
Shimoda is indeed full with attractions as I’ve reported before. This time, I visited “Tsumekizaki Coast” to see “Narcissus Festival” of millions of daffodils around the exquisite coast. It’s just having its best.
From the bus depot beside Izukyu Shimoda Station, I took the special bus of #10 for Tsumekizaki Coast. You can see the time table in the picture. 20 minutes and ¥420 bus fare is definitely worth it ! On its way, you will pass by the roadside station “Kaikoku Shimoda Minato” where you can enjoy shopping or restaurant.

The bus dropped us at the seemingly forlorn site on the hill but the first view from there surprised me very much as to throw me into an illusion that I was standing in a tropical island ! “Holy mackerel !” was the only word for it. Millions of daffodils were moderately swaying in the wind just as they were singing to the sea. I saw a lighthouse on the hill over the seashore. Curiosity did not get the better of myself. A walkway along with aloe vera flowers, several street markets down under, and the sea of deep blue. Everything seemed enchanting and inviting to me ! Here we go !＾＾

I walked down the pathway, feeling the chilly wind from the sea with the sweet scent of daffodils. About 50 - 60% was in bloom, I surmised.
I came across a sign board of Cape Tsumekizaki and found several trails for the hike. I really wish I had had enough time. 2 hour hike was not for that day because I had another schedule.
Now, stairs up to the hill leading me to the lighthouse. I stepped on it, expecting exclusive views, and apparently it never disappointed me.
I walked up to the lighthouse and looked down from there. Some people were on the rock for fishing, others were in the sea for surfing. I stayed there for a while just overlooking some of Izu Seven Islands, which seemed to have washed everything on me away.

I strolled halfway along the hiking trail, though the bus time was around the corner, not wanting to leave Cape Tsumekizaki. Nothing falls in vain. I found some good view points where I could admire daffodils below my eyes. I was just beside myself with taking pictures. Smells of the sea and daffodils were just like enchanting me to another world. It was almost 1 hour behind time when I walked for the bus stop.＾＾；

This is NOT the end of this story. I found something surprising on my way back to the bus stop. It is a park ( or square ? ) full with various kinds of flowers ! I’ll report it next time !

Bye for now !＾＾

Shimoda Narcissus Festival ― December 20 to January 31
Access ： 15 minutes by bus of #10 from Izukyu Shimoda Sta.

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾

Time never stop for my travel. I opened my mobile phone. It was after 13:00. Though I had made an unscheduled side-trip at Inubashiri Island, I had to take the train from Shimoda Station at 15:08. Off to Perry Road !
I passed before the Shimoda Park in 10 minutes from Inubashiri Island and more 10 minute walk took me to the narrow street along the stream as in the picture. That is the Perry Road. Old houses represented histories. Willows were draped over the stream and that made a nostalgic mood. Small shops and restaurants were along the cobbled street.

Strolling on the Perry Road and into a narrow alley, you will see the gate of Ryosenji Temple. Very quaint with the songs of cicadas. Passing through the gate, you will see the Ryosenji main hall just in front.

Commodore Perry signed up for Shimoda Treaty in this temple in 1854, under “Japan-US Treaty of Amity”. You can’t go inside of the temple for now, but you can see a nice exhibition room – Ryosenji Treasure Museum – in which collections of Perry and Black Ships are preserved. Lo-and-behold, all historical materials are real and original. No photocopies or duplicates. You can feel the very history in this museum.

I rushed for Izukyu Shimoda Station. I could have taken more time in Shimoda but I had a plan and I would strongly recommend you to follow it.
From Izukyu Shimoda Station, you can take a very unique train. Of course, with the Dream Pass, you can take it with no extra charge. The train’s name is “Resort 21 Kurofune ( Black Ship ) Train”. Available not every day. If you understand Japanese, please see the schedule from here. Kurofune Train is not the express. Just the same as the local train. So what is the difference ? You will see it very obvious from the picture below.＾＾

The first car with large windows

Others with ocean view seats

I got in the first car and took the seat of the second row. The windshield was just like a movie screen. 1.5 hour boarding to Atami was not so long as I could fall asleep, due to the ever-changing view.

Looking out into the sea, I was almost in a daydream until the conductor came for extra fare. Oh, yes, I needed to pay for some. Be sure, the Dream Pass is, in my case “Koganeji Route”, valid and effective only in Dream Ferry, Tokai Bus and Izukyu Line. Izukyu Line finishes at Ito Station. Operation from Ito to Atami is by JR Line. That is, you have to pay for it. I paid ¥320 to the conductor and realized the end of this tour.
Now, how do you like my ten-time reports about the Izu Dream Pass ? You make the most of it and find your own trip with Dream Pass !
Have a good day !＾＾

Perry Road & Ryosenji Temple
Access ： 10 minute walk from Izukyu Shimoda Station
Admission ： Free for the temple　／¥500 for Museum
Izu Dream Pass
Dream Ferry ／ Tokai Bus ／ Izukyu Line

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English website for sightseeing, always with you ! ＾＾

I went toward the small construction, a little bit excited for fishes, and found out a sign board “Shinshin-Kisen Shimoda Office”. More excited for the word, “Kozushima Island”, “Shikinejima Island”, “Nijima Island” and “Toshima Island”, those of which are some of “Izu Seven Islands”. Yes, this is the boarding station for a passenger liner, operated every day except Wednesdays. Only once a day at 9:20. It goes through 4 islands and returns to Shimoda at 16:20 ( information as of Sep, 2010 ). Not a tour boat, but a liner that stops at each station for only 5-15 minutes for boarding. Exploring islands seems so exhilarating, isn’t it ?
By the way, Izu Seven Islands belongs to Tokyo, not Shizuoka. That means, each islands have another liner to or from Tokyo. If you are adventurous enough, and if you plan to visit Shimoda from Tokyo, the liner by way of any island you are interested in is one of the way ! Find further information from the website of “Tokai Kisen”. Good English website !＾＾

Now, the unknown island was just right there ! I saw a Black Ship passing over the island. The black ship, the tour cruiser in Shimoda Port, is called “Susquehanna”. The tour station is only 15-20 minute walk from Shimoda Station, next to “Kaikoku Shimoda Minato”. For further details, please open here “Izu Cruise”. The timetable is also shown.

Finally, I stood at the gateway to the unknown island. Later I found out its name. “Inubashirijima Island” is that. In front of the passage way were some men who rent the fishing kit with bait. No but to enjoy fishing in this fish-abundant sea !
I strolled on the pathway and talked to a fisherman. “My friend carries on a Japanese Inn and I’ve got to catch some fish for today’s dinner of customers’”. I laughed. He did as well. I knew it would be very difficult to catch fishes in this too hot weather, but in the evening, I was sure, he would.
Walking close to the island, I felt reassured because I accomplished my goal. I had not been expecting something in this island. I just wanted to stand on it. You understand me ? I passed through the tunnel to the other side, and found a white lighthouse with no one around. The sea breeze was lovely and cozy. The view was cool and sweet. I sat beside the lighthouse forgetting the time to pass.

By the way, there seems to be another island called “Karijima” next to this Inubashiri Island by the map I checked later. I had completely missed it and returnd the way I had come. Anyone, please report it to me !＾＾；

Next time, I’ll report the Perry Road.

Good day !＾＾

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English website for sightseeing, always with you ! ＾＾