"Betsumai Town Furusato Koryukan" On Saturdays, I am alone, so today I will be doing food log activities. There is no golf, no cleaning up the house for now, and the field work was done last night. The destination is Betsumai Town, known for having more cows than people. With a population of about 14,000, it is a town that manages to maintain a certain scale despite depopulation. Within the Nemuro Promotion Bureau, there are not many towns with over 10,000 people, so choosing this as the destination was a good choice. The memo listed many shops, but many were closed, leading to a lot of wasted time and having to leave many things unfinished. In the end, I ended up at a hot spring that was not on the memo, and it seemed familiar as a place where I could get Chinese takeout in the past. The reception area also gave off a similar vibe, and there was a sense of respect towards the Self-Defense Forces at the entrance. I don't protect the country, so I want to quietly enter. Betsumai is indeed a place where you often see Self-Defense Force vehicles while running. There were talks about Japan's defense budget reaching 2%, and concerns about the shortage of ammunition in case of war. It seemed like a move to reach the 2% target, and I couldn't help but think it was a clever move by a certain political party. The hot spring had a disinfectant smell in the dressing room, which was a bit disappointing, but it wasn't so noticeable in the bath. The outdoor bath was a sodium spring, so it was salty. I like to soak in the back where the temperature is just right. After bathing, I had a mini soft-serve ice cream for 250 yen, which was surprisingly large. It was a good soft-serve ice cream that I enjoyed. In Betsumai Town, this was my second soft-serve ice cream, and it was the same "Mokomoko Soft". It had a slight crunchiness and a hint of milk flavor, with a restrained sweetness that was just right. It was delicious, and I can confidently say that soft-serve ice cream in Betsumai Town is tasty."

I found this through the hometown tax payment and donated 10,000 yen. I received 3 boxes of individually wrapped cheese slices. When I microwaved them, they had the same texture as I expected, dry and easy to snack on. The plain flavor was delicious, the basil was a bit salty, and the black sesame was quite good. When I tried to find out how much they cost to buy, this was the only place that came up. The instructions say it's from Kushiro City, but it doesn't seem like there's a store there. So, I'm posting this here. I guess the only way to get them is through the hometown tax payment.

In January 2015, I received a gift from a friend in Hokkaido, which was the product "Short Cheese." I was very happy to receive it. I will refrain from rating the service or mentioning the price. "Short Cheese" is sold on board by AIRDO, and my friend bought it there. It is also served as a snack with alcoholic beverages during in-flight sales. Each pack contains three small bags, each with three pieces of "Short Cheese." Two bags are plain, and one bag is flavored with black pepper. "Short Cheese" is thin stick-shaped, about 2x12 cm in size. It is ivory-colored with a caramelized texture. It is made by slowly drying natural cheese, resulting in a crunchy and light texture with a rich cheese flavor. It also has a hint of saltiness, which complements the taste well. The texture and flavor are very memorable, and I finished it quickly. I would love to have it again. It seems like it would go well with white wine. If I ever fly with AIRDO, I would like to purchase it.