I arrived in Esashi Town on a weekday afternoon around 2 PM, but all the food and beverage establishments were closed for a break. Since there was nobody in the dining area, I asked the cashier at the retail section, who then went to prepare my order. I ordered a large serving of bukkake soba (500 yen + 150 yen). It was served in about 5 minutes. The noodles seemed like typical commercial ones, and the broth came in a pre-packaged seasoning packet. The toppings included seaweed, tempura flakes, and green onions. The taste was average, neither good nor bad. However, the portion size was generous, and I regretted getting the large serving. The female staff member was very friendly, which left a positive impression.

After parting ways with my husband, I took a walk in Esashi and we agreed to meet here. There were quite a few people around, and I think the tourists are starting to come back. You can buy local seafood and snacks here, and it's easy to buy just one piece. I found some Esashi dried herring and decided to buy it to cook with radish. It's a good idea to bring your own bag since they don't provide plastic bags.

It is located in a facility near the seagull island, one of the representative tourist spots in Esashi-cho. Next to the facility, there is a restored replica of the famous warship Kaiyo Maru from the Boshin War, and you can also enter the museum inside the ship, where items such as the cannonballs from the sunken Kaiyo Maru are exhibited for sightseeing. Inside the facility, local souvenirs and agricultural and marine products are sold, and there are also small eateries. You can try the local specialty of herring soba. Since I had it after the meal at the Yokoyama family, I purchased soft serve ice cream. I still feel like Hokkaido soft serve ice cream is delicious.

I visited my hometown recently and took the opportunity to visit the island of "Seagull Island" in Esashi to gather material for photos. I spent about 1.5 hours exploring the island and taking pictures. There are no food or drink facilities on the island, not even vending machines. I quenched my thirst at a water station on the island, but after walking around so much, I felt the need for some calories. So, after finishing taking photos, I came to this place. The soft serve ice cream here is convenient and easy to stop by. This time, I chose the Uji matcha flavor. The unique lever-style ice cream dispenser caught my attention. The ice cream was a bit lighter compared to recent matcha ice creams, but it was still delicious and refreshing for my tired body. The shop also has a good selection of souvenirs, making it worth a visit. Additionally, the nearby Kaiyo-maru restaurant (refer to my previous review) is impressive and worth a visit as well.

About 50 km from JR Kikonai Station is the Esashi Umi no Eki. This is a registered boat mooring facility by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, providing basic facilities for boats such as mooring, toilets, fueling, and emergency repairs, as well as showers, a shop, and a cafe. It is like a "roadside station" but for boats. Upon arrival at the facility, visitors are greeted by posters of the Kaiten Maru, Enomoto Takeaki, and Hijikata Toshizo. The Kaiten Maru sank in a storm off the coast of Esashi in 1868 and was later excavated, with over 32,000 artifacts recovered. There is a museum displaying these artifacts, with an entrance fee of 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for students. Inside the facility, there is a bustling area with a section for selling local products and a food corner offering affordable meals like crab rice for 300 yen. The reviewer tried the crab rice and found it to be delicious, with plenty of crab meat and a simple yet satisfying taste.

Visited on May 2, 2017. Today, I worked on tilling the vegetable garden in my parents' backyard. I dug trenches with a shovel, filled them with homemade compost, and repeated the process of burying the compost. It took me the whole morning to finish the job. After completing the work, I took a relaxing bath to wash off the sweat, and had lunch with the Becky's bread I bought yesterday. While relaxing, I suddenly remembered the beautiful flowers blooming on the trees in the garden, so I decided to take photos of them. After taking the photos, I uploaded them to my computer and showed them to my father. He mentioned that there are lots of Ezo Engosaku flowers blooming on Oshima Island, and suggested that I should take photos of them. So, I immediately headed to Oshima Island. Upon arrival, I went to the location my father had told me about, and indeed, the flowers were blooming beautifully as he said. I captured them in photos. Additionally, since I was already there, I also took photos of the unique Kameshi Iwa rock formations that are characteristic of Esashi. As I was about to leave, I suddenly felt a craving for calories, perhaps due to the physical labor in the morning. Coincidentally, I saw "Platto Esashi" at the Esashi Umi no Eki Kaiyo-maru, so I decided to stop by for a snack. I had visited this place before it became "Platto Esashi," and was surprised by the changes in the interior. The sales corner was well-stocked with specialties from Esashi and its neighboring towns. The souvenirs available here seem quite extensive. Now, what should I eat...? Looking at the counter, wait, they close at 2 pm!? However, I noticed a staff member making soft-serve ice cream, and when another customer received it, I hesitantly asked if they were still serving soft-serve ice cream. The response was reassuring, and I chose a simple vanilla flavor. The soft-serve ice cream machine here was operated manually with a lever, unlike the usual electric ones. It felt more handmade and unique. I captured this scene in a photo as well. I took a photo before receiving the ice cream, and then enjoyed it. The taste was delicious, not too fancy but just right for satisfying a sweet craving after a tiring day. The light meals here seem suitable for a quick bite, and the place is great for souvenir shopping. However, the highlight would be the tour of the Kaiyo-maru. I didn't visit it this time as I had seen it before, but the exhibits inside are definitely worth seeing. I will also share the photos of the flowers I took this time.

In August 2015, I visited a roadside station where I bought vegetables and seafood. It was mentioned that the station would be closed until April due to winter season. I also bought handmade tofu made from four different types of beans. The tofu was a bit firm and had a strong bean flavor. I also received some okara and planned to make a dish using my mother's recipe. The review also mentioned trying a strawberry milk drink at a local festival in June, which was refreshing and delicious. Additionally, there was a section about a local specialty product store in Esashi, where various homemade products were available, including a salted squid dish that caught the reviewer's attention. Overall, the review highlighted the unique and authentic local flavors available at these establishments.