"I visited Upkawa Station for the first time, where they are promoting the town with the title of 'Japan's Number One Ramen.' However, many of the ramen shops that were originally 15 have closed down, and the official Facebook page has not been updated since 2018. I was eager to try the ramen, but all the restaurants around the station were closed during lunchtime. Feeling a bit lost, I stumbled upon a long-established confectionery shop called 'Asahiken.' I bought some sweets like 'Zunda Mochi' and 'Kuromai' for 160 yen each, and 'Hanaakari' and 'Asahidake.' The Zunda Mochi had a chewy texture with black rice mixed in, and the Zunda bean paste was subtly sweet and delicious. The Hanaakari was a baked confectionery with nuts and dried fruits, while the Asahidake was yet to be tasted. All the sweets were of high quality, and I am interested in trying more of their products. It was a delightful experience."

Speaking of Kamikawa...✩.*˚ Yes! Takanashi Sara-chan and zunda mochi♬ That's why I made my first visit with the believers of Asahiken-san! [Zunda Mochi] ♬ 160 yen Rarely, it felt like someone in a generous mood bought it for me...? It has a simple taste, but the rich zunda flavor felt nostalgic and delicious (๑´ڡ`๑)♡ It's different from the zunda mochi my grandmother used to make, with a subtle sweetness from the black rice and a lingering deliciousness♡ This shop also has delicious "soft serve ice cream"! I was excited, but unfortunately, it seemed like they were sold out~(^-^; The town is as quiet as ever...♪*ﾟThank you for the meal~(*´∀`)♪

I visited Asahi-ken for the first time! I will take a walk around the town. I found a confectionery shop. Let's buy something. The shop owner is a very simple man. Hanaakari - 180 yen. Ginza mochi - 100 yen. Hanaakari is a sweet almond snack that brings back memories of eating it in the past. It's a bit nostalgic. Ginza mochi - wow! The texture is great, you can really feel the mochi. It's crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I got to experience a traditional snack. Thank you for the meal.

The innkeeper was quite enjoyable! The lemon cupcake was delicious. The red bean donut was also good♪

"If you make a little mistake, it becomes 'Apacchi Ken' instead of 'Asahi Ken', right? Oh, by the way, Ken Watanabe did it... working in Kamikawa today. It's the last day for work in Kamikawa for now. I had ramen and bought some bread to take home. When I left the ramen shop, I saw a sweets shop. Although I thought cakes would be the main thing, it turned out that Japanese sweets were the main focus. I was tempted by the 'dorayaki' which caught my eye. I couldn't resist it, so I ended up getting a 'strawberry shortcake'. The lady at the shop was very friendly. She asked where I was from and mentioned the weather. She even gave me a candy. People who give you things are nice. The 'dorayaki' was very sweet with a chunky red bean paste. It felt like an old-fashioned dessert, like something you would find at a grandma's house in the countryside. The 'strawberry shortcake' was surprisingly delicious, although it had a slightly dry texture. Maybe it was because some time had passed since I bought it? Kamikawa Town seems to have a lot of shops with 'Asahi' in their names. I wonder why that is?"