Visited Ishikawa Takuboku for the first time in April 2022. Although he spent a short period in Hokkaido, he left a significant mark. In the Meiji era, he moved to Hakodate, which was also devastated by a large fire, and then relocated to Otaru in September to rely on his brother-in-law who was the stationmaster there. Just three months later, he left the newspaper company he worked for and moved to Kushiro. It is said that his family lived in this shop during that time. The "Sashimi Rice Bowl" is priced at 890 yen, which is reasonable for a tourist spot. The bowl includes yellowtail, scallops, squid, salmon, tuna, and tamago (egg) with tobiko. While the selection of ingredients is typical, the red tuna is a delightful addition. The vinegared rice is slightly sweet. The "udon" that comes with it is thin and has a unique texture. It seems to be pre-boiled and is soft, serving as a substitute for soup. The chawanmushi (savory egg custard) is on the sweeter side, which is favored by locals. It is served piping hot, which is a plus. Located in the Hanazono entertainment district, it seems to be popular among the locals. A poem about Otaru by Takuboku reads, "Oh, Otaru town, where people do not sing, how rough are the voices of the people." While some interpret it as a criticism of the lack of culture in Otaru, others see it as a praise for the resilience of the people in a commercial city. Another poem by Takuboku expresses his loneliness as he leaves Otaru for Kushiro with his wife and child. It was a historical experience to enjoy a "seafood rice bowl" in a place where Takuboku once lived.

Visited "Tajima" at Otaru Hanazono for lunch in February 2018. It's my first time here, even though it's been around for a while. I think "Yujinan", "Jurakuen", and "Kushiko" in this area are also part of the same group, and I've already been to all of them. "Kushiko" seems to be closed though. I saw Asian tour groups going to "Yujinan", and this place seemed to have a similar group going upstairs. The lunch menu had various options under 1,000 yen, but I chose the tempura bowl. It came with salad, chawanmushi, miso soup, pickles, and a drink. The tempura bowl had shiso, shrimp, squid, pumpkin, kisu fish, and bell pepper. The tempura was crispy, the rice was slightly firm, and the sauce was a good balance of sweet and salty. It was a satisfying meal for 860 yen. The first floor was not crowded during lunch, but I imagine this place gets more Asian tour groups during the day and party groups at night.

"The bento from 'Tashiman' was always good, so I often ordered it at work, but this was my first time visiting the actual restaurant. There were about three 4-seater table seats and maybe the same number of raised tatami seats? As soon as I sat down, I was served water and a wet towel. At that moment, I ordered the daily lunch set. Looking at the menu, there were quite a variety of lunch options. It might be worth coming back again. And then, the meat I had been craving for arrived. The salad was terrible. When was it cut? The lettuce had pink and brown edges. The main dish, fried chicken, was quite good. The sauce had just the right amount of sweetness and acidity. Thanks to the restaurant's atmosphere, it stayed hot for a long time. The chawanmushi had no flavor. It wasn't sweet or salty. It had chestnuts in it, but they weren't candied. Steamed chestnuts? Was there no dashi flavor at all? Overall, hmm, maybe next time I'll try sushi instead of a set meal."

I visited Shiman@Minami-Otaru for a meal in Otaru. At the restaurant: - The building exudes a historical charm, located in the area where Ishikawa Takuboku resided. - The restaurant caters to various needs, offering sushi at the counter or private dining rooms for group meals. - It seems to be a trusted place where locals dine. Food experience: - I enjoyed a leisurely meal in a private room. - I wanted to take a photo of the sushi, but I ended up eating it all. It looked beautiful and tasted delicious. - I also tried other recommended dishes, and overall everything was tasty and satisfying. Conclusion: - I initially thought the restaurant might be too upscale, but it turned out to be a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience. Thank you for the delicious meal.

This is a stylish wooden shop located about 100m to the right after turning right at the Hanazono intersection in Otaru, heading from Sapporo on Route 5. The building of this shop is said to have been renovated from a rice cracker shop where the poet Ishikawa Takuboku lived on the second floor in the 40th year of the Meiji era. There are still two pillars from Takuboku's time on the second floor. The lunch menu is quite innovative within the historical building. I was surprised. This time, I chose the mini chirashi and shrimp fry set with udon! It's a bit mismatched, but it's quite delicious for a mini. And surprisingly, they start frying the shrimp fry after hearing "Chirashi is ready." The mini chirashi and udon are brought out first, and then the piping hot shrimp fry appears after a while. Well done. The shrimp fry is a bit small, but the coating is crispy and the shrimp is plump, so it passes. The udon seems to be Inaniwa udon, but it's slightly overcooked. In addition to sushi, there are also meat-based lunches such as pork ginger stir-fry for young people, making it a very convenient restaurant.

I used it for drinking. I had beer, sashimi, tempura, sushi, soba, etc. The tempura and sushi were served in an orthodox manner. We started with bottled beer for the toast and then switched to draft beer. The beer was served in large glasses, not in mugs. We were guided to a private room on the second floor. It had tatami flooring, a table, and chairs. All the dishes were delicious. The staff were all experienced and provided a sense of stability. It's about a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station.

When I came to Otaru, I planned to walk around and find a sushi restaurant. However, I unexpectedly encountered rain, so I decided to choose a restaurant that caught my eye in a guidebook. It mentioned something about Ishikawa Takuboku, but there was no mention of that at the actual location. I took a bus from near the Ishihara Yujiro Memorial Hall and got off at Hanazono Park Avenue, so I didn't have to walk much. I think 10 pieces of nigiri sushi (around 1000 yen) is enough for a normal meal. It comes with a soup and dessert, so it's a good value for money. I also saw some locals there. However, I ended up ordering the daily special menu of tuna sashimi and saury nigiri in addition to the lunch menu of a sushi roll and 10 pieces of nigiri I ordered. It became a huge amount of food. My child even ate 6 pieces of ikura (400 yen each!) and the adults drank a lot of alcohol, making it a lavish lunch. The sushi roll was so voluminous, it felt like a lucky direction roll, and it was delicious. It seems to be a specialty of Otaru, as it was also listed as a recommended menu at a regular izakaya near the Otaru Canal. The tuna (3 pieces for 980 yen) was rich in flavor despite being lean, and I was amazed to be able to eat such delicious tuna in Hokkaido. The saury was also delicious and in season. We made the right choice in ordering them. The landlady who managed the floor was so considerate that we were moved, especially after not having a great experience at the hotel restaurant. We heard that there is a pachinko parlor next door where taxis are always parked, so we took a taxi to Kitaichi Glass after the meal. This is also a possible sightseeing course in Otaru (laughs).

I used to go here a lot when I was a student. I even had a mixer here once. They have sushi and zangi (fried chicken) at reasonable prices with good taste. I revisited after a long time. It wasn't too crowded during lunchtime, but it was decently busy. I had a chirashi bowl. Nothing particularly noteworthy, but it reminded me of my student days and I thought I'd like to come back to eat zangi again. I didn't have time this time, so I reluctantly gave up. It may be a long-established place, but to me, it's a nostalgic cafeteria.