I had freshly shaved katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and enjoyed it over rice. The flavor is completely different from the store-bought version. The richness and aroma of the bonito spread through my mouth and nose. Next time, I want to have it shaved even thinner and enjoy it over fluffy egg rice or okonomiyaki.

Makoto-ya, a long-established store specializing in nori and shaved bonito flakes, has a factory direct sales store. I finally had the chance to visit, as it's in my neighborhood. I bought the Aomori-seasoned seasoned nori (60g for 324 yen) and Aomori-end cut nori (30g for 162 yen). Even the high-quality Aomori nori is affordable if you buy the end cuts. The seasoning is perfect for enjoying with a drink. Both are delicious and great value for money. Just having nori on top of a dish makes it look better, and I'm grateful for the factory direct sales. I'll definitely go back when I run out!

I order by phone and have it delivered by cash on delivery because I have moved away from Sapporo. They always prepare thickly sliced bonito flakes for me upon request. Despite appearances (how do I look? haha), I make miso soup every day using carefully ground bonito flakes and kombu seaweed for the dashi, and plenty of miso paste. A few years ago, the master used to shave bonito flakes for me with a bonito shaver. If I had given him a plane, he might have become a good carpenter, haha, but I realized he was too old to start a new career. Also, my strength has been declining, so I had to give up on shaving bonito flakes. Therefore, I rely on Makoto-ya. The premium bonito flakes from Makoto-ya are exquisite for making soup! I have a cat at home, and when the package arrives from Makoto-ya, the cat always tastes it first, haha, with an unmatched appetite, even beating out Chao Chur. Well, it's delicious, isn't it? Haha. In addition to bonito flakes, they also sell large dried shiitake mushrooms, roasted seaweed, Korean seaweed, and shredded seaweed. The seaweed is crispy and delicious. I use the thickly sliced bonito flakes, muro flakes, mackerel flakes, dried shiitake mushrooms, and Hidakakonbu from here to make my own soba dipping sauce. It's quite a fun activity, haha.

Until September 2012, I love bonito flakes. They didn't have the popular dried bonito flakes (common in the Kanto region) but they had a variety of delicious and affordable "shaved bonito flakes" which was enjoyable. "Special" dried bonito flakes, mold removed, 100g for 450 yen (prices may vary, please check at the store), "Matsukami" dried bonito shavings for 300 yen, "Souda" Souda bonito shavings for 180 yen, "Mackerel" mackerel bonito shavings for 150 yen, "Muroaji" Muroaji bonito shavings for 150 yen, and "Special Selected Roasted Seaweed" Saga's finest for 420 yen. Each one has its own unique flavor and it's really fun to taste the differences. Besides the refined flavor of dried bonito flakes, the clear umami of these dried bonito flakes (with mold applied once or twice) is convenient for everyday use. The customer service is friendly and you can easily make a purchase. Thank you for taking care of me. Brief explanation of "Bonito Flakes": 1. Bonito fish is filleted into three pieces and boiled. The skin is removed and the bones are taken out to make "namaribushi". 2. This is then dried and roasted to make "arabushi", "wakabushi", etc. Shaving this "arabushi" results in "katsuobushi" (also known as "hanakatsuo"). 3. Mold is applied and it is sun-dried. Sun drying is preferable. "Karebushi" is dried with fewer repetitions, while "honkarebushi" is dried with more repetitions. Shaving this results in "katsuobushi shavings". Check the ingredients list! By repeating the process of applying mold and sun-drying, when bonito flakes are struck together, they make a clear, pleasant sound like "keen" instead of a dull sound like "clang". I order mine from Yamakawa in Kagoshima, and it makes a delicious and satisfying sound!

While walking, I happened to come across a sign and decided to check it out. It was a seaweed shop called Sushina Wagichi. The sign recommended visiting, so I took the opportunity. The shop was not easily visible from the main road, you had to enter from a small alley behind it, right in front of a large hotel. As soon as I entered, I was greeted by the wonderful smell of bonito flakes. There were various products displayed, and my first impression was that the prices were surprisingly reasonable. I bought 30 sheets of seaweed for onigiri, each for 30 yen, and got to enjoy some freshly roasted ones. They also had seaweed for 50 yen each. I decided to try making dashi at home, so I bought different types of bonito flakes in 100g portions. The seaweed was incredibly delicious. I have tried seaweed of similar prices from well-known brands before, but this was by far the best. It melted in my mouth and had a pure taste. I even tried making onigiri with it. The seasoned seaweed I sampled was also delicious. The staff at the shop were very friendly. By the way, the seaweed used at the sushi restaurant I visited afterwards was from this shop.

I used to work for a company that had business dealings with this place, and we used their dried goods for cooking. Now that I have a car, I can freely go out and buy them from the store. One of my favorites that I highly recommend is the "Itogatsuo" and "Aosa Nori". They are not cheap, but the aroma and taste are irresistible for those who love cooking. Itogatsuo is great when poured generously over grilled eggplant. It's not salty at all, in fact, it's sweet! Aosa Nori is perfect for adding to miso soup for added flavor and aroma. You can buy them individually, so please give it a try.

I visited in search of delicious bonito flakes. It seemed to be a company with a factory attached, and it was popular as customers kept coming in. It was my first time there and I was a bit flustered, but the woman there was very kind and taught me a lot, listening to my requests as well. The seaweed also looked delicious, and I bought some to give to someone, who was very pleased with it. There were other customers waiting behind me, so I didn't buy any for myself and left, but I would like to visit again soon.