I wanted to have seafood for lunch in Ine, but I was already full from breakfast and many shops in Ine were closed, so I stopped by on my way back home. I had a seafood bowl and a banbara-ko bowl, which is a homemade pickled bowl with local fish. The seafood bowl was delicious. The staff were also very friendly and provided great service.

Cloudy sky in June. Cool breeze. The sunlight is blocked by the clouds, so it's not too hot. Occasionally, the sunlight shines through the gaps in the clouds, brightening up the scenery. A cafe and restaurant corner with a view of Amanohashidate from the side. Ice coffee for 480 yen. It's not particularly special, just a bit bitter. Oolong tea for 470 yen. It seems to be brewed properly and tastes delicious, according to my companion. A crow caws, and in the distance, you can see a sightseeing boat passing by. It was a quiet and comfortable experience as there were no group tourists on this Thursday afternoon.

Today, on February 21st (Friday), we went on a day trip bus tour organized by Hankyu Travel Agency that my wife reserved last month because she said, "I haven't had crab yet this year... I want to eat crab!" We had a light breakfast at Lotteria and gathered around 8:00 AM in Hirakata, near Kansai Medical University. The day before, my wife and I were talking about whether there would be cancellations due to the coronavirus affecting events like the Hirakata Nabe Festival on the 22nd, but there were no cancellations and the tour was full with 39 people! About half of the participants were wearing masks, so we also wore masks on the bus just to be safe. During the trip, we had one restroom break and arrived around 10:50 AM. The venue was not fully prepared yet, so we browsed through souvenirs at the shop. At 11:00 AM, we were guided to our tables and listened to the instructions before starting the 100-minute all-you-can-eat session. The table was set with ceramic plates for turban shells, a pot with Uni (sea urchin) for yellowtail shabu-shabu, crab vinegar, soy sauce for sashimi, rice, and soup. Everyone rushed to the crab first, so I went for salmon roe first! I piled salmon roe on rice and started "kotehajime". After everyone had taken their share of crab, there was still plenty of time, so I leisurely piled crab and yellowtail on my plate and returned to the table. The boiled crab was red snow crab and frozen... not bad, just decently tasty. While eating crab, everyone was silent. After eating about 15 crab legs, I switched to yellowtail! I didn't know, but this area near here, Ine, is the birthplace of yellowtail shabu-shabu. The slightly sweet broth with Uni flavor was delicious. The grilled turban shell had insufficient heat with solid fuel... it didn't cook well, so I left it for later! The grass pufferfish for grilling was still partially frozen... also left for later! Looking back, I should have cooked the pufferfish in the shabu-shabu pot instead - it makes delicious porridge! The red snow crab sashimi was there, but lacked freshness... but when eaten with shabu-shabu, it was delicious! After about 30 minutes, I was starting to feel full... I was overwhelmed by the appetite of the two elderly ladies next to me! They were eating crab, turban shell, and scallops voraciously! The mother-daughter pair next to them also had over 30 sweet shrimp on their plates and were eating continuously. I took a short break with a beer... rested for about 10 minutes and resumed the battle! More boiled crab and crab sashimi shabu-shabu! I finished with porridge. I put rice and crab meat into the shabu-shabu broth, cooked it to perfection, added some salmon roe... delicious porridge with a burst of salmon roe! Full! There was still about half of the time left, but I gave up! I drank coffee from the vending machine, went outside, and strolled with my wife while looking at the sea. There was snow that had been removed in the parking lot (did it snow on Tuesday?) but the spring sunshine was warm! The smell of the sea was pleasant! It was a satisfying day. On the way back from the tour, we stopped by Arima Onsen for 100 minutes of free time. There were hardly any Chinese tourists in Arima! We went into the famous "Golden Bath" in Arima (admission fee 650 yen). The red hot spring water had a slightly salty taste, warmed our bodies, and felt great! After the bath, we enjoyed Arima's specialty cider. We returned to Hirakata at 6:00 PM. The food was decent as expected, nothing special, and we were able to leisurely enjoy the hot springs. Considering the bus fare included in the price, it was a satisfying day.

I went to the Daikyu Seaside Center located on the outskirts of Amanohashidate in Miyazu. It's a hidden gem where you can relax with fewer people compared to the other side of Amanohashidate where everyone goes. I also visited during lunchtime last time and enjoyed the view while having a meal, so I decided to visit again this time. The seafood bowl was decent with a good amount of sashimi and fresh rice. However, the mini udon soup was lukewarm, which was a downside. Overall, it was nice to be able to enjoy the view while having a meal at a leisurely pace. Thank you for the meal.

Overall, this restaurant is enjoyable for those who love cooking. The seafood bowl is endless and great for seafood lovers. I visited for the first time on November 3, 2019. I ordered the sea urchin flavored seafood shabu-shabu and squid shabu-shabu, which were delicious. The self-service style, where you can cook your own food with the provided ingredients and seasonings, is a favorite. The cost was unclear as it was part of a tour package. The restaurant is located in a large building where tourist buses can stop, and the relaxing view from the grassy garden is impressive. I used the Hankyu Travel tour for this visit. Lately, I prefer self-service style where you can cook your own food, and I had a good impression of it.

I had sea urchin hot pot.

It was a day trip with my family. We went to a seaside center where we enjoyed a 60-minute all-you-can-eat seafood buffet including crab, sea urchin, oysters, abalone, and salmon roe, among others. I focused on cracking the crab silently and also had plenty of sea urchin. Most people seemed to be full after about 40 minutes and the session ended, so the 60-minute time limit felt sufficient. After that, we explored Amanohashidate, a scenic sandbar covered with pine trees. The pine trees are able to absorb fresh water from the sand, thanks to the sand filtering the seawater. We visited the Bunnosu-do temple, drew a great fortune on our omikuji, and felt good. We were lucky to see the rotation bridge opening and closing. It was a satisfying meal.

I came to see Amanohashidate, one of Japan's three scenic views, and of course, if you're near the sea, you have to have seafood!!! I saw this place introduced in a pamphlet so I decided to try it out. I bought a ticket and got a table with a view of the ocean. It seems like there are a lot of group reservations because it's full. They served me a cold drink first and then my seafood bowl arrived! It was a beautiful bowl with crab, sea urchin, and salmon roe for ¥1800, with udon on the side. It was luxurious and beautifully presented. When I tried it, the seafood didn't have any fishy taste. The sea urchin was salty and delicious. The amount of rice was just right for a woman. Thank you for the meal. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the delicious food. ^^

This is a review of a day trip bus tour with Club Tourism. It was a seafood buffet tour featuring blowfish, crab, and seafood bowls for 8,980 yen. I had previously visited a tour with Hankyu Travel Agency that offered an all-you-can-eat fruit buffet (cherries, peaches, melons). On a hot day, we sat outside under a tent-like area with tables filled with fruit. We had to use plastic knives (which were not sharp) to peel the fruit, and there were some people at the table who ate a lot, causing the fruit to quickly disappear. When we asked for more, the staff gave us a very unpleasant look, which surprised me. Because of that experience, I vowed never to stop at such places even if I passed by during a drive. However, this time was different! The crab was replenished frequently, and the staff promptly cleaned up the crab shells. They also kindly answered our questions. However, during this trip, I witnessed some bad manners from other customers. This made me rethink my past unpleasant experiences and realize that it may have been a misunderstanding about the same group of people. It's important for both customers and the restaurant staff to have a pleasant dining experience. This time, everything was great! Thank you for the meal.

Golden Week. My husband is on a business trip. My daughter and I are at home, and we thought it would be a waste to just lounge around, so we signed up for a bus tour. The itinerary includes departing from Nagoya, visiting Konbu Museum, having lunch and shopping at Hashidate Oomaru Seaside Center, visiting Amanohashidate (one of Japan's three scenic views), Amanohashidate Winery, and returning to Nagoya. For lunch, we had a seafood buffet for 50 minutes. The buffet included: - Unlimited servings of "tessa" (blowfish sashimi) - Unlimited servings of snow crab legs - Unlimited servings of king crab legs - Unlimited servings of sea bream and octopus sashimi - Unlimited servings of sweet shrimp - Seafood three-color bowl with sea urchin, salmon roe, and crab meat - Unlimited servings of two types of petit cakes The Seaside Center venue had a general seating area, group seating area, and a shopping corner on the first floor. We were directed to the prepared group seating on the second floor, which had a great view of the sea through large windows. We started the buffet with the snow crab legs, which I rarely get to eat at hotels. They were delicious, but after a while, I got a bit tired of them. Next, we tried the king crab legs, which were sweet and tasty. Then, we had the blowfish sashimi. I signed up for this tour mainly because I wanted to eat blowfish, as my husband doesn't like it. The blowfish was firm and delicious. My daughter was excited to try the blowfish, and she enjoyed it. We also loved the sweet shrimp, and the seafood three-color bowl was a hit with its fresh sea urchin, crunchy salmon roe, and flavorful crab meat. My favorite was the sea bream sashimi, which was cooked slightly and easy to eat. Unfortunately, I spent too much time on the crab at the beginning, so I didn't have enough time to go for seconds of the blowfish, sweet shrimp, or the sea bream. 50 minutes was too short! I wanted to eat more! The feeling of not being fully satisfied led me to distract myself by sampling the snacks at the first-floor shop. After the tour, my daughter and I both agreed that the food was so delicious that we wanted to go on the same tour again. Maybe next time my husband will join us?

May is over and June has begun. On the last weekend of May, I took my beloved car, Kurosai-kun, and my partner Honey on a day trip from Miyazu City to Maizuru City. Did you know that Miyazu City to Maizuru City is famous for farming "torigai" (cockle) in the Sea of Japan? The torigai here is about 1.8 times larger than the ones found in the market, mostly shipped to places like Tsukiji Market in Tokyo and rarely eaten in Kansai restaurants. You can only enjoy it at local eateries. I had heard about it on TV last year but didn't have a chance to go until this year. I visited the "Seaside Center" managed by Hashidate Maru. There is a souvenir shop, a regular dining area on the right, and a dining area for group reservations on the left. I ordered the torigai donburi for 1,860 yen. Since the regular dining area was empty, we sat by the sea-facing window. You can see Amanohashidate from the window, and the view of Amanohashidate from the side is also beautiful. The torigai donburi was served, with tuna, yellowtail, squid sashimi, and salmon roe on top. The torigai pieces were about the size of a teacup, and they were incredibly delicious. The rice was warm with seafood on top, and you could either pour wasabi soy sauce over it or dip the seafood in the sauce while eating. The torigai was tender and full of flavor. It was definitely worth the visit. The torigai season ends in early June, so if you have the time, I recommend checking out the Dan-go Torigai Map and visiting a restaurant this weekend. The prices range from 5,000 yen to over 10,000 yen in some places. The Seaside Center by Hashidate Maru offers the torigai donburi for 1,860 yen. How was it? Enjoy your meal!

On January 2nd, I went on a bus tour with Club Tourism. The tour took us to various places by bus, including the famous Kinosaki Onsen, where a former prefectural assembly member is said to have frequently traveled. At the venue, we could enjoy all-you-can-eat crab and blowfish for 7,980 to 8,980 yen. Considering how expensive crab and blowfish are, I was surprised by the low price. The all-you-can-eat session lasted for 90 minutes starting at 11:30 a.m. When we arrived, there were several dishes placed in front of us. It was quite a sight to see around 60 buses arriving and everyone starting to eat at the same time. The menu included a total of 14 items for the "Red and White Crab & Blowfish Battle": 7 crab dishes and 7 blowfish dishes. However, despite the luxurious spread, the crab and blowfish felt a bit lacking in flavor and everyone seemed to finish eating quickly and move on to the souvenir corner within 30 minutes. Despite some mixed reviews I had read beforehand, I found the tour to be quite satisfying considering the affordable price for all-you-can-eat crab and blowfish. Even though we couldn't go for seconds due to the fierce competition, the dishes were replenished frequently, allowing us to eat to our heart's content. My companion and I enjoyed coming up with different ways to enjoy the food, such as dipping a little bit of crab miso with each piece of crab. It was a fun experience to enjoy high-quality food in a different way than usual. I don't think I'll ever have the opportunity to eat blowfish so intensively again in my life, but I would love to visit again if given the chance. Additionally, drinks like beer were available for purchase (cash-on) at the venue. Since it was a day trip from Osaka, I was probably the only one who had joined from Tokyo or Kanagawa, and I learned a lot from the eagerness of Osaka locals to go for the food. (It was quite impressive how everyone spoke in the Osaka dialect...)

During the Kakkou Tour, we went on the Amanohashidate Tour where we could enjoy all-you-can-eat seafood and crab. The seafood included sea urchin, salmon, herring roe, sea bream, and abalone, all served on a seafood bowl. The buffet style allowed us to eat as much abalone and crab as we wanted, with rice and soy sauce provided on the table. Despite being an all-you-can-eat buffet, the taste was actually quite good. It may not compare to the fish from Shimane or the fresh fish from the northern regions, but it was still delicious. I had never tried abalone before, and it was chewy and had a nice texture. The salmon roe was a bit salty, and the sea urchin was surprisingly creamy and tasty. The crab was also delicious, disappearing quickly due to the fierce competition among the guests. The tour also offered a 5% discount on souvenirs at the first-floor souvenir shop.

After leaving Miyama, we headed straight to Amanohashidate, the main event of this trip where we would have all-you-can-eat sushi for lunch and all-you-can-drink beer. We arrived around 1 o'clock and the seaside center was packed with bus tour guests. The rules were explained - you had to finish the 5 pieces of sushi in front of you before moving on to the next ones. The sushi, along with unlimited servings of shrimp, scallops, turban shells, abalone, fruits, and more were continuously provided. The beer was self-serve with a time limit of 60 minutes. The first round of sushi was decent, nothing too amazing, but it was all-you-can-eat so we indulged. The competition for sushi in the first 40 minutes was intense, with everyone rushing to grab the new servings. After a while, I struck up a conversation with two lively guys from Osaka, and we chatted about the izakaya we visited the night before. The view from the window was lovely, with Amanohashidate visible in the distance. However, to my disappointment, I later found out that we wouldn't be going to the high vantage point to see the famous view of Amanohashidate. I was devastated and tried to find a way to see it during the free time after the meal, but it was impossible. I expressed my feelings to the tour guide, but there was nothing that could be done. It was a pitfall of the tour that left everyone shocked, except maybe the locals who had already seen the view before. It was a disappointing end to what was supposed to be a sushi and beer-focused tour.

I participated in a day trip tour to the 2nd Crab Gourmet and the lunch venue was this restaurant. It is located along the coast north of Amanohashidate. The lunch included 8 sweet shrimp sashimi, chawanmushi, Hashidate soba, crab rice, clear soup, pickles, and two all-you-can-eat dishes: snow crab and beef steak. The steak was cooked on a small teppanyaki grill on the table. The crab was boiled and placed in the middle of the table. Both dishes were available for refill once finished. There were many group customers and it seemed like the staff was not enough, so the refills took a while to come out. Since both the meat and crab were all-you-can-eat, I felt like I had to eat desperately within the 1-hour time limit to be satisfied. There was also a souvenir shop next to the dining area, and it seemed like there were many group customers.

We used this restaurant during a company-funded bus trip. The travel agency's plan mentioned that the lunch would be clam rice, which I was looking forward to as a clam lover. One of the enjoyable aspects of bus trips is drinking on the bus and stopping at places to buy food to share with everyone. With drinks flowing and everyone in high spirits, we arrived at the Hashidate Oomaru Seaside Center for lunch. The clam rice set meal was lined up on the tables, priced at 1300 yen. It wasn't a very luxurious lunch due to the low budget, but the flavor of the clams seeped out more as you chewed, making it subtly delicious. In addition to the clam rice, there was clam steamed in sake, sweet shrimp sashimi, turban shell, soba, and clam soup, all of which were tasty. Although the portion size felt a bit small for big eaters, we enjoyed each dish. The service and atmosphere seemed more refined than before. As mentioned earlier, it was the perfect menu for a low-budget group bus trip.