Travels in the Osumi - Prologue -

The Osumi is a part of Kagoshima Prefecture where is located in the Osumi Peninsula on the opposite side of the Kinko Bay from Kagoshima City which is located in the Satsuma Peninsula.  Now this area has nine municipalities, Kanoya City, Tarumizu City, Soo City, Shibushi City, Osaki Town, Higashi-kushira Town, Kinko Town, Minami-osumi Town and Kimotsuki Town.

A lot of people may not know, but the Osumi has a very old history. One reason may be because the castle of the Shimazu Clan, a feudal warlord clan in Japan, who ruled Satsuma-han Domain, was located in the Satsuma Peninsula side.

The place name Osumi first appeared in “Shoku-nihongi”, a history book complied by the Imperial command and it said that the Emperor Genmei ordered to separate “Kimotsuku County”, “Soo County”, “Osumi County” and “Aira County” from “Himuka-no-kuni (kuni means a former local administrative district and former name for Miyazaki)” to create “Osumi-no-kuni” for the first time in the 6 year of the Wado era.

The six year of the Wado era is 713 A.D. So Osumi-no-kuni was created after only 13 years from the establishment of the “Taiho-ritsuryo”, first full-blown legal code of the Nara era.

Actually this year is 1300 years anniversary of the compilation of “Kojiki”, which is the Japanese first full-blown national history book, compiled by the Imperial command in 712 A.D. So next year is the 1300 years anniversary of the establishment of Osumi-no-kuni.

Now this area has a population of about 250 thousands people. I guess even people in Kagoshima City don’t know about the Osumi well enough except to say that this area’s main industries are agriculture and animal husbandry and there is a space center. Furthermore, a guide book, which has about two hundred pages, allocates only three pages for introduction of the Osumi.

I believe that the Osumi area is a wonderful place. So, I would like to introduce how wonderful this area is in this.

AKA EBI, super rare prawn

This is the Furue Fishing Port in Kanoya.

A deep sea prawn “NAMIKUDA-HIGE-EBI”, which is called “AKA-EBI” (red prawn) by local people, were landed here.

This prawn is said to be super rare because this can be landed only aound the Kagoshima bay which reaches a depth of about 200m even at a little distance from ports.

 

This is a bowl of rice with AKA-EBI fritters.

The lunch set which has the fritters made of a lot of super rare prawn AKA-EBI plus a cooked great amberjack is priced only 600 yen!

You can eat this lunch set at “MINATO Syokudo” restaurant.

Cycle City

As you may know, last October, the 20^th Japan Cup Cycle Road Race was held in UTSUNOMIYA City, TOCHIGI Prefecture and the race had about 73 thousands spectators.

UTSUNOMIYA City promotes the Cycle City program now.

I visited to see the situation of the Cycle City.

Please go to the north-western exit, when you arrive at the JR Utsunomiya Station. If you go down along the street in front of the station toward the north, you can see the Miya Cycle Station (MCS).

It was installed to give cyclists some information and services such as shower rooms, rocker rooms, rest rooms and rent-a-cycle service by UTSUNOMIYA City Office.

MCS gives cyclists two kinds of cycling maps like below.

Red one is for the downtown of Utsunomiya, and blue one is for the vicinity.

It is interesting that the maps indicate some recommended cycling courses with vertical profiles.

And also there are 16 “Cycle Stations” along the cycling courses.

The Cycling Station is not a special facility. In general, convenience stores play a role of cycle station.

Bike Stand is installed

Anyone can borrow repair tools and an air pump there for free.

Repair Tools

What’s a cyclists’ friendly facility!

I hope the concept of the cycle station will be able to be introduced here to Osumi region soon!

All Japan Local Bowl of Rice Championship

The Furusato Matsuri Tokyo (Local Foods&Drinks Festival Tokyo) is now being held at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo from Jan. 7^th through 15^th.

All Japan Local Bowl of Rice Championship as one of the Festival’s events is taking place now there.

As I mentioned before, the Shibushi Team is now participating in this Championship to compete on the deliciousness of Sejiro Chirimen Zan-mai Don as the Champion of Kagoshima.

Of course I voted for the Shibushi!

Cycling Destination

I guess there are many cyclists who love ramen.  

Such cyclists may make a ramen restaurant their cycling destination.

 

If you go cycling toward Osaki, why don’t you make “ラーメン秀Ramen Syu” your destination?

 

Syu has only two kind of ramen, ranem and char sui men (ramen with Chinese-style barbequed pork) on the menu and each has medium and large.

Ramen Medium 

Syu’s ramen soup is based on pork bone broth. I recommend the ramen to cyclists who like plain taste ramen.


Char sui is also nice!

Ramen Syu

If you go cycling toward Uchinoura, please stop by to eat ramen at “マツワキMatsuwaki”.

 

A lot of fishermen as well as local people seem to use this ramen restaurant (When I visited there during lunch time, Matsuwaki was full of local people enjoying ramen.

Ramen Medium

I recommend Matsuwaki to cyclists who like salty broth.

Ramen Matsuwaki 

Which one do you like better?

Secret View Point

This is a very nice view of the Kimotsuki River, isn’t it?

It’s a view from the top of the Mt. Gongen in Kimotsuki Town.

 

Actually, it is said that one of the Japanese notorious monster “Ittan-momen” lives here.

 

Ittan-momen is a bolt of cotton cloth like monster and can flutteringly fly very fast.

 

It is said to attack humans. It enwinds men's or women’s necks or faces then choke them to death.

Mt. Gongen

Do you believe it still lives there?

How to get there?

1. Please go down Prefectural Road 539 from Niitomi, Kimotsuki,

2. And then go straight the intersection of Daini Ariake Bashi Bridge.

3. If you go along National Road 488 toward Uchinoura, you will find this Y-intersection below.
 

4. Take the right at the Y-intersection above.

 

5. Go along the road like this above.

 

6. Turn right above.

5-minute walk from here to the goal!

A path from Mt. Gonge to Kanoya

Café

I guess ther are many cyclists who love coffee.

If you go cycling toward Osaki or Shibushi, why don’t you stop by Café Karen to drink a cup of coffee?

The café is run by an old man who supports ethnic minorities of the northern Thailand.

When you have a seat at the café, hot herb water is served first. Lemongrass, cinnamon and chamomile flavor water tastes refreshing.

He says the coffee beans used at the café comes from Chiang Rai province of Thailand.

It is said that the production of coffee beans there were started for the ethnic minorities’ livelihood instead of the production of opium poppies.

 

I believe you can feel the atmosphere of the northern Thailand while drinking coffee there.

You can also buy some Thai goods there.

Café Karen:

Address: Yomogihara 641-3, Ariake, Shibushi, Phone: 0994-75-2034

If you want to drink coffee after finishing the cycling, I recommend you to visit “Café Volcano”.

I think the logo mark with a Sakurajima motif may catch your eyes.

When you enter the café, you are supposed to see chic and simple designed furniture, and a little photo gallery.

The coffee beans are roasted with lava of Sakurajima and the coffee is brewed using flannel drip method.

This is the special made Lava Coffee Roasting Machine

*Can you see the Lava of Sakurajima?

The owner says that the coffee brewed with the beans becomes milder in taste.

Why don’t you taste Sakurajima Lava Roast Coffee?

Café Volcano

Address: Nishihara 4-9-11, Kanoya, Phone: 0994-41-4318