Japan’s Hidden Seaside Ryokan with Local Culture and Seafood Delights | Ijika Daiichi Hotel Kagura

Japan’s Hidden Seaside Ryokan with Local Culture and Seafood Delights | Ijika Daiichi Hotel Kagura

Hi! We’re on the Shinkansen heading to Nagoya I bought an ekiben with conger eel rice at Tokyo Station The rice is soaked in flavor and good Today’s Mt. Fuji looks like a woodblock print, very elegant To see Mt. Fuji, sit in the E seat We’ve arrived at Nagoya Station, the heart of the Tokai region From here, we’ll take a train to Mie Prefecture next door It’s the Ise-Shima Liner with the Oshawott mascot! Lucky! Oshawott is the Mie’s supporting Pokémon. So cute! It’s about 100 minutes from Nagoya Station to Toba Station, traveling along the Ise Bay The interior is also decorated with Oshawott. It’s super cute I recommend stopping at Ise City Station to visit Ise Shrine before heading to the inn Now, we’ve arrived at Toba Station There’s a shuttle bus from the station to the inn, three times a day You need to book in advance, by the day before It’s about a 25-minute ride Oh, that’s a sightseeing boat around Toba Bay Toba Bay is dotted with islands, making island-hopping look fun The floating rafts are for oyster farming Today’s accommodation is a hot spring ryokan on a hill with a beautiful view of Ise’s nature Ijika is a town known for its deep history with ama (female divers) and fresh seafood One of the highlights is enjoying meals made with abundant local seafood It’s cloudy today, but the sea view is still beautiful The entrance is on the basement floor, so we take the elevator to the first floor The ryokan has a rare design that feels like an Asian tropical resort It has a natural, warm atmosphere The first thing you see is the souvenir shop Local mandarin juice? Looks delicious Since we’re in Ise, we have to try the Ise lobster Bought some Ise lobster chips The lobby looks like this The windows show the sea, with islands faintly visible in the distance After a quick break with some free drinks, let’s check in at the reception Check-in starts at 3 PM There are many foreign staff, so staying here should be easy even without Japanese >> Staff: Dinner is at 6 PM, so please come to the restaurant when it’s time There are the main building and the east wing, and our room is on the 3rd floor of the main building Actually, my parents are staying in the east wing, so we’ll check their room later The hallway also has a tropical resort feel Here’s our room “Mori to Umi to” Stay with Luxury Seafood and Wagyu: 30,900 yen (214.97 USD / € 182.38) per person The room feels calm, like a typical Japanese home It’s simple, but more spacious and comfortable than a business hotel There’s a terrace, so let’s step outside for a bit It has a roof, so even if it rains, it’s fine This is a mountain-side room, and in the far right, you can see the Ounoura Bay There are many trees, so you can hear the birds singing. It feels great But you’ll see a lot of bugs too… There’s a sofa and a bed in front of the TV The bed is arranged side by side, so we should be able to sleep comfortably Oh, there’s a 10-tatami mat Japanese room here It’s new and clean Is this a closet? A safety box and hangers It looks big enough for large luggage This yukata jacket is such a lovely color If you open the fusuma (sliding door) on this side of the Japanese room… It leads to the entrance Let’s check out the minibar Free water and Ise lobster crackers! Green tea and coffee in capsules A freezer Free drinks, Yay Ise tea and Toba cider, local specialties Having a party with chips we bought at the shop Gooood. Tastes like shrimp This grilled shrimp cracker is the one I saw at the gift shop Yum It’s nice that the free drinks are also from Ise The bathroom and toilet are on this side The washroom is spacious enough Facial cleanser, makeup remover, toner, and lotion Also, shampoo and bath products with pearl extracts, a nod to the local industry The amenities cover the basics There’s not only a hairdryer but also a hair iron Shampoo is also available in the shower room The outdoor bath! It’s the perfect size for 1-2 people It’s a 24-hour flow of smooth, skin-friendly hot spring water You can adjust the temperature with the hot and cold water buttons A mejiro bird came to play! Can you spot it? There’s also a yukata, but today I’m in the samue (work clothes) mood Since it’s not auto-lock, be sure not to forget to lock the door Since we’re here, let’s check out the room in the east wing where my parents are staying “This is the location of Godzilla’s first appearance.”
(I didn’t know that!) There’s a connecting passage between the main building and the east wing This is the ocean-view Japanese-Western room in the east wing It’s an ocean-view room, so the scenery is totally different from our room! There’s no outdoor bath here, but the view is absolutely breathtaking Plus, since this is a corner room, it has a great view of the sunrise too Let’s head to the large public onsen bath on the 2nd floor The men’s and women’s baths switch at different times. (Filming with special permission.) The changing room is spacious and clean There are two washbasin stations There are amenities like skincare and hair ties as well Let’s start with the indoor bath Wow, it’s very traditional The window is large and gives a nice open feel The smell of wood is amazing! It was renovated in 2024, and everything looks so fresh After washing up in the shower… let’s head to the hot spring This onsen water is known as ‘Longevity’s Hot Spring.’ It’s an alkaline simple hot spring with a soft and soothing feel In winter, if the weather is good, you can sometimes see Mt. Fuji from here The outdoor bath isn’t connected to the indoor bath, so you have to return to the changing room first Hello It feels a bit strange to walk outside in the nude It’s a spacious bath with rocks around it It has a roof, so even if it rains a little, you can still enjoy it Ahh, this feels so good! You can see all of Ise Bay from here On clear days, you might see more of the islands Besides the public bath, there are also private baths for families or couples to enjoy There are two types, and today, we’re going to “Ao no Kirameki.” It’s 3,300 yen per group for 40 minutes, and you can borrow a key at the front desk Surprisingly spacious for a private bath, with a clean washroom and full amenities Here’s how the bath looks. It’s a cute stone bath Of course, this is also a hot spring, and you can adjust the temperature It’s finally time for dinner! There’s also a room dining option, but we’re eating in the restaurant today A stylish private room. Nice Look, the sashimi is amazing!! >> Staff: I’ll go ahead and light the grill for the Spanish mackerel and turban shell >> Staff: This is black abalone Whoa! It’s still alive!? Toba-produced Spanish mackerel shabu-shabu Add everything into the hot pot As it cooks, the color starts to change The sesame sauce is perfect for the fluffy Spanish mackerel Good. Can’t go wrong with this Wow, the abalone is still moving! After grilling for about 15 minutes, it’s done The staff comes and removes the shell and liver It’s a big and thick abalone You can feel the firmness just by cutting it Mmm, incredibly tasty I’ve got to drink some local sake Zaku,’ the toast sake at the Ise-Shima Summit My husband is having local mandarin juice from Mie Prefecture The grilled turban shell and Spanish mackerel are ready Foil-grilling brings out the fatty, juicy flavor of the Spanish mackerel Boiled octopus Even the octopus skin is soft Turban shell It’s so bitter! Do you like turban shells? The sashimi includes sea bream, tuna, Spanish mackerel, squid, and Ise lobster Each one is fresh and truly good Ise lobster!!! It’s plump and sweet Delicious seafood and delicious sake. This is how to experience paradise in Japan We’re so happy to enjoy all this amazing seafood It’s so good that I’d come to this ryokan just for the meal The chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) is really hot Ouch! A simple chawanmushi with chicken and shiitake mushrooms It’s nice and warm >> Staff: The grill will be ready in about 3 minutes >> Staff: After that, you can grill it however you like >> Staff: It’s really good with a bit of wasabi too First, let’s add some margarine and let it melt A5 Matsusaka beef—some say it’s the most luxurious wagyu in Japan The smell and sizzle are irresistible Such beautiful meat Grill it with seasonal vegetables like shishito peppers and onions It melts in your mouth, so delicious I just had a great idea The abalone would be delicious if you ate it with margarine and sauce too As expected of Matsusaka beef. Next-level good It’s insanely tender, and the fat is just as tasty The table’s kamameshi (rice in a pot) is ready This is sea bream rice made with Ise-grown Koshihikari It’s piping hot The seasoning isn’t too strong, so it’s easy to eat The Ise lobster stew is also here Half a lobster?! That’s incredible The meat is packed in tightly I finished drinking the broth with the delicious flavor of the Ise lobster The dessert is homemade pudding It’s firmer than pudding—more like jelly That was such a satisfying seafood dinner. Thank you “Godzilla’s Appearance!” Every night at 8 PM, there’s a “Godzilla” screening in the lobby Watching the scene where Godzilla appears, with a free drink in hand (This scene where Godzilla first appears was filmed in Ijika Town.) If we watch Godzilla before bed, I might get too excited to fall asleep Waking up to the sound of birdsong in the morning☀️ Nice weather, so we came up to the rooftop terrace This spot is a paid private area, but it’s open for free in the morning and evening with a stunning view Whoa, there are so many hawks up there! Since there’s a feeding time coming up, they might be gathering for that The wild hawk feeding experience starts around 7:10 AM in front of the “Bell of Kizuna” on the 3rd floor We’ve fed stray cats and seagulls before, but this is our first time with hawks It’s a pretty rare experience >> Staff: They’re wild animals, so there’s a small chance they might make a mess. If that happens… >> Staff: Buy a lottery ticket. You’ll definitely hit the jackpot You can either throw the food one by one or place it for them to eat They get sashimi made from local fish. I kinda want some too Wow! They’re catching it! I’ve never seen so many hawks before It’s interesting It’s breakfast time We’re having the buffet in the same dining room as yesterday The breakfast is full of seafood Sashimi! Salt-grilled sea bream collar. So impressive It’s rare to see somen noodles Perfect for summer Ise lobster miso soup It’s made with the same Ise lobster from last night’s dinner We picked out our favorites The Ise udon was self-cooked, but I might not have boiled it long enough, haha I also grabbed some curry Of course, the seafood is delicious, and the other dishes are tasty too I came around 8 AM, and it wasn’t too crowded, so I could eat at a leisurely pace It’s just lightly seasoned, so you can really taste the fish itself And the view outside the window is breathtaking! I’ll go get some dessert later We relaxed in the room’s hot spring until check-out Now, we’re heading to another place This is Mikimoto Pearl Island, a 10-minute walk from Toba Station This is the island where the world’s first successful pearl cultivation took place The whole island is like a theme park You can learn about pearl history and watch ama divers perform My mom and I love pearls, so we always wanted to visit here at least once Now, let’s learn how pearls are made at the Pearl Museum Some oysters can produce pearls, and some can’t The main difference is whether the inside of the shell has a shiny, pearly layer That shine comes from a substance made by the mantle, the part near the outer edge of the body This is the natural process used in pearl farming We cut the mantle and trim just the clear part into tiny pieces, called “pieces.” But these alone won’t form a round pearl, since they only help create the shine So we also insert a small round bead called a “nucleus.” It’s made from a mussel shell from the Mississippi River Each one is shaped into a perfect sphere by hand Let’s take a look at the procedure We make a small opening in the oyster and first insert a piece of mantle After that, we add the “nucleus” so it fits snugly against the “piece.” The “piece“ is still alive and forms a sac around the nucleus It secretes nacre—the shiny substance in the shell As layers build up, a pearl forms The pearl’s size depends on the nucleus—bigger ones make bigger pearls Nowadays, we raise Akoya oysters from a young age By the time they’re about three years old, they’re ready for this procedure In the past, people couldn’t farm Akoya oysters because the technique didn’t exist Back then, ama divers collected wild Akoya oysters, brought them in, and returned them to the sea Without the work of ama, pearl farming wouldn’t have been possible At Mikimoto Pearl Island, a demonstration is held to honor the ama’s contributions They perform about six times a day 👏 The number of ama has drastically decreased, but more than half of the ama in Japan still live in the Shima region Some of them are even elderly and still active One theory says ama are women because their body fat helps them endure the cold sea It was a fun trip unique to Ise-Shima! Thank you for watching until the end See you next time

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💻Ijika Daiichi Hotel Kagura
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*This video was filmed with the hotel’s permission.

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🚃🚶‍♀️How to Get There
Free shuttle bus available from Toba Station (reservation required).
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/n3ts9Lvem7bKy6Rj9

💰 Price
“Mori to Umi to” Stay with Ise Lobster, Abalone, and Matsusaka Beef: 30,900 yen (214.97 USD / € 182.38) per person.
*Prices may vary depending on the season and room type.

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⌛️ Timestamps
0:00 Opening
0:44 Ekiben
1:31 Mijumaru Pokémon Liner
2:14 About Toba
3:00 Ijika Daiichi Hotel Kagura
5:31 Main building Japanese-Western room tour
11:21 East wing special room tour
12:06 Public onsen bath
14:51 Private onsen bath
15:46 Dinner
23:48 Godzilla screening
24:49 Morning view
25:55 Hawk feeding experience
29:07 Breakfast
29:47 Mikimoto Pearl Island

#ise #mie #japan #japantravel #asmr #cc_for_subtitle

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・Titles, descriptions, and subtitles are provided by automatic translation and may contain inaccuracies.
・The prices in the video are based on the exchange rate at the time of editing.
・Prices may vary with the season.
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