No Tourist Visits Here – Undiscovered Treasures !- Japan Road Trip 18 🎌

No Tourist Visits Here – Undiscovered Treasures !- Japan Road Trip 18 🎌

So good morning everybody. We are with Max. Where are we going today Max? Today? Yeah. We going to go Yamagata Prefecture. Okay. Okay. So you better check that forest over this small forest you know green that is rain. So is it maybe Yeah, you surprise. So beautiful today. Uh Shibata people didn’t know. So I’m finding this forest. Yeah. Go go go straight and slow down. Mhm. And turn left. Okay. So you can see the to nobody there. Nobody knows about this, right? It’s a secret point. So, you better park. So, behind that building. Yeah. Let’s see if we can find a shade spot. A shady spot. Oh, look. Yeah, you better. My secret spot. Okay. So, we discovered a secret shrine. Yeah, it’s Otomo Inari. Otomo Inari. Inari mean uh like uh they decorate of a fox goat. The fox go and inar mean we had many different kind of shing but in mean uh uh they you know uh showing that like a fox ah see many and nobody nobody knows about this place right yeah it’s beautiful right right yeah I’m going to take picture yeah I get the shelter in oh this is beautiful max Right. Yeah. That’s my recommendation. How many to gates do you know? I don’t know. I didn’t count. No. And this is Look. Yeah. See the fox? Yeah. And there in the center there’s some stone tory gates. This is a very secret spot. Wow. So each name is a donation people each. Ah yeah. So when you make a donation, you get a toy. If I’m big money, I’m donate, right? And you have maybe your name, your family name. And down here, there’s some real old old Look at this one here. Look at this one. Right. It’s a really old toy game. Very historical. And then and small donate. So these are small shrines they’re donating. That’s right. Look at this guys. Look these very small shrines people have donated. It’s a beautiful forest setting. This is a stone tory gate. Where are you? And look, so it’s the fox shrine. And look at these each of the small shrines here. So if I come forward, you can see maybe representing the families. The little fox and these two here have sticks in their mouth. And these two on the left have balls in their mouth. Can you see that? So this meaning the like a paper crown we call cran origami origami to make this many people and and here they fox fox thousands and thousands of fox small fox meaning like a uh spiritual animal the culture of Japan You better check inside. We have to play. [Music] Look at this. So again, there are fox masks. You see fox masks and their lanterns hanging from the roof. It’s beautiful. And it’s lit up. And there are more donations. You can make donations for to set a candle. So there goes Max and see how this tree has lifted the stone way. Okay, you get to choose. Oh, this way is closed. Yeah, but in a way it’s kind of symbolic, isn’t it? Which path do you choose? Max is filming me. I’m filming Max. We’re the most filmed shrine people. How pretty is this? Now there is a famous Tory gate. There’s another one uh Kyoto area. It’s a Hushimi. Yeah. And this one is a very local uh Shane Fox uh Shane Temple. But I’m really recommend. We’re not telling you. We’re not telling you where it is. We can’t tell you where it is. You can probably Google it. And look when you come out to the rice fields. How beautiful is that? Michelle, give me a wave. Okay. Beautiful. Right. Right. That’s why I’m just sabing you. Oh, that is very important. Very important. We have to bowl. We have the ball. The ball. Thank you. Ah, nice. Nice. This little Tori here. Yeah. This is the meaning inaro. Omo. Yeah. Inari. Yeah. Big friends. Uh, fox sh temple meaning, right? And do you think this is maybe the family that look after the shrine or I guess so? It’s a like a uh how can I say it’s a souvenir shop. They had the omiki like a drinking sake. Okay. Yeah. Like a donate in this shine, right? Yeah. But uh now it’s not open. So beautiful. Right. That was the fox’s shrine. Mhm. Fox shrine inari in ginger. So many in ginger all over the Japan but in mean like a fox shrine. So it’s a foxes of a more quite a popular shrine for for Japan. Yeah. I think uh that animal is a little bit lucky. Yeah. Spiritual animal. Okay. Uh of Japanese culture, right? Yeah. So this is Max’s motorbike road. Yeah, that’s right. That’s right. Favorite road. Yeah. No signals, no traffic. Lovely. Look at the chicanees. Way the chicanees. And we can lean, we can lean into the chicanees. Yeah, it’s a little bit up and down and some car and green and many rice harvest. Sometime come into the wild monkey. Yeah. It’s perfect for motorbikes, right? Yeah. Yeah. This road is not so far from my home. No 15inut ride. So you can come out here and ride into the hills. Many time riding motorcycle green up and down. It’s a nice cross. So beautiful. People that ride motorbikes will understand I think why it’s a beautiful road for for driving. Maybe even a sports car. But really you have to be respectful of the locals also. There’s another little shrine here. A little roadside shrine. Wow, look at this. I did try. This is only 15 minutes from your your home town, right? My secret road. Yeah, it’s very nice. Old green. So, we can’t film this road, unfortunately, cuz nobody nobody’s allowed to know. I won’t put the GPS signal up for this road. The harvest uh grapes. Yeah, grape and pear and apple. Oh, monkey. Oh, why the monkey there? See, see, see. Hello, monkeys. Michelle, you got your monkey family. Monkey family. Oh, you guys so lucky. Hello, monkeys. Yeah, lucky. Big red faces. Yeah. And this area is a monkeys territory. Cool. That’s the second time we’ve seen monkeys now. Yeah. It’s uh it’s really nice to see. But that was a more beautiful cuz we were very close. You have to turn green light. Okay. Apple tree. Yeah. Have a car. It’s so busy, huh? Yeah. It’s crazy this road. It’s so many vehicles. Hello. You can see the skiing area over there. Oh, that’s a ski run. Yeah, over there. But I see it. Yeah, you can see the sign. Thai ski area. So you can see ahead of us here. These are the ski slopes. Yeah. In the winter time. And there’s one behind this building also. Yeah, actually. So winter time, many car parking here. They’re playing ski. Imagine they don’t have ski lifts. No. Maybe they have in time. They had a ski lift in the another area, right? Yeah. this area, I think. I don’t know. Okay, so that’s a little ski area, but this whole area is famous for skiing. Look at all these uh barn almost Dutch shaped barns. There’s a little roadside shrine for good luck, for traveling. Yeah. Uh maybe We’re just saying how spectacular this scenery is and the green colors. Max was just saying there’s the shades of green when you come across a brow of a hill. It’s almost uh would be very interesting to paint here if you were a good artist. We got it on the giveaways that side. Yeah. I bet this water is cold. Yeah. Sometime many fisherman are here. Yeah. Uh catching uh like a little bit particular uh like fresh water. Well, there’s one here we call au. Au is Yeah. It’s a very tasty fish. So one here. Yeah. So do you fish in the river or in the sea? Yeah, sometime. Both. Both. Both. But uh my main you know hunting point is a sea right and just take a a little I want to see is he fishing or working oh fishing fishing net I think I think he got the permission of catching fish hope so otherwise we’ll be showing him on YouTube and he’ll be arrested by the police but he he’s shamed to watch some. Wow. Through it. He had good technique. Yeah. He’s trying to catch au freshwater fish. It’s a very particular fish in Japan. But uh uh all Japanese people love it. The freshwater fish. Okay. Yeah. He’s doing Okay. So, we just saw the guy fishing for the AO. Are you I number one uh freshwater fish. It’s I not like a salmon fish. No, it’s not salmon. It’s a tiny one like like this size. Okay. Yeah. Nice little bridge. Yeah. Beautiful color. Now this guy is got the big rod. Oh yeah. the he’s try to catching IU. So he have to pay for the permission permit fishing permit. Yeah. It’s a daytime game. Yeah. Have to. Okay. So soon we’re about to join the 113. Yeah, that’s right. Oh, this road. This is right side. Right side. Okay. Look at the cedar trees. Okay. P left. Connecting. Connecting. Yeah. Watch carefully. It’s a main route to Nigata to Yamagata. Okay. Now, there’s another secret bridge. Only local people or some special people know. Shibata people doesn’t know this spot and I’m really recommend autumn time the colored leaves. Wow. So beautiful. So beautiful. So maybe in 3 months or 4 months time. Yeah. October, November. Mhm. You imagine the autumn leaves and then you got just a short time before the big snow comes. Yeah. Go. So, you can park uh left side. Yeah. Slow down. Yeah. Go. Okay. So, we’re at the Bandai Rational Park and here Max is recommending a suspension bridge. Now, I haven’t even locked the car. Look at this thing. You see, they spin these cables. This is the suspension bridge. And these these individual cables get spun and then the tensioning is on here. So, they tension the cables to hold the suspension bridge up. I’m fascinated by this because we worked as a company. I worked with the building of a suspension bridge at one time and I was lucky enough to see the spinning Wow, look at this. Beautiful. Hello. How are you? Hello. Hello. It’s beautiful day, huh? So you can feel the bridge moving. So that is a hotel. A hotel over there. Hotel with onen. Rioen. Ah. They’re quite expensive, right? Yeah. Really expensive. Really expensive, huh? But nice view. Wow. Can you feel I’m going to take picture. That’s nice. That’s nice movie. We’re done. It’s beautiful. So, look at this bridge. Not popular in Japan. Just a few spot. Yeah. But I like this bridge. But please come again autumn time. So beautiful. Imagine many colorful, you know. And there on red and all. There’s a climbing spot up there. Look. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Nice viewing over there. I don’t want to try to climb. We We’ll do it. We’ll do it, but not on camera. Okay. So, Max and I have decided we we’re going to climb up there. Yes. No. No way. No, but not not on camera. Okay. Okay. So, we go we go up there quickly, but we’re not filming because filming is hard work, right? Yeah, I know that. And we we’ll we’ll come down and let you know how it is. I think it’ll be beautiful. Yeah. 5 minutes maybe. And everywhere in Japan, there’s a vending machine. Coca-Cola. No sponsor. Okay. Little bit slow down. Turn right. Yeah, that that that sign blue sign. Left right. Sorry. Okay. Motorcyclist sacred place. Motorcyclist come and My biker friend. Oh, biker friend. Oh, nice to meet you. It’s okay. Come say hello. and right hand and uh okay then right hand like that like this and like that. Yes. Two balls lish one. Thank you. Max is Max’s original sticker. Okay. Many famous person visiting here. Ruth Watar 66. We drove on this katana, but it’s it’s a fake. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Don’t shaving. Shaving. Shaving. Come on. H It’s a ste. And uh nice to meet you. And you make YouTube also, right? It’s nice. It’s nice. Yeah. Okay. So, look at this place. We’ve come with Max. It’s beautiful. Look, Max is sat here. Michelle is over here. And we are all cross-legged at the table. Sat cross-legged at this beautiful little table. And this is a silver shop. And it’s a beautiful shop. It’s very pretty. And this is kind of appetizer. Oh, thank you. What is this? H this beans like appetizer. Appetizer. You should try it. mouse. We say eat a dog and mouse. Yeah. Is it edamami bean? Yeah. It’s soy beans. Oh, good. Flavor. Nice flavor. Oh, beautiful. Take picture. Nice tempura and soba. And this is like a dipping sauce. You have to dip into. So look at the beautiful tempura. Yeah, that’s right. So noodles. So this is a little dipping sauce, right? Yeah. Like here. And this is you like leak. Okay. And wasabi wasabi. Wasabi and the ginger. and shredded daon radish and ginger on top. And this is daon da daon radish tuan. Tuan. It’s very beautiful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It’s funny, isn’t it? Because it’s good. M nice. Okay, one more. This is seven different uh hot pepper we call steimi. Okay. So, the soba is cold or or hot? Um I recommend cold one. Yeah, because uh uh so uh so I love hot one in the winter time. Let me try this sober because I want to um So usually uh Japanese people make noise but yeah they it’s not bad manner in Japanese culture. No in our culture it is bad manner. So it’s very hard for people to really you know what even just this soba is so delicious just neat matching of the summer time. Yeah is nice. Nice. Oishi wishes. Very good. So this is a temporous shrimp here. How beautiful is that batter? Look at the mushrooms. Okay. Yeah. Ah. It’s a mushroom. Mushroom. Black mushroom. We call shiakei mushroom. Look. Black mushroom. Black mushroom. Shiakei mushroom in tempura batter. So this making like a crunchy texture out of tempura like a template. They mean delicious. Huh? Really is. Gas. So, what do you do with the spices? Does it go on the on the tempur or on the noodles? You should try James here. Oh, I I like it. There’s no Yeah. Yeah. Try mine depend. No, wait a ste seven different like seasoning include everything. So would where would you put that? I’ll put it on the noodles. H not too much. Not too much. Why? Yeah, depend on situation. If you like a more spicy one. Yeah, I like spicy. Uh, it’s going to be gone in a minute because it’ll go in the a lot will go inside the sauce. So, so with spice seven spices. Yeah. Steamy. [Music] Oh, I’m in heaven. Right. So, this one is we called soayu. It’s a a bucket noodle boiled water. And what’s it for? So after eating soba Mhm. still had a sauce just mixing. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So usually good soba shop always having this one called soba. So boiled hot water. Okay. So, buckwheat sober noodles. They’re cold, but they’re delicious. It’s now I’m a little confused. Do I like ramen or or soba? Both I like. Yeah, I think this shop had a high quality toleration and good combination with canula and so yeah is that a pumpkin pumpkin? Yeah, fried sweet pumpkin. So, this video episode is a a day trip with Max. Thank you. Thank you. And try to mix. Okay, I’ll try this like this. So, this is just Yeah. Wow. It’s It tastes like uma. [Music] So, that’s a buckwheat. Mhm. That’s very nice. So shop had uh like different color. So one of this one is a kind of like a white side but using like kind of like a shell of a uh bid uh seed. Yeah. Including you know making flour and then making soba getting black one. This one is a white one. Yeah. like kind of like using ka over like a bat seed. It’s very nice. Thank you, Max, for instance. It’s nice to to try so and have it explode. You know how to eat it because we probably would eat, you know. Mhm. We always make mistakes. Thank you. All we need is a place to be and a few good friends for some company. If you’d like to stay, you don’t have to leave. We’ll leave the lights on and the door unlocked. If you drop on by, you don’t have to knock. We’re happy to share whatever we’ve got. [Music]

Join Michele and I with Max on a hidden adventure through Yamagata Prefecture! 🌿
From a secret fox shrine tucked away in the forest, to scenic motorbike roads, cheeky wild monkeys, and a breathtaking suspension bridge — this day is full of surprises.
We wrap it all up with the perfect combo: crispy tempura and refreshing cold soba. Simple joys, good food, and great company — the essence of Japan’s countryside.

Check out Max’s Channel Here @maxrecipebox and Say Hi to Max from Steve 🎌 👍

00:00 Morning with Max – heading to Yamagata
01:13 Secret fox shrine discovery
08:27 Max’s motorbike road & rice fields
10:41 Wild monkey encounter1
5:50 Hidden suspension bridge at Bandai Park
22:13 Soba & tempura feast
27:21 The tradition of sobayu
29:46 Reflections & friendship

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