Wandering Through Gotemba: Bamboo Serenity and the Taste of Tradition
Hi everyone!
Today I’m heading to Gotemba in Shizuoka. Gotemba is a highland city located at the foot of Mt. Fuji. It’s cloudy today, so we can’t see Mt. Fuji, but on clear days, the view is amazing. I wasn’t planning to film a vlog today,
but the atmosphere was just so lovely, I had to share it. It’s a short video, but I hope you enjoy it. This is the entrance to Toraya Kobo. A traditional Japanese sweets shop surrounded by a beautiful garden and bamboo grove. “Toraya” is one of the most famous wagashi (Japanese sweets) brands in Japan. This area used to be a popular summer retreat, with many vacation homes built here. The sound of birdsong and the natural setting make it feel like a peaceful hideaway. Each wagashi here is carefully handmade by skilled artisans. There’s a nice variety of wagashi. I was planning to just buy something to take home, but after seeing how delicious everything looks, I couldn’t resist. Since the fu-manju isn’t available for takeout, I decided to have that one. It’s soft, moist, and has such a delicate flavor. The sweetness of the red bean paste is perfectly balanced by the green tea. The leaves are specially blended to pair well with the sweets. The garden is really spacious—about 18,500 square meters. I found a bakery nearby. Looks like it’s just ahead—let’s check it out. Being in the forest like this feels really peaceful. Such a charming place. It feels like something out of Howl’s Moving Castle! They’re very particular about their ingredients, too.100% domestic wheat, Mt. Fuji spring water, Shirakami Kodama yeast, and a lava stone oven. I bought a loaf of white bread and a rustic country-style bread.
I’ll have them for breakfast tomorrow. Now it’s time for lunch. Everything looked so good, but since it was a bit warm today, I went with the cold soba with grated yam (tororo soba). Looks delicious! The soba noodles look darker than usual. There’s a little quail egg on top of the tororo, too. When served cold, you can really taste the flavor of the soba. The tororo mixes perfectly with the dipping sauce. So good! Gotemba Premium Outlets
Just making a quick stop here. With around 290 stores, it’s one of the largest outlet malls in Japan. You’ll find everything from luxury brands to home goods and restaurants. I bought two pairs of Japanese denim at Levi’s—only ¥12,000 (around $77) for both! Such a good deal. I only stopped by briefly, so I couldn’t cover much of the outlet mall—sorry! That’s it for today’s video. Thanks so much for watching!
I spent just a few hours in Gotemba, but I discovered some wonderful places like a beautiful wagashi shop, a cozy bakery, and delicious soba.
Hope this video shares a bit of Gotemba’s charm with you.
1:32 Toraya Kobo (a handmade wagashi shop)
4:17 TOMARIGI(A charming little bakery in the woods)
5:17 Teuchi Soba Kintaro(A delicious soba noodle restaurant)
#japantravel #japanvlog #gotemba
AloJapan.com