Journeys in photographs and words.
EpisodesMatsuyama, Ehime

A TRAVEL ESSAY

Matsuyama, Ehime

Living in an Old House by the Seto Inland Sea

Shimanami Kaido:sea-bream riceand a salty breeze

A day on the Setouchi shore, eating my way through Ehime's specialties.

Film published 92 photos

Read the journey
Standing before the big SHIMANAMI letters, with the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge beyond
Standing before the big SHIMANAMI letters, with the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge beyondMATSUYAMA, EHIME

ABOUT THIS JOURNEY

I spent a day in an old house in Asanamihara, a fishing village in Ehime facing the Seto Inland Sea. I wrapped a mackerel sandwich made with Setouchi lemon in a bamboo sheath and ate breakfast on a beach a minute's walk from the inn. At a lookout over the Shimanami Kaido, I confirmed with my own eyes that mandarin juice really does come out of a tap. Chuka soba at a town eatery, Botchan dango in the tatami room, then jako-ten and wagyu on a charcoal grill by the sea. At night I compared two kinds of tai-meshi, sea-bream rice made two different ways in the same prefecture.

A little more about the food and the land

01TRAVEL JOURNAL

Morning in an old house by the sea

I woke up in a fishing village in Ehime, on the Seto Inland Sea. The house I had borrowed was an old one, stylishly renovated, with a white awning stretched under the eaves and fishing boats moored in the little harbor right in front.

For breakfast, I decided to use Setouchi lemon, a specialty of the region. First some oil in the pan and chopped garlic, fried until fragrant. Then a fillet of mackerel went in, skin side down, until it was nicely browned. Through the doorway at the end of the hall, the morning harbor was in view.

Watch this scene on YouTube0:22
The old house in the harbor town, with a white awning under the eaves
01The old house in the harbor town, with a white awning under the eaves
Fishing boats and a skiff moored in the little harbor
02Fishing boats and a skiff moored in the little harbor
Chopped garlic frying in oil in a pan
03Chopped garlic frying in oil in a pan
A mackerel fillet laid on the garlic oil
04A mackerel fillet laid on the garlic oil
The harbor seen through the doorway at the end of the hall
05The harbor seen through the doorway at the end of the hall
Turning the browned mackerel with chopsticks
06Turning the browned mackerel with chopsticks
At the kitchen counter with the frying pan
07At the kitchen counter with the frying pan

02TRAVEL JOURNAL

A mackerel sandwich with Setouchi lemon

Two slices of bread went into the toaster. I spread grainy mustard on one, piled on leafy greens and shredded onion, and drizzled on some sauce. I cut a Setouchi lemon in half, laid the hot mackerel on top, and closed the sandwich with the other slice.

Cut in two, it showed the mackerel in its cross-section. I set it on a bamboo sheath, folded it up, and tied it with string. Coffee from the coffee maker went into a white flask, and my Setouchi picnic set was ready.

Watch this scene on YouTube0:37
Two slices of bread toasting in the oven toaster
08Two slices of bread toasting in the oven toaster
Spreading grainy mustard on the toast
09Spreading grainy mustard on the toast
Drizzling sauce over leafy greens and shredded onion
10Drizzling sauce over leafy greens and shredded onion
Cutting a lemon in half on the board
11Cutting a lemon in half on the board
The grilled mackerel laid over the vegetables
12The grilled mackerel laid over the vegetables
Cutting the finished sandwich with a knife
13Cutting the finished sandwich with a knife
The mackerel sandwich on a bamboo sheath, cross-section showing
14The mackerel sandwich on a bamboo sheath, cross-section showing
Wrapping the sandwich in the bamboo sheath
15Wrapping the sandwich in the bamboo sheath
Tying the bundle with string
16Tying the bundle with string
A coffee maker and jars on the kitchen shelf
17A coffee maker and jars on the kitchen shelf
Pouring coffee into a white flask
18Pouring coffee into a white flask
A figure standing in the kitchen, the flask blurred in the foreground
19A figure standing in the kitchen, the flask blurred in the foreground

03TRAVEL JOURNAL

A beach a minute from the inn

I slid open the frosted-glass door and stepped out. Morning in Asanamihara, Ehime. Fishing boats floated in the harbor in front of the houses, and following the path along the seawall, I reached the beach a minute's walk from the inn.

A white skiff had been pulled up on the sand, and the calm waves of the Seto Inland Sea came and went around the tetrapods. I sat on the stone steps, opened the bamboo sheath, and bit into the sandwich. The sea breeze and the sound of the waves made the most comfortable background music. It felt almost like a private beach.

Watch this scene on YouTube1:05
Opening the frosted-glass door to go outside
20Opening the frosted-glass door to go outside
The harbor at Asanamihara, with houses and fishing boats
21The harbor at Asanamihara, with houses and fishing boats
Walking along the seawall toward the beach
22Walking along the seawall toward the beach
Walking on the beach with a tote bag
23Walking on the beach with a tote bag
A white skiff pulled up on the beach
24A white skiff pulled up on the beach
Gentle waves lapping at the tetrapods
25Gentle waves lapping at the tetrapods
The mackerel sandwich in my hands, cross-section showing
26The mackerel sandwich in my hands, cross-section showing
Sitting on the stone steps, looking out at the beach
27Sitting on the stone steps, looking out at the beach
The beach, the seawall and a small hill beyond the harbor
28The beach, the seawall and a small hill beyond the harbor
The tote bag by the stone embankment and the water's edge
29The tote bag by the stone embankment and the water's edge

04TRAVEL JOURNAL

The Shimanami Kaido, and juice from a tap

All right, let's go see the spectacular view of the Seto Inland Sea. I headed for Imabari, to the lookout at a service area above the Kurushima Strait. Up the stairs, the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge of the Shimanami Kaido, the road that links the beautiful islands, stretched white across the blue water.

"In Ehime, mandarin orange juice comes out of the faucet." I thought it was an urban legend, but I could confirm it with my own eyes. Turn the tap sticking out of a wall painted with an orange, and real orange-colored juice pours into the cup. I raised it to the sky and the sea and took a sip. Oishii vitamin C, tasty and fun.

I stood at the railing looking out at the bridge, and then in front of the big letters spelling out SHIMANAMI.

Watch this scene on YouTube1:58
The stairs and railing leading up to the lookout
30The stairs and railing leading up to the lookout
A figure at the edge of the lookout railing under a wide sky
31A figure at the edge of the lookout railing under a wide sky
A tap in a wall painted with an orange, filling a cup with juice
32A tap in a wall painted with an orange, filling a cup with juice
Mandarin juice collecting in the cup under the tap
33Mandarin juice collecting in the cup under the tap
Lifting the cup of juice beside the tap
34Lifting the cup of juice beside the tap
A cup of mandarin juice raised against the sky and the sea
35A cup of mandarin juice raised against the sky and the sea
Looking out at the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge from the railing
36Looking out at the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge from the railing
Standing in front of the big SHIMANAMI letters
37Standing in front of the big SHIMANAMI letters

05TRAVEL JOURNAL

Lunch at a homey eatery

For lunch I stopped at an eatery in Namikata on the way back, an old-style place whose sign also promises udon, soba and okonomiyaki. Plates were stacked in the kitchen, an old Sapporo Beer fridge and an electric fan stood inside, and menu boards lined the wall.

I ordered the set of chuka soba and fried rice: a clear broth with kamaboko and green onions, and straight, thin noodles. Having lunch like the locals, in a place that perfectly fits the phrase "neighborhood Chinese diner." It was tasty and relaxing.

Watch this scene on YouTube2:44
Lifting noodles from a bowl of chuka soba with kamaboko and green onions
38Lifting noodles from a bowl of chuka soba with kamaboko and green onions
The eatery's kitchen, stacked with plates and utensils
39The eatery's kitchen, stacked with plates and utensils
Inside the eatery, with a Sapporo Beer fridge and an electric fan
40Inside the eatery, with a Sapporo Beer fridge and an electric fan
Eating the chuka soba and fried rice set
41Eating the chuka soba and fried rice set
A close-up of the chuka soba in a red bowl
42A close-up of the chuka soba in a red bowl
A close-up of fried rice on a dragon-patterned plate
43A close-up of fried rice on a dragon-patterned plate
The eatery's interior, with menus and ornaments on display
44The eatery's interior, with menus and ornaments on display
The front of the eatery, with its Tenmaya Shokudo sign
45The front of the eatery, with its Tenmaya Shokudo sign

06TRAVEL JOURNAL

Home again

On the way home, a local bus turned at an intersection, and beyond the dry grass the fields ran out to the hills. A single yellow vending machine stood in front of a block wall by the sea.

Back at the old house: I'm home. Past the olive tree by the entrance and through the sliding door, the tatami room enclosed by shoji and glass doors and the glass lamps hanging from the beams were waiting.

Watch this scene on YouTube3:07
A local bus passing through an intersection
46A local bus passing through an intersection
Fields and hills seen past dry grass
47Fields and hills seen past dry grass
A yellow vending machine in front of a block wall by the sea
48A yellow vending machine in front of a block wall by the sea
Walking back to the tile-roofed old house
49Walking back to the tile-roofed old house
Heading to the entrance, past an olive tree
50Heading to the entrance, past an olive tree
Opening the sliding door at the entrance
51Opening the sliding door at the entrance
A close-up of stepping into the entrance beside a potted plant
52A close-up of stepping into the entrance beside a potted plant
Passing through the entrance door
53Passing through the entrance door
A tatami room enclosed by shoji and glass doors
54A tatami room enclosed by shoji and glass doors
Glass lamps hanging from the beams
55Glass lamps hanging from the beams

07TRAVEL JOURNAL

Tea time with Botchan dango

I brewed tea in a small pot and had tea time with Botchan dango, with a dish of mandarins on the side. Three colors on a skewer, green, yellow and brown: Ehime's famous confection, the one that appears in Natsume Soseki's novel.

One skewer at the low table in the tatami room, while outside the window the fishing boats rocked slowly in the harbor.

Watch this scene on YouTube3:32
Pouring tea from a pot beside dishes of mandarins and dango
56Pouring tea from a pot beside dishes of mandarins and dango
A close-up of three-colored Botchan dango on skewers
57A close-up of three-colored Botchan dango on skewers
Botchan dango on a plate
58Botchan dango on a plate
Eating dango at the table in the tatami room
59Eating dango at the table in the tatami room
Fishing boats in the harbor, seen through the window
60Fishing boats in the harbor, seen through the window

08TRAVEL JOURNAL

An old-house beer garden by the sea

In the evening I lit the charcoal in a small clay grill on the deck, to grill the jako-ten I had bought at Shimonada. I only meant to grill a little fish cake, but a stop at the supermarket turned it into a lavish barbecue. Whole prawns turned red on the grill while the jako-ten smoked. I also came across Ehime wagyu beef; let's call that a happy miscalculation.

Under the parasols on the deck, I had a drink with delicious Ehime specialties: an old-house beer garden by the sea. When the sun went down, lights came on in the windows of the old house. Ehime's specialties were not over yet.

Watch this scene on YouTube4:01
Whole prawns on the grill of a small clay stove
61Whole prawns on the grill of a small clay stove
Reaching with chopsticks to the grill by the window
62Reaching with chopsticks to the grill by the window
Prawns and jako-ten fish cakes smoking on the grill
63Prawns and jako-ten fish cakes smoking on the grill
Prawns, jako-ten and wagyu beef side by side on the grill
64Prawns, jako-ten and wagyu beef side by side on the grill
The wooden deck with parasols and tables
65The wooden deck with parasols and tables
The old house at night, its windows lit
66The old house at night, its windows lit

09TRAVEL JOURNAL

Instant tai-meshi, with its own little pot

What I had was a box of Hojo tai-meshi, a ready-to-eat version of the sea-bream rice of Hojo, in Matsuyama, where a whole bream is cooked with the rice. The box says it is made with soy sauce from a brewery in Hojo.

Inside were a pack of rice and a small ceramic pot: instant tai-meshi with its own little pot. They say you can enjoy the authentic taste just by heating it in the microwave. The box, printed with a picture of a kamado stove, was charming.

Watch this scene on YouTube5:07
Holding a box labeled Hojo tai-meshi
67Holding a box labeled Hojo tai-meshi
A pack of rice inside the box
68A pack of rice inside the box
Taking the pack of rice out of the box
69Taking the pack of rice out of the box
The description of Hojo tai-meshi printed inside the box
70The description of Hojo tai-meshi printed inside the box
The small ceramic pot taken from the box
71The small ceramic pot taken from the box
Taking the contents out of the opened box
72Taking the contents out of the opened box
The tai-meshi box printed with a kamado stove
73The tai-meshi box printed with a kamado stove

10TRAVEL JOURNAL

Tai-meshi, sashimi-bowl style

Ehime is the largest producer of sea bream in Japan, and they say tai-meshi differs depending on the region. First I rolled up some shiso leaves and sliced them thin. Into a black bowl of sauce went an egg yolk, mixed in, and then the sea bream sashimi to coat.

That went on top of rice, with the shiso and sesame scattered over. This is the sashimi-bowl type of tai-meshi, the style of Uwajima and the south of the prefecture. And I put another egg yolk on top.

Watch this scene on YouTube5:33
Rolling up shiso leaves by hand
74Rolling up shiso leaves by hand
Starting to slice the shiso with a knife
75Starting to slice the shiso with a knife
Shiso being sliced thin on the board
76Shiso being sliced thin on the board
Chopped shiso gathered at the heel of the knife
77Chopped shiso gathered at the heel of the knife
Gathering the chopped shiso together
78Gathering the chopped shiso together
A small heap of finely chopped shiso
79A small heap of finely chopped shiso
Dropping an egg yolk into a black bowl of sauce
80Dropping an egg yolk into a black bowl of sauce
Sea bream sashimi steeping in the sauce
81Sea bream sashimi steeping in the sauce
Arranging the sashimi on the rice with chopsticks
82Arranging the sashimi on the rice with chopsticks
Adding an egg yolk over the sesame-sprinkled sashimi
83Adding an egg yolk over the sesame-sprinkled sashimi

11TRAVEL JOURNAL

The pot-rice type, and a face-off

The other tai-meshi is cooked rice, like pilaf. The Hojo tai-meshi went into the microwave, little pot and all. When I lifted the lid, rice mixed with sea bream was steaming. I loosened and mixed it with a wooden paddle.

Now, both of them are staring at each other. The egg yolk ran glossy over the sashimi bowl, the sesame glistening. In Japan, there are many cultural differences between regions. Even tai-meshi from the same prefecture can be very different. We are all different, and all wonderful. In the tatami room at night, I closed out my day in Ehime.

Watch this scene on YouTube6:01
The little pot inside the microwave
84The little pot inside the microwave
Taking the heated pot out of the microwave
85Taking the heated pot out of the microwave
The lidded pot and the sashimi bowl, two tai-meshi side by side
86The lidded pot and the sashimi bowl, two tai-meshi side by side
A wooden paddle going into the tai-meshi in the pot
87A wooden paddle going into the tai-meshi in the pot
Mixing the pot of tai-meshi with the paddle
88Mixing the pot of tai-meshi with the paddle
An egg yolk dropped onto the sashimi-bowl tai-meshi
89An egg yolk dropped onto the sashimi-bowl tai-meshi
The sashimi bowl with the egg yolk melting over it
90The sashimi bowl with the egg yolk melting over it
A close-up of the sashimi-bowl tai-meshi with shiso
91A close-up of the sashimi-bowl tai-meshi with shiso
Having dinner in the tatami room at night
92Having dinner in the tatami room at night

THE JOURNEY IN FILM

The wind. The sounds of a kitchen.

Spend a little more time inside the journey, on film.

Watch the video7 min

THE BORROWER’S NOTES

The Borrower's Notes: Shimanami, Ehime

Places we stopped, dishes we made, and stories of the land. A few things to keep from the journey.

01Where I ate and shopped

  • Kurushima Kaikyo Service Area (mandarin juice from a tap)

    Kurushima Kaikyo Service Area (mandarin juice from a tap)

    Ohama-cho, Imabari, Ehime

    A service area at the Shikoku end of the Shimanami Kaido, overlooking the Kurushima Strait and its bridge. The shop has the famous mandarin juice tap: you buy a cup and pour your own. The big SHIMANAMI letters are a popular photo spot. The building was renovated in March 2024, so the interior may differ from what the video shows.

    Sources: jb-highway.co.jp shimanami-cycle.or.jp jb-honshi.co.jp driveplaza.com

  • Tenmaya Shokudo

    Tenmaya Shokudo

    760-1 Kobe-ko, Namikata-cho, Imabari, Ehime

    An old-fashioned neighborhood eatery in Namikata, Imabari, serving chuka soba, okonomiyaki, udon and soba. The chuka soba comes in a clear broth with kamaboko and green onions; I had it as a set with fried rice. Check the listings for current opening days and hours.

    Sources: tabelog.com hitosara.com

02What I cooked

  • Mackerel sandwich with Setouchi lemon

    Mackerel sandwich with Setouchi lemon

    Breakfast in a fishing village on the Seto Inland Sea, made with the region's Setouchi lemon and eaten on the beach in front of the inn. Wrapped in a bamboo sheath to go: a Setouchi picnic set.

    Ingredients2 slices of bread, A mackerel fillet, Garlic, chopped, Oil, Grainy mustard, Leafy greens and shredded onion, Sauce, Setouchi lemon

    1. Fry chopped garlic in oil, then grill the mackerel skin side down until browned
    2. Toast the bread and spread one slice with grainy mustard
    3. Pile on the greens and onion, add sauce, and cut the lemon
    4. Lay the mackerel on top, close the sandwich and cut it in half
    5. Wrap in a bamboo sheath and tie with string
  • Jako-ten, prawns and Ehime wagyu on a charcoal grill

    Jako-ten, prawns and Ehime wagyu on a charcoal grill

    Jako-ten is a deep-fried fish-paste cake from the Nanyo region of southern Ehime. It is said to date back to 1615, when Date Hidemune, the first lord of the Uwajima domain, invited kamaboko makers from Sendai. The name comes either from the small bottom-trawl fish (zako) it was made from, or from the hotaru-jako fish used as its base. It is eaten fresh from the fryer, plain or with grated daikon and ginger.

    IngredientsJako-ten fish cakes (bought at Shimonada), Whole prawns, Ehime wagyu beef

    1. Light charcoal in a small clay grill on the deck and set the grate on top
    2. Lay out the prawns and jako-ten and grill until browned
    3. Add the wagyu to the grate and grill

    Sources: maff.go.jp

  • Tai-meshi, sashimi-bowl style

    Tai-meshi, sashimi-bowl style

    Ehime has two kinds of tai-meshi. In Toyo, around Imabari, a whole sea bream is cooked with the rice. In Nanyo, around Uwajima and Seiyo, raw slices are steeped in a sauce of soy sauce, mirin, egg, sesame and dashi and poured over hot rice. The Nanyo style is said to have begun as a meal fishermen ate on boats where they could not light a fire. This is the one I made, with two egg yolks.

    IngredientsSea bream sashimi, Soy-based sauce, 2 egg yolks, Shiso leaves, Sesame seeds, Cooked rice

    1. Roll up the shiso leaves and slice them thin
    2. Drop an egg yolk into the sauce, mix, and coat the sashimi in it
    3. Lay the sashimi over the rice and scatter the shiso and sesame
    4. Top with the second egg yolk

    Sources: maff.go.jp

  • Tai-meshi, pot-rice style (Hojo tai-meshi)

    Tai-meshi, pot-rice style (Hojo tai-meshi)

    Hojo tai-meshi is the regional dish of Hojo, in Matsuyama: a whole sea bream cooked with the rice, with nothing but bream and kelp dashi, no burdock, carrot or fried tofu. Legend says that when Empress Jingu's ship stopped at Kashima, the fishermen of Kazahaya offered her sea bream, which she had cooked on top of rice and praised for its taste.

    IngredientsReady-to-eat Hojo tai-meshi (a pack of rice with a small ceramic pot)

    1. Take the pack of rice and the little pot out of the box
    2. Put the rice in the pot, cover, and heat in the microwave
    3. Remove the lid, loosen the rice with a paddle and mix

    Sources: hojo-kazahaya.jp maff.go.jp

03About the area

  • The Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge and the Shimanami Kaido

    The Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge and the Shimanami Kaido

    The Shimanami Kaido (Nishiseto Expressway) is a roughly 60-kilometer motorway that threads through the islands of the Geiyo archipelago, linking Onomichi in Hiroshima with Imabari in Ehime. At its Shikoku end, the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, three suspension bridges in a row with a total length of 4,105 meters, opened on May 1, 1999 as the world's first triple suspension bridge. The Kurushima Strait below is counted among Japan's three fastest tidal currents.

    Sources: mlit.go.jp city.imabari.ehime.jp

  • Ehime sea bream

    Ehime sea bream

    Ehime has led Japan in farmed sea bream production for 33 consecutive years, according to the prefecture's 2024 fisheries statistics. In 2022 it produced 38,604 tons, 57 percent of the national total. The Nanyo region on the Uwa Sea is the main producer, while wild bream from the fast currents of the Kurushima Strait are known for their firm flesh.

    Sources: jetro.go.jp maff.go.jp

  • Hojo tai-meshi (ready-to-eat, with a little pot)

    Hojo tai-meshi (ready-to-eat, with a little pot)

    A boxed, ready-to-eat version of Hojo tai-meshi, the regional dish of Hojo in Matsuyama. It comes with a pack of rice and a small ceramic pot, and is ready after a spell in the microwave. The box notes that it uses soy sauce from a brewery in Hojo, and is printed with a kamado stove and the mark of Hojo, "the town of Kashima island."

    Sources: hojo-kazahaya.jp

  • Botchan dango

    Botchan dango

    A Matsuyama confection: balls of soft gyuhi mochi coated in three colors of bean paste (matcha, egg and adzuki), three to a skewer. In Natsume Soseki's novel Botchan, the hero eats dango on his way back from Dogo Onsen; the yuzarashi dango of a Dogo shop said to be the model is the origin of the sweet. After the novel made it famous, the shop's second-generation owner is said to have created the present three-color form.

    Sources: macaro-ni.jp

  • The beach and harbor at Asanamihara

    The beach and harbor at Asanamihara

    A seaside village in the Asanami area of former Hojo City, at the northern tip of Matsuyama. Asanami village merged into Hojo town in 1955, and Hojo City became part of Matsuyama in 2005. Fishing boats moor in front of the houses, and a path along the seawall leads to a small sandy beach sheltered by tetrapods.

    Sources: kotobank.jp

  • An old house by the sea

    An old house by the sea

    This time I borrowed a stylishly renovated old house right by the harbor, with a tatami room enclosed by shoji and glass doors, glass lamps hanging from the beams, and a wooden deck with parasols and tables. The beach is a minute's walk away.

See notes from other journeys

PHOTO ALBUMPhoto album92Open all photographsClose the photo album

Select a photograph to explore the journey one frame at a time.

01Morning in an old house by the sea

The old house in the harbor town, with a white awning under the eaves01Fishing boats and a skiff moored in the little harbor02Chopped garlic frying in oil in a pan03A mackerel fillet laid on the garlic oil04The harbor seen through the doorway at the end of the hall05Turning the browned mackerel with chopsticks06At the kitchen counter with the frying pan07

02A mackerel sandwich with Setouchi lemon

Two slices of bread toasting in the oven toaster08Spreading grainy mustard on the toast09Drizzling sauce over leafy greens and shredded onion10Cutting a lemon in half on the board11The grilled mackerel laid over the vegetables12Cutting the finished sandwich with a knife13The mackerel sandwich on a bamboo sheath, cross-section showing14Wrapping the sandwich in the bamboo sheath15Tying the bundle with string16A coffee maker and jars on the kitchen shelf17Pouring coffee into a white flask18A figure standing in the kitchen, the flask blurred in the foreground19

03A beach a minute from the inn

Opening the frosted-glass door to go outside20The harbor at Asanamihara, with houses and fishing boats21Walking along the seawall toward the beach22Walking on the beach with a tote bag23A white skiff pulled up on the beach24Gentle waves lapping at the tetrapods25The mackerel sandwich in my hands, cross-section showing26Sitting on the stone steps, looking out at the beach27The beach, the seawall and a small hill beyond the harbor28The tote bag by the stone embankment and the water's edge29

04The Shimanami Kaido, and juice from a tap

The stairs and railing leading up to the lookout30A figure at the edge of the lookout railing under a wide sky31A tap in a wall painted with an orange, filling a cup with juice32Mandarin juice collecting in the cup under the tap33Lifting the cup of juice beside the tap34A cup of mandarin juice raised against the sky and the sea35Looking out at the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge from the railing36Standing in front of the big SHIMANAMI letters37

05Lunch at a homey eatery

Lifting noodles from a bowl of chuka soba with kamaboko and green onions38The eatery's kitchen, stacked with plates and utensils39Inside the eatery, with a Sapporo Beer fridge and an electric fan40Eating the chuka soba and fried rice set41A close-up of the chuka soba in a red bowl42A close-up of fried rice on a dragon-patterned plate43The eatery's interior, with menus and ornaments on display44The front of the eatery, with its Tenmaya Shokudo sign45

06Home again

A local bus passing through an intersection46Fields and hills seen past dry grass47A yellow vending machine in front of a block wall by the sea48Walking back to the tile-roofed old house49Heading to the entrance, past an olive tree50Opening the sliding door at the entrance51A close-up of stepping into the entrance beside a potted plant52Passing through the entrance door53A tatami room enclosed by shoji and glass doors54Glass lamps hanging from the beams55

07Tea time with Botchan dango

Pouring tea from a pot beside dishes of mandarins and dango56A close-up of three-colored Botchan dango on skewers57Botchan dango on a plate58Eating dango at the table in the tatami room59Fishing boats in the harbor, seen through the window60

08An old-house beer garden by the sea

Whole prawns on the grill of a small clay stove61Reaching with chopsticks to the grill by the window62Prawns and jako-ten fish cakes smoking on the grill63Prawns, jako-ten and wagyu beef side by side on the grill64The wooden deck with parasols and tables65The old house at night, its windows lit66

09Instant tai-meshi, with its own little pot

Holding a box labeled Hojo tai-meshi67A pack of rice inside the box68Taking the pack of rice out of the box69The description of Hojo tai-meshi printed inside the box70The small ceramic pot taken from the box71Taking the contents out of the opened box72The tai-meshi box printed with a kamado stove73

10Tai-meshi, sashimi-bowl style

Rolling up shiso leaves by hand74Starting to slice the shiso with a knife75Shiso being sliced thin on the board76Chopped shiso gathered at the heel of the knife77Gathering the chopped shiso together78A small heap of finely chopped shiso79Dropping an egg yolk into a black bowl of sauce80Sea bream sashimi steeping in the sauce81Arranging the sashimi on the rice with chopsticks82Adding an egg yolk over the sesame-sprinkled sashimi83

11The pot-rice type, and a face-off

The little pot inside the microwave84Taking the heated pot out of the microwave85The lidded pot and the sashimi bowl, two tai-meshi side by side86A wooden paddle going into the tai-meshi in the pot87Mixing the pot of tai-meshi with the paddle88An egg yolk dropped onto the sashimi-bowl tai-meshi89The sashimi bowl with the egg yolk melting over it90A close-up of the sashimi-bowl tai-meshi with shiso91Having dinner in the tatami room at night92

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