Latest news with #MasanukiSunakoma
SoraNews24
a day ago
- General
- SoraNews24
Trying to keep our cool with Amazon Japan's lowest-rated fan and lucky amulet set
The lucky amulet will ensure luck in online shopping, starting after this purchase. Summer is just around the corner and keeping cool isn't just a good idea, it's a matter of staying healthy in these ever-increasing temperatures, so our writer Masanuki Sunakoma set out to invest in a new fan. This was also another chance to test the waters of the items sold on Amazon Japan with the lowest ratings around. This is usually destined for failure, but when you think about it, fan technology has never been better. Fans sold at the 100-yen store or as toys have significant air output, so even the lowliest of fans sold online should do a decent job of providing a cool breeze for Masanuki. As a general rule, low-rated items on Amazon have names that run up to 20 words for shameless search engine optimization, and this fan — called the 'Tabletop Mist Fan: Functional Fan with 3 Functions: Humidification, Ventilation, and Cooling. Comes with an Original Amulet Card to Ensure You Don't Fail when Shopping Online (Black)' — was no exception. That all sounded good, and the addition of a Japanese lucky amulet known as an 'omamori' really helped to set it apart from other fans. On the other hand, it had a unanimous one-star rating, the lowest possible, along with comments complaining about weak wind, not turning on, and possibly being made on a 3-D printer. Even the lucky amulet couldn't escape the scathing reviews, with one calling it 'pointless.' Reviews have been wrong in the past though, so Masanuki went ahead and placed an order for this fan and lucky amulet, which was priced at 1,980 yen (US$14). It arrived a few days later and included the fan, charging cable, instruction manual, and lucky amulet card. Normally omamori are made of fabric, but this was just a small postcard that read 'Omamori so You Don't Fail at Online Shopping.' Also unlike other omamori, this had a set of rules on the back as follows: 1) The benefits only work for the next three purchases after receiving this card. 2) Write your name in black ink in the space below. 3) Wear this while shopping online. 4) After your third purchase, be sure to dispose of this as 'burnable trash.' 5) This only works with online shopping and not shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. 6) This is merely an 'omamori' and there is no guarantee of its effectiveness. Masanuki wasn't sure how he should 'wear' his paper card and there was a bit of grim foreshadowing in the fact that the lucky amulet to prevent failing at online shopping doesn't claim to work on this purchase. Considering his past shopping record, he was looking forward to really putting this amulet to the test for his next three questionable purchases, but today's challenge was the fan. Looking at the main unit, as some of the reviews said, it did look rather shoddily made for its price. But a fan was only as good as its wind, so it was time to take it for a spin. He decided on a dry run first, without putting any mist-generating water in the tank. The fan has three settings which he visualized with the help of a tissue. ▼ Setting 1: Sleep-Friendly Gentle Wind ▼ Setting 2: Comfortably Natural Wind ▼ Setting 3: Powerful Wind We assure you those animated gifs are not a mistake and all three power settings had the same effect on the tissue, which is to say almost none. Despite the evocative names for each of the settings, none of them could make the tissue move more than a few millimeters. It was almost impressive how the fan blades seemed to defy physics by moving faster without generating any additional wind. On the bright side, the misting function did work and generated a cool fog at three different strengths properly. It also had some lights built-in to make the water tank glow different colors, which was nice. Unfortunately, it was too bright out to show the full effect of the lights. Those aspects made Masanuki rate this fan two stars out of five. That being said, few online shoppers have seen the horrors he has, so he tends to be more forgiving to pieces of junk. At the end of the day, a fan that doesn't blow simply blows and no one should buy this item unless for the lucky amulet card. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
What's the best way to spend 1,000 yen at Japan's Mos Burger?【Japan Super Budget Dining】
Japan's favorite domestic hamburger chain is known for higher quality than other fast food burger joints, but higher prices too, so our team searches for the optimum 1,000-yen Mos Burger meal. Welcome back to another episode of Japan Super Budget Dining, where each of our reporters has 1,000 yen (US$6.90) and a dream, a dream of a delicious meal they can put together at one of Japan's favorite restaurant chains within that budget. When last we saw them, our team had just finished up their visit to Matsuya, one of Japan's big-three gyudon/beef bowl chains. Beef is back on the menu today, as they get set to hit up Mos Burger, Japan's favorite domestic hamburger chain, but as we'll see, Mos has plenty of other great meaty meals and sweet treats to tempt us with. ▼ Masanuki Sunakoma's Luxurious Morning Set (980 yen) ● Morning Vegetable Cheeseburger (drink combo) (580 yen) ● Onion rings and French fries (330 yen) ● Barbecue sauce (40 yen) ● Mustard sauce (40 yen) 1,000 yen is a surprisingly tough budget for Mos Burger, but I could still put together a satisfying meal by utilizing their morning menu. Just like the name says, the Morning Vegetable Cheeseburger is stuffed with vegetables, and it's really filling too. Since I still had some extra room in the budget I added two different kinds of dipping sauce, to help draw out the maximum potential of the fries and onion rings. ▼ Yuichiro Wasai's Trio of Talent (990 yen) ● Chicken Burger (390 yen) ● Cheeseburger (280 yen) ● Mos Chicken fried chicken (320 yen) Some of Mos Burger's deluxe sandwiches cost close to 1,000 yen these days, but I don't think they really have the impact of a genuine gourmet burger. But on the other hand, the quality you get for the cost of their less expensive burgers is really outstanding. I still catch myself thinking 'Whoa, they're this good, even at those prices?' So if you ask me, the best way to use 1,000 yen is to load up on tasty lower-priced items like these. ▼ Takashi Harada's Fully Charged with Deliciousness from First Thing in the Morning Set (1,000 yen) ● Morning Vegetable Burger (drink combo) (540 yen) ● Teriyaki Burger (460 yen) If you're looking to get the biggest return on investment at Mos, you've gotta go for the morning sets. The Teriyaki Burger is a great choice at any hour of the day, though, so I can't leave that out either. Putting my two choices together works out to exactly 1,000 yen, and gets you the full charge of refreshing veggies and rich teriyaki first thing in the morning! ▼ Seiji Nakazawa's Macho Tower Burger Set (980 yen) ● 2 Double Cheeseburgers (880 yen) ● Jalapeno cup side order (100 yen) Right now Mos Burger has a special dinnertime-only hamburger with three patties, but I've created something beyond even that. Dock one double cheeseburger inside another, and you've got four layers of beef! Stuff in the jalapenos, then bite into a meaty mouthful with a spicy kick. With Mos using a milder cheese than other burger chains do, the heat of the jalapenos really comes through. ▼ Takamichi Furusawa's Family Set (990 yen) ● Mos Burger (470 yen) ● Mos Chicken (320 yen) ● Pepsi (small size) (200 yen) When I was growing up, my family would often swing by the Mos drive-through on the way home from a day out, and this is the meal I've been eating ever since I was a kid. My parents, my sister, and I would order this almost every time, and I've got a lot of happy memories of giving into temptation and chowing down right there in the car instead of waiting until we got home. There's just something special about the standard Mos Burger and Mos Chicken, so even now, this is my go-to order, and it always makes me remember those family moments. ▼ Mr. Sato's All You Need is Chicken and a Shake Set (1,000 yen) ● 2 pieces of Mos Chicken (640 yen) ● Vanilla Mos Shake (medium size) (360 yen) The place might be called 'Mos Burger,' but make no mistake, it's a legitimate chicken chain too. And when it comes to choosing a drink, the best choice is a shake. The idea of ordering anything else instead is, frankly, ludicrous. Chicken and a shake are all you need…Okay, actually I would like a burger too, but that's not in the budget. ▼ Mariko Ohanabatake's Mos Burger's Shakes and Onion Rings are Unbeatable Set (980 yen) ● Chicken Burger (390 yen) ● Onion Ring and French Fry Drink Set with Amaou strawberry shake upgrade (540 yen) Out of all the hamburger chains, Mos has the best shakes. Drawing from my fierce desire not just to eat a burger, onion rings, and French fries, but to drink a shake too, I assembled this set. Aside from their standard flavors, Mos has special seasonal shakes, with a vanilla base that has a touch of iciness to it and a generous amount of fruit sauce on top that you stir as you drink. I recommend only giving the Amaou strawberry one a quick stir or two, so that you get surprising tart bursts from the sauce and strawberry bits. And even if the chicken burger is the cheapest burger on the Mos menu, the breading is crisp, the shredded cabbage sweetly fresh, and the tartar sauce just about perfect. The onion rings and fries are delicious too, but you could already guess that, right? ▼ Yoshio's Addiction Set (1,000 yen) ● Waiwai Mos Cheeseburger Set (with toy) (590 yen) ● Mos Natsumi Chicken (410 yen) The Waiwai Set is aimed at kids, but adults can order it too. You get to choose from a selection of toys they have at the register, and this time I chose a pen. I also added a Mos Natsumi Chicken, which is like a chicken cutlet burger, but with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun, and stuffed it in between the buns of the cheeseburger that comes with the Waiwai Set! This gives you a giant burger with both beef and chicken inside! It's so meaty, and all the lettuce means you get a great crunch too. It's the absolute best, and even if some people might not think it's an elegant, mature choice, I'm addicted to it. ▼ Ahiruneko's Thank You, P.K. Sanjun Set (960 yen) ● Three pieces of Mos Chicken (960 yen) I never knew Mos Chicken was so good until a few years ago when my coworker P.K. was working on an article about it and he handed me a piece, saying 'Dude, it's good so just try it.' When I bit into that crispiness, it was like my eyes had been opened. Since then, I buy it all the time, and my daughter loves it too. So thank you, P.K., for being a fatherly guiding figure to me on the Mos Chicken path. ▼ Go Hatori's Mos Beginner Set (960 yen) ● Mos Cheeseburger Set (960 yen) Actually, I've only been to Mos Burger like two times in my entire life, and those were both so long ago that I can't remember anything about them. So I really don't know what to order, but since I love cheeseburgers, I went with the Mos Cheeseburger Set, which comes with a medium order of fries and a medium soft drink. Biting into the burger with no prior notion of how it was going to taste, I was really happy with the flavor! Ah, so this is what Mos Burger is like! The thick tomato slice and meat sauce combine for a really interesting tomato-y effect. ▼ P.K. Sanjun's Can't Help It, It's Just so Good Set (830 yen) ● Mos Cheeseburger (510 yen) ● Mos Chicken (320 yen) Some people say that Mos Burger's chicken is even better than their burgers, but I think they could call the place 'Mos Cheeseburger.' That's how good their cheeseburgers are, so obviously I was gonna start my meal with a cheeseburger and a piece of Mos Chicken, and then…ah, wait, that's pretty much used up my budget. Maybe I could have added an extra 40-yen order of dipping sauce, but I'm pretty much tapped out for actual food items. I suppose I could have carved out a little extra space and gotten a third item by going with a less expensive sandwich like a teriyaki chicken burger, but you know what? I just can't say no to Mos' cheeseburger or Mos Chicken, and while I feel a little frustrated at leaving 170 yen of my budget unused, I've got no regrets about how my choices taste. That wraps up our recommendation for this time, but it's only a matter of time until our panel gets hungry and embarks on its next 1,000-yen-or-less culinary quest, unless they make another Daiso detour first. Photos © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
08-05-2025
- SoraNews24
A close encounter with a dangerous criminal on a Shinkansen bullet train in Japan
Frightening experience shows that although Japan might be considered safe, you never know when you might have a brush with danger. Our reporter Masanuki Sunakoma does a lot of travel for work, zipping around the country on Japan's network of Shinkansen bullet trains, but one recent rail ride turned out to be like none he's ever experienced, so here he is to tell his story… I can't say exactly when or where, but I was riding in a non-reserved carriage on a near-empty Shinkansen bullet train when a group of four or five men in their 30s or 40s came from another car and kept glancing over at me. Even though there were plenty of empty seats, for some reason they stood and kept looking my way. Since there were plenty of empty seats, I figured they'd soon sit down, especially since we were only about 20 minutes from the final stop. But instead of sitting down, they kept wandering around the car and didn't sit anywhere at all. Just as I began wondering what on earth they were up to, one of the men approached me and said, 'Excuse me…' The moment he spoke to me, I instantly ran through all the possible scenarios in my head. Maybe he was a big fan of our site who was about to say, 'Hey, I read your work all the time!', which would've been a joy. However, his expression was nothing like that of a fan's — instead, he was completely serious and almost intimidating. I started to wonder if I'd accidentally sat in a seat I wasn't supposed to. If so, I was ready to apologise, but what came next was totally unexpected. He opened his mouth and said: 'I'm with the police.' It was just like something out of a detective drama. The man took his police badge out from his chest pocket and introduced himself, and he had what looked like an earpiece or radio in one ear, giving him an air of authority that made Masanuki realise this wasn't a prank. Continuing in an autoratative tone, the man identified himself as a detective told me that a dangerous criminal had been sitting right in front of me until just a few moments earlier. Apparently, the person had gotten off at the previous station, and the detective asked me, 'Can you tell us, as best as you can remember, about the appearance and behaviour of the person who was sitting in front of you?' Thinking back, the non-reserved seats had been almost completely full until just a little while earlier, and I'd simply taken the only available seat. The seat was one that nobody else appeared interested in as the person in front, the one who turned out to be a suspected criminal, had reclined their seat all the way back. Shinkansen seats have a lot of leg room, so even though the person in front had fully reclined their seat, it didn't really bother me. However, what stood out was that because the person in front had reclined their seat all the way back, I clearly remembered their face. I described the person's appearance to the detective as best as I could remember and he shared the information with the team via radio. While I couldn't provide details about the person's behaviour or actions on the train, I cooperated with the investigation right up until we arrived at the final station. After getting off the Shinkansen, I checked the news on my phone and saw a breaking story on the front page of a domestic news site, with a photo of the suspect. My jaw just about hit the floor as it was the person who had been sitting in front of me. The news report stated: 'The suspect has been arrested, but the weapon still hasn't been found.' Apparently, the police were searching the Shinkansen because the weapon might still be somewhere on board or may have been discarded there. After getting over the shock of being involved first-hand with the police investigation, I was honestly amazed by the ability of the police to pinpoint the exact seat where the suspect had been sitting, even though it was a non-reserved seat, and to arrive so quickly at the scene on a Shinkansen running right on schedule. In any case, the thought that a suspect, possibly carrying a weapon, had been right in front of me sends chills down my spine. Someone once told me, 'You'll pass by a dangerous criminal a dozen or so times in your lifetime' and after this experience, I felt the truth of that statement. Photos©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
28-04-2025
- SoraNews24
How to do an overnight bus trip to Tokushima from Tokyo – Part 2【Photos】
Local dances, local ramen, and more to love about Tokushima. When last we left our traveling reporter Masanuki Sunakoma, he'd just finished summiting Mt. Bentenyama, one of Japan's most unique mountains, having arrived earlier that morning in Tokushima Prefecture after traveling from Tokyo to the island of Shikoku on Japan's first full-flat overnight sleeper bus. Making his way back into downtown on the rental bicycle he'd gotten at Tokushima Station bright and early that morning, he made his way over some of the 138 rivers and waterways that crisscross through Tokushima City. Masanuki was on his way to the Awa Odori Kaikan, a museum and cultural center focused on the Awa Odori, a dance festival that's been taking place in Tokushima since the late 1600s. Originated by peasants dancing in the streets during the samurai era, the Awa Odori is held every summer and features troupes of performers doing lively and gracious dances as they march through the city and spectators cheer them on from the roadsides. ▼ Awa Odori Kaikan ▼ Route from Mt. Bentenyama to Awa Odori Kaikan In addition to exhibits about the festival and its history, the Awa Odori Kaian also has daily Awa Odori dance performances. When Masanuki pedaled up, he was still a little early for the 11 a.m. performance, so before heading into the museum he paid a quick visit to Bizan Tenjinsha, a Shinto shrine located next door to the museum. Founded in 1809, the shrine is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, a deified scholar held to be a god of learning. As such, Bizan Tenjinsha is often visited by students getting ready for high school/college entrance exams and people engaged in other academic endeavors. Masanuki doesn't have any tests of his own coming up, but he was intrigued by the shrine's unique omikuji fortunes. ▼ The ones on the right in the photo here. Omikuji are paper strips that you draw at random and which contain your fortune according to a ranked scale. At most shrines and temples there are seven tiers, but Bizan Tenjinsha's special omikuji brutally simplify things and are all either daikichi, the luckiest fortune ranking, or kyo, the absolute unluckiest. There's even some showmanship to them, as you have to unfold multiple parts to get your fortune… …and Masanuki breathed a sigh of relief when he saw he'd gotten daikichi (大吉). Now it was time to head to the Awa Odori Kaikan, where Masanuki bought a combo ticket for the museum exhibits, dance performance, and access to the Mt. Bizan ropeway for 2,640 yen (US$18), which is 660 yen less than buying them separately. Starting with the museum section, there are photos and explanations of the festival and its history, plus spots where you can drum along to the Awa Odori music and take photos that digitally insert you into a ren, as the dance troupes are called. As interesting as the exhibits are, though, the real highlight is, of course the live Awa Odori performance from the museum's resident ren, Awa no Kaze. This isn't a purely passive activity for visitors, either. The good-naturedly self-aware lyrics of the song that accompanies Awa Odori famously state 'The fools who dance and the fools who watch are fools all the same, so why not dance?', and in keeping with that philosophy, as Awa no Kaze's performance goes on guests are encouraged to stand up and join in. Next to the museum is the bottom station of the Mt. Bizan ropeway, with gondola departures every 15 minutes that whisk you up the mountain for sweeping views of the city. On clear days you can see all the way to Awaji Island (home of the 120-meter [393-foot] long Godzilla statue) and even the Wakayama Prefecture mainland on the other side of the Seto Inland Sea. Even on a day with some lingering marine fog the view is beautiful, and since the ropeway runs until 9 p.m. between April and October, it's also a popular date spot for couples coming to see the city's lights after sundown. After coming back down from the mountain, Masanuki's stomach informed him that it was time for lunch, and he'd already decided where to eat: Inotani, Tokushima's most famous ramen restaurant. ▼ Awa Odori Kaikan to Inotani Inotani is credited with popularizing Tokushima ramen with foodies nationwide. Characterized by an extra-thick and opaque brown pork stock/soy sauce broth, Tokushima ramen is rich and heavily flavored, and that distinct character meant that even though Masanuki was there on a weekday afternoon, the place was packed, with some of the customer cars parked out front having out-of-prefecture license plates ▼ The line of people waiting inside the restaurant for seats to open up. Masanuki selected a bowl of the chuniku (medium-sized meaty) ramen for 800 yen. Once he had a seat he handed his meal ticket to an employee, and soon after that they placed this beauty in front of him. The broth and pork were immensely delicious, and the noodles were fantastic too, invitingly chewy and with a subtle sweetness to their dough. Hardcore Tokushima ramen fans say it's even better with a raw egg cracked into it, sort of a ramen version of tamagokake gohan, and Masanuki made a mental note to try it that way when he has his next opportunity. After he finished eating, rather than hopping back on his bike Masanuki hopped on a boat. As we mentioned earlier, Tokushima is a town that was built along its rivers, and not far from Inotani is the dock for the Hyotanjima river cruise. ▼ Inotani to Hyotanjima Cruise Tour Boat dock The roughly 30-minute cruises leave every 40 minutes between 11 a.m. and 3:40 p.m., with adult tickets costing 600 yen. Having seen the city from the top of Mt. Bizan a few hours ago, zipping around at the water level made Masanuki feel like he was really getting to see the many aspects of the town's beauty. A different pressing work project meant that Masanuki needed to spend a chunk of his afternoon working on his laptop in a cafe, but he did manage to sneak away long enough to pick up a snack at Atariya, a sweets shop in front of Tokushima Station. ▼ Hyotanjima Cruise Tour Boat dock to Atariya Atariya's specialty is obanyaki, a disc-shaped pancake-like confectionery filled with anko (sweet red bean paste). Not only was Masanuki's obanyaki grilled to perfection, the anko, which Atariya makes itself in-store, was outstanding. Considering that Atariya only charges 100 yen for them, they're shockingly good. Masanuki then spent some time meandering around and soaking up the atmosphere until dinnertime, which brought his next chance to try out a local Tokushima specialty at Hayashi no Okonomiyaki. ▼ Atariya to Hayashi no Okonomiyaki Hayashi no Okonomiyaki bills itself as an okonomiyaki (savory pancake) restaurant, but the dish they're really famous for is different from what you'll find in Hiroshima or Osaka, the two towns most associated with okonomiyaki. Instead, what really brings diners to this place is the mameten tamayaki, which is more commonly known across Tokushima as mametama. Mametama is similar to Osaka-style okonomiyaki in that the ingredients are all mixed together before being flat-grilled (whereas in Hiroshima okonomiyaki ingredients are cooked in layers which are stacked together as the final preparation step). The mametama twist is that red beans are mixed in with the batter, giving the dish a touch of sweetness and a captivatingly varied texture. Masanuki could easily see himself putting mametama into his regular dinner rotation if it was something you could find in Tokyo, especially with the sweet-and-spicy sauce that's drizzled over it. Hayashi's version seems to be considered an especially tasty mametama, and the restaurant quickly filled up with customers as Masanuki ate. Having finished up his far-from-the-station sightseeing for the day, Masanuki returned his bike to the rental counter in the underground bicycle parking lot next to Tokushima Station… …and then walked to his hotel for his first not-in-a-bus night of sleep since leaving Tokyo. Sleep well, Masanuki, because we know it's only a matter of time until your next overnight bus adventure. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
SoraNews24
26-04-2025
- SoraNews24
How to do an overnight bus trip to Tokushima from Tokyo – Part 1【Photos】
A special bus takes us to a part of Japan with a special dance, special mountain, and more. Some people say it's not the destination that matters so much as the journey, but if the destination didn't matter, then we'd all be planning creative trips to the post office for our next vacation. So while our Japanese-language reporter Masanuki Sunakoma was excited to take a ride on Japan's first full-flat overnight sleeper bus, he was also excited to see the sights at his destination, Tokushima City in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. To recap, Masanuki hopped on the Sommeil Profond overnight bus at the Busta Shinjuku bus terminal in downtown Tokyo at 9:55 p.m. and strapped into his full-flat bed for the journey to Shikoku. Japan's overnight buses are remarkably punctual, and they arrived right on time at Tokushima Station at 6 o'clock the next morning. Taking a quick look around the building, Masanuki smiled at the quaint discovery that Tokushima Station still has manned ticket gates, where you show your ticket to an actual person instead of just sticking it into an automated machine. He also made sure to pay a visit to local good-luck charm the Buji Kaeru. Buji means 'safe' in Japanese and kaeru is how you pronounce the words for both 'return' and 'frog.' All that wordplay comes together in the Buji Kaeru, a frog figurine that people passing through the station will pat for good luck and a safe journey. ▼ Masanuki wasn't 100-percent sure if you're supposed to visit the Buji Kaeru when arriving in Toushima City or leaving, but he figured an on-arrival pat wouldn't hurt. Tokushima's biggest claim to fame is the Awa Odori festival. Held each summer, the celebration's history stretches back hundreds of years to the feudal period of the 1500s, when reveling peasants would dance en masse in the streets of town. The distinct dance movements and outfits worn by performers are so strongly associated with Tokushima that even the mailbox in front of the station has a pair of dancers decorating it, a counterpart to Hirosaki's apple mailbox in Aomori Prefecture. Even though Masanuki's sightseeing was going to be focused on Tokushima City, he was glad that his bus had come in at the station, because its underground bike parking lot also rents bikes for use by travelers. ▼ That note next to the number 2, レンタサイクルの貸し出しも行っております means 'We also have rental cycles.' The rental cycle counter opens at 6 in the morning, and renting an electric-assist bike for the whole day (until 10 p.m.) is just 600 yen (US$4.15), and prices start at just 300 yen for a five-hour non-assisted bike rental. Note, though, that you do have to provide a 3,000-yen deposit, which you get back when you return the bike. ▼ The rental cycle counter location Now that he had his wheels, it was time for Masanuki to get on the road. Pedaling through the town lit in the soft sunlight of the morning, passing over some of the city's many beautiful rivers and gazing at Mt Bizan, he felt invigorated. Well, he felt sort of invigorated. He also still felt a little stiff from the long bus ride, and he also wanted to take a bath. Thankfully, there's no better place to find yourself thinking 'I want to take a bath' than Japan, what with the country's rich bathhouse culture, and so Masanuki rode to Shinmachi Onsen, a public bath not far from the station. ▼ Rental cycle counter to Shinmachi Onsen Shinmachi Onsen opened all the way back in 1950, and it has a great for-locals feel to it. They're open from 6 a.m. and charge 450 yen (US$3.10) plus an additional 40 yen for a small towel rental, which felt like a serious bargain for how great their multiple types of baths and sauna felt. Add in an after-bath can of local-brand Tokushima Coffee (made with locally produced wasanbon fine-grain sugar), and Masanuki was totally refreshed. The more thorough description of how he was feeling, though, would be refreshed and hungry. To address the latter part of his condition, he decided to hit up another place that opens early, Cafe Takashima, which starts serving breakfast at 7:30. ▼ Shinmachi Onsen to Takashima It was easy to see that Takashima has been in business a long time, and Masanuki was even more intrigued when he read the cafe's motto written on its sign, which says 'Good flavors for people who visit, and happiness for people as they go home.' Less philosophically, he was also strongly drawn to the 'Special Burger' shown in the sign by the entrance introducing the cafe's most popular menu items. Takashima has been in business for about 65 years, and yet no one else seems to have come up with the tasty idea they have for the Special Burger, which is a hamburger patty, ham, egg, cheese, tomato, cucumber, and lettuce, all between slices of golden-brown toast. This is a tremendously tasty hot sandwich, and at 650 yen, it's a pretty good deal too! Now bathed, caffeinated, and fed, Masanuki had all of his morning needs met, so now it was time to get to sightseeing. As he pedaled over the Shinmachigawa River and through town, he spotted other travelers in the garb of pilgrims making the Shikoku Pilgrimage circuit, an 88-temple trek with its official starting point in Tokushima Prefecture. Masanuki wasn't headed to a temple, though. He was headed to a mountain, and a very special mountain at that. ▼ Takashima to Mt. Bentenyama It's about 20 minutes by bike from Takashima to Mt. Bentenyama, which has a sign at its base to draw passersby's attention. ▼ 弁天山 = Bentenyama Being the rugged outdoorsman that he is, it was Masanuki's intention to hike all the way to the top of the mountain in order to visit the shrine at its peak. In the interest of full disclosure, we should mention that Masanuki would be making his attempt to summit Mt. Bentenyama outside of its official climbing season, which doesn't begin until a ceremony is held on June 1 of every year. Still, he wasn't too scared, because Mt. Bentenyama is the official shortest mountain in Japan. ▼ Yep, that's the whole thing! The June 1 official climbing season start isn't because it has trails that are treacherous outside of summer, but because the 6-1 date aligns with Mt. Bentenyama's height of 6.1 meters (20 feet). You're actually allowed to make the ascent 365 days a year, and unlike Mt. Fuji, the path to the top is open 24 hours a day. Avoiding getting lost and encountering no dangerous wildlife along the way, Masanuki made it to the top in about 12 seconds. He took a moment to say a prayer at the shrine, and also purchased a certificate of ascent and a goshuin stamped paper for good luck for 100 yen each from the self-service shop. 'Come on back again sometime!' said a friendly local man Masanuki encountered after coming back down from the peak, and while he's not sure when he'll next be in this part of Tokushima, if he has even a single spare minute, he can slot another Mt. Bentenyama hike into it. Next on Masanuki's itinerary was a ride back towards downtown to experience the famous Awa Odori, and we'll be back soon with part two of our Tokushima overnight bus travelogue soon! Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
