KANSAI
O
SAKA IS THE REGIONAL
capital of Kansai, and Kansai
Airport is its gateway to
explore the beauty of the
region. Travellers are spoilt
for choice, as there are many transport
options to choose from, and by purchasing a
‘Kansai One Pass’ ICOCA card, travellers
will be able to travel around freely on the JR
lines, subways, private railways and buses.
The ICOCA card cannot be used on the
Shinkansen (Japanese Bullet Train) and
stations of different JR companies but the
card can be used in shops, facilities and
vending machines that accept ICOCA
electronic money.Funaya, which is also
known as ‘boathouses’
in the town of IneKICKING IT OFF IN KYOTO
PREFECTURE
Upon arrival in Kyoto, we had our dinner at
Funatsuru Kyoto Kamogawa Resort, a
fusion of Kyoto and French cuisine that
uses only the freshest Kyoto vegetables and
meat. With an exclamation of ‘Itadakimasu!’
(bon appétit or let’s eat in Japanese), we
hurriedly dig into the freshly prepared food
that are a reflection of what’s available in
Kyoto – warm pumpkin and carrot soup,
risotto with codfish, venison with carrot
puree and an array of desserts. Each dish is
done with such care and perfection that
we’re only left desiring more as each plate
empties.
From Funatsuru Kyoto KamogawaResort, we head out to Himiko, to
experience a local Japanese style pub. At
Himiko, seafood is the most recommended
thing to order as the seafood is caught fresh
from the Sea of Japan. If feeling
adventurous, puffer fish is available for
order, and in winter, when crab is in season,
ordering the matsuba kani crab is a must.
The crab can be prepared grilled or raw;
either way, the crab will make anyway
exclaim ‘oishii!’ in delight.
Already stuffed with so much seafood,
our guide asks if we’d like to experience
something different: “Have you ever made
fishcakes?” Our guide brings us to
Kamaboko factory in Maizuru that offers
programmes for tourists and locals to
experience fishcake making (maizuru-k.
com). Kamaboko is derived from broiling
salted fish paste that has been rolled onto a
bamboo stick. In the Edo period, however,
the Japanese started to make kamaboko by
heating fish paste on small boards. The
Japanese then renamed ‘kamaboko’ to
‘chikuwa’, which means ‘bamboo ring’, as
a means of distinguishing one from
another. In this factory, visitors can try to
make three types of fishcake – kamaboko,
chikuwa and tempura. As Maizuru faces
the Sea of Japan, there is always an
abundance of fresh fish around to make the
best tasting kamaboko in Japan.
For more on seafood from Maizuru, it is
best to visit Maizuru Seafood Market.“Fish is meant to tempt, as well as nourish,
and everything that lives in the water is
seductive,” our guide tells us. The strange
anecdote comes alive when we step into
one of the largest markets in Kyoto. From
wall to wall of the market, all we see are
the variety of fresh seafood available
throughout the year: crabs, octopus,
Iwagaki oysters, Torigai (shellfish),
prawns, and all kinds of fresh fish are laid
out for restaurateurs to pick out. For
visitors, Maizuru Seafood market allows
visitors to buy and consume their seafood
on the spot. Choose what you fancy and
have the chefs grill them for you.
Our last stop in Kyoto is Ine, a quaint
town situated along the coast of northern
Kyoto. 230 boathouses, also known as
‘Funaya’, form the line on the shore of Ine
Bay. We take a tour around the town on a
sightseeing boat and also experience
feeding hungry seagulls. Most of the
residents living on Funaya depend on
fishing for a living and some have even
refurbished their homes into motels for
tourists to experience authentic Ine living.STOPOVER IN SHIGA
PREFECTURE
After all the seafood in Kyoto, we head
to Shiga Prefecture to visit Lake Biwa, the
largest freshwater lake in the prefecture
located northeast of Kyoto. Despite the
spine-chilling winter breeze, we are