Kirakira Uetsu Tourism Area Food Tour
On this three day course, you’ll experience the best dining options in Murakami, Sakata, and Tsuruoka. You can enjoy the area’s best food even without a car by taking the Uetsu Main Line. There are tons of salmon sushi and dishes, ramen, pickled side dishes, wine tours, and restaurants run by famous chefs to be found.
Itinerary
2
nights
nights
3
days
days
Day One
01
Taiyo Sake Brewery
While you’ll want to try Niigata Prefecture’s famous rice, you’ll also want to enjoy the prefecture’s local sake. At Taiyo Sake Brewery, where Murakami’s local Taiyozakari sake is made, you can take a tour of the brewery and try samples of their sake. At the Nagomigura exhibition hall, you can learn about the history of Murakami sake brewing by viewing sake brewing tools, cups, and more.
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Access 20 minute walk from Murakami Station
02
Sennen Sake Kikkawa
Murakami is the location of the first successful natural incubation egg rearing, and is known as the salmon town. Sennen Sake Kikkawa is a long-standing shop famous for its salt-cured salmon and other salmon products. The highlight of the 130-year-old merchant building is the 1,000 salted salmon hanging from the ceiling.
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Hours: 9:00-18:00 (9:00-12:00 on December 31st only)
03
Sennen Sake Izutsuya
For lunch, we recommend Murakami’s first salmon cuisine specialty restaurant, “Izutsuya”. It’s a nationally designated tangible cultural property, and is also known as being the inn that Matsuo Basho stayed at for two nights on his “Oku no Hosomichi” journey.
You can choose from seven course (1,950 yen), 10 course (2,900 yen) 13 course (3900 yen), 18 course (4,900 yen), and 21 course menus that let you grill the salmon at your own table. The Iwafune koshihikari rice served fresh from a earthenware pot is also delicious. *Prices don’t include tax.
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Hours: 9:00-16:00 (Meals are from 11:00-16:00)
04
Kokonoen
The northernmost area of Murakami is where you can find Murakamicha. The tea has a well-rounded tartness and just the right amount of sweetness. In the specialty shop Kokonoen, you can purchase Murakamicha and also see a typical merchant-style building structure.
Hours: 8:30-17:30
05
Senami Hot Spring
Senami Hot Spring is known for its attractive sunset location and Yosano Akiko’s tanka poems about the area.
In the “Sunset Glow Inn Shiomiso”, you can enjoy a gorgeous view of the Sea of Japan in the hot springs and in every room. “Akiko no Ashiyu”, a foot hot spring, is also located in the entrance.
There is a kilometer-long beach right behind the Senami Hot Spring area where visitors come every year to swim.
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Day Two
01
Holland Senbei Factory
The light and crispy texture is what makes Holland Senbei so popular. At the Holland Senbei Factory, you can witness the senbei-making process through glass windows.
In addition, there is a gift shop where you can buy original goods, and a cafe where you can enjoy various sweets and drinks. We recommend the senbei baking and seasoning activities as memories for your trip.
Factory tours: 9:00-16:00 (admissions close at 15:40)
Cost: General: 300 yen, Junior high students: 200 yen, Elementary students and below: free, Seniors (65 and up): free
Closed: Every Tuesday
Baking activity: 400 yen
Seasoning activity: 600 yen
02
Ramen
Yamagata Prefecture is the country’s number one consumer of ramen. Enjoy a bowl of superb ramen in one of the many ramen shops among the bustling streets of Sakata city for lunch. We highly recommend the dried sardine ramen at the Chinese Ramen restaurant, “Kumo no Ito”.
You can choose from thick or thin noodles and between thick or thin broth. The ramen’s homemade noodles and juicy chashu pork pieces are amazing. The thick broth also includes savory pork fat.
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03
Sanno Club
At Sanno Club, one of the top sightseeing spots of Sakata, you can see exhibitions about the Kitamaebune period that made the area thrive, one of Japan’s biggest Kasafuku ornament exhibitions, and more.
We also recommend doing the Kasafuku ornament making experience (reservations required).
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Hours: 9:00-17:00
Closed: December-February: Tuesdays (the following day if a national holiday falls on a Tuesday), New Year’s (December 29th-January 3rd), open every day from March-November
04
Sankyo Soko
Tourists from all over visit Sankyo Soko, which is also known as the location of the NHK serialized morning drama, “Oshin”.
When people think of the land of rice Shonai, they think of Sankyo Soko. You can find lots of Sakata souvenirs at the local product specialty shop, “Sakata Yume no Kura”.
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We recommend the one-shot bar and Sankyo Soko’s famous sake sets.
Business hours: 9:00-18:00
05
Sushi
The port city of Sakata takes pride in its big catches of fresh fish and seafood throughout the whole year. The sushi restaurant “Koise” is popular among locals and tourists alike for its sushi and a la carte menu featuring seasonal local fish.
Enjoy the most amazing sushi you’ll ever have made by the restaurant’s experienced and skilled sushi chefs.
Address: 1-chome-3-25 Aioicho, Sakata, Yamagata 998-0032
Day Three
01
Tsukemono Honcho
Tsukemono Honcho was established in 1908 and has kept and continued its traditional pickled tsukemono techniques since. Here you can find tsukemono sampling, shops, and even tours. The tours are free but require reservations.
Shonai-esque pickled tsukemono vegetables are a top choice as souvenirs for your trip.
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02
Dewanoyukishuzo Museum
Oyama is a town with a long sake brewing history. The Dewanoyukishuzo Museum includes old documents, sake-brewing tools, and other rare artifacts that showcase Oyama’s sake history. There are also tour and sake tasting areas.
Address: 2 Chome-2-8 Oyama, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-1124
Hours: 8:45-16:30
Closed: January 1-3
Entrance fee: 100 yen
03
FOODEVER
Tsuruoka is in Japan’s only designated UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. FOODEVER, located in Tsuruoka Station, is where you can enjoy the city’s food and dining culture even more.
Restaurants inside include “Shonai: Food Capital” ambassador and chef Masayuki Okuda-run pasta restaurant “farinamore” and head chef Toki Masatomi’s Japanese restaurant “Tsuruoka Shunreki Ayatsuru”.
There are also Japanese bars, cuisine made with fresh fish delivered from Shonai shores, handmade soba made with Tsuruoka flour, and local meats in the food court.
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