A relaxing feast of hot spring water and fugu (blowfish) in Nagato — A day at Nagato Yumoto Onsen and Senza Kitchen — (Japanese only)

Torafugu" is known as a top quality fish characterized by the firm texture of its meat and the rich flavor and sweetness that spreads as it is chewed.

Shimonoseki City is nationally known for its fugu (blowfish), but it may not be well known that its neighbor, Nagato City, is also a popular place to eat fugu and offers a variety of ways to enjoy it for sightseeing. Enjoy the delicious taste of fugu, nurtured by the harsh yet beautiful Sea of Japan, at a hot spring hotel. Such an exceptional experience can be enjoyed in Nagato City.

Kaiseki cuisine using torafugu (blowfish) such as sashimi, chirinabe, karaage, and steamed milt has long been popular at inns in Nagato Yumoto Onsen, one of the representative hot spring resorts of Nagato City.

The dishes that bring out the full potential of torafugu, a premium quality fish, are characterized by a light yet deep flavor that spreads in the mouth the more the fish is chewed.

The clear and beautiful "tessa (fugu sashimi)," the "karaage (fried fish)," which is full of aroma and condensed flavor of the meat around the bone, the "fuguchirinabe (blowfish stew)," which is rich in collagen and effective for beautiful skin, and the zosui (rice porridge), which is full of extract from the blowfish, are just some of the dishes that make each dish different in expression and are a true delight of Torafugu The unique characteristics of torafugu cuisine are also a real delight.

The model course introduced here is to enjoy torafugu kaiseki from the local Senzaki Port and famous hot spring water at the long-established inn " Tamasenkaku " in Nagato Yumoto Onsen, followed by sightseeing and souvenir shopping at the roadside station "Senza Kitchen," which is unique to the port town.

We offer a "trip to enjoy fugu and hot springs" that can only be enjoyed in Nagato, a blissful experience for all five senses.

Enjoy the luxury of fugu (blowfish) at the long-established inn "Tamasenkaku" in Yumoto Onsen.

This time, we visited "Tamasenkaku," a long-established inn in Nagato Yumoto Onsen, to enjoy fugu (blowfish) cuisine.
The inn has a calm exterior and a reputation for the attentive hospitality of its staff, and it has a permanent restaurant, Senraku, where guests can enjoy kaiseki cuisine. The cuisine, which emphasizes seasonal ingredients purchased locally in Nagato, is well-loved by tourists and locals alike.

Of particular note is the "Torafugu Kaiseki" available only with the overnight stay plan.
The dishes that line the kaiseki course are truly "all about fugu!

Tessa (fugu sashimi) is a dish where you can enjoy the crunchy texture that only winter torafugu can offer. The thinly sliced fillet is light, but the more you chew it, the more the flavor fills your mouth. The dish is served with the standard condiments of grated momiji mushrooms and green onion.

Fuguchiri-nabe is a royal style of fugu chiri-nabe, in which the taste of the ingredients is brought out by the broth. Fugu meat is fluffy, while the skin and ara (the fish skin) are soft and fluffy, warming the body from the inside out. In addition to its delicious meat, blowfish is also a wonderful ingredient in soup stock. We hope you will enjoy the refined and deep flavor of the broth in a hot pot.
Fugu Karaage (deep-fried blowfish ) is a dish in which the fragrant batter is filled with resilient meat, and the flavor spreads as soon as you bite into it.

In addition, original and creative dishes such as nigorigo (blowfish ), chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) with milt, and tofu with milt kneaded into it are also served together, enhancing the perfection of the kaiseki menu and leaving a pleasant aftertaste as well as a satisfying sensation.

For the aperitif, a Yang Gui Hui wine unique to Gyokusenkaku, inspired by the "Legend of Yang Gui Hui" that remains in Nagato City, is served to start the meal in an elegant manner.

Another original menu item is Yuxian Pavilion's Yakuzen Congee, a recreation of one of Yang Kwei-Hui's favorite dishes. The congee is based on a broth made by slowly simmering chicken and vegetables, and is sprinkled with seven kinds of medicinal herbs that are served with it.

Incidentally, in recent years, the number of young people staying at Gyokusenkaku has been increasing. Therefore, in response to the requests of guests who feel that fugu dishes alone are not enough, Gyokusenkaku also offers Japanese beef steaks on the menu.

The combination of light and elegant fugu dishes with a firm and satisfying steak is highly satisfying in terms of both quantity and quality, and has been well received by people of all ages.

Yanggui Romantic Hotel Gyokusenkaku

The "hot water for beautiful skin" inspired by the legend of Yang Kwei-Fei

After the meal, we went to Nagato Yumoto Hot Spring, which boasts of its hot spring water.

Nagato Yumoto Onsen has long been known as "hot water for beautiful skin," and the quality of the water is alkaline simple hot spring. It is characterized by its gentle feel on the skin, leaving it moist and smooth after bathing.

At Gyokusenkaku, you can enjoy the open-air bath "Huaqingyu", which is inspired by the Chinese "Huaqing Pond" where Yang Guifei actually nurtured her beauty. (Women's bath)

The hot water warms the body from the core and relaxes the tiredness of the traveler, making it truly a "rewarding time. The style of bathing, in which you can bathe while standing, is also unusual.
You can easily enjoy this famous hot spring during your stay.

The lobby of the inn is a calm space with warm indirect lighting. Visitors to Nagato Yumoto Onsen can enjoy themselves in a variety of ways, such as going for a walk after relaxing here, making it a safe place to stay.

Another option, torafugu cuisine at Otani Sanso

In addition to Tamasenkaku, there are many other inns in Nagato Yumoto Onsen where you can enjoy torafugu cuisine. In this issue, we would like to introduce another one of them, Otani Sanso.

Otani Sanso offers an overnight stay plan featuring a "full course of torafuku" for a limited time during the fall and winter seasons.

From the clear beauty of fuku sashimi, to the flavor and elasticity of deep-fried fuku, to the collagen-rich fuku chiri-chiri, to fuku zosui (rice porridge with fuku broth ), you can enjoy all the charms of torafugu in a full course.

In addition, the rare delicacy " albacore" that can only be obtained from male pufferfish is also a major attraction. Depending on the time of year, a plan to upgrade to natural torafugu (pufferfish) is also available, which, together with hot spring baths, offers a luxurious dining experience unique to Nagato, Yamaguchi, in winter.

Otanisanso

It takes about 10 minutes by car from the hot spring resort 10 minutes drive from the hot spring town to "Roadside Station Senza Kitchen" where you will encounter the bounty of the sea.

After spending a relaxing time at Tamasenkaku, the next step is to go sightseeing in Nagato and look for souvenirs.
The Senza Kitchen Roadside Station is only a 10-minutedrive from Nagato Yumoto Onsen. Located next to Senzaki Port, it is a busy tourist spot as the "gateway to the sea" of Nagato.

A must-stop in Senza Kitchen is DaikoYondaime.

This is a fresh fish store owned by a long-established fish brokerage company, "Daisoko Hayakawa Shoten," which has been in business for four generations at the local Senzaki Port, and handles fresh fish landed at the Senzaki Port as well as torafugu (blowfish) farmed in the beautiful sea of Nagato.

At the store, torafugu is prepared and served for tessa or fuguchiri-nabe, so you can enjoy the authentic taste of torafugu at home.

The torafugu handled here are those raised by "Choshu Nagato Suisan," a company established by local businesses working together. The clean seawater from the Sea of Japan is constantly drawn into the tanks on land, and the fish are raised with a great deal of care and attention, such as by manually cutting the teeth of each fish so as not to damage each other. This thorough management results in beautiful, flawless meat and a safe, reliable, and superb taste.

We hope you will enjoy the charm of torafugu, nurtured by the richness of Nagato's sea and the passion of its people, at home.

Perfect for souvenirs! Senza Kitchen is a treasure trove of processed fugu products

Of course, fresh products are not the only souvenirs available at Senza Kitchen. The museum also offers a wide variety of processed fugu products, such as "dried fugu overnight," "deep-fried fugu," savory "fin wine," and "fugu chazuke," which can be easily enjoyed at home. Many of the products are easy to take home and last for a long time, making them ideal as travel souvenirs or gifts.

In Yamaguchi, fugu is also called "fuku" (meaning "good luck"), and with these Nagato souvenirs, you can enjoy the "taste of good luck" at home.

Also on the Senza Kitchen premises is a food court where you can enjoy dishes that make the most of local Nagato ingredients, perfect for a casual lunch or light meal when you are feeling hungry.

Please enjoy a unique "fugu trip" in Nagato!

Heal yourself in the famous hot springs of Nagato Yumoto Onsen, taste the local Senzaki torafugu (blowfish), and pick up souvenirs at the roadside station by the sea. ...... This trip is packed with ways to enjoy blowfish that are unique to Nagato City, even within Yamaguchi Prefecture.

This model course allows you to enjoy hot springs, gourmet food, and the liveliness of a port town all at once. On your next holiday, why not enjoy a trip to discover "hot spring and fugu (blowfish)" in Nagato City?