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

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, along with a hot spring stay. Such an exceptional experience can be enjoyed in Nagato City.

At inns in one of Nagato City’s representative hot spring areas, Nagato Yumoto Onsen, kaiseki cuisine using torafugu (blowfish)—such as sashimi, chirinabe, karaage, and steamed milt—has long been beloved.

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.

This time, we’re introducing a model course where you savor local torafugu kaiseki from Senzaki Port and a famous hot spring at the long-established inn Gyokusenkaku in Nagato Yumoto Onsen, then head to the Roadside Station “Senzakitchen” to enjoy port-town sightseeing and souvenir shopping.

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

Indulge in a luxurious fugu feast at the long-established Yumoto Onsen inn “Gyokusenkaku”

This time, we visited the long-established inn “Gyokusenkaku” in Nagato Yumoto Onsen to enjoy fugu cuisine.
Known for its calm exterior and attentive hospitality, it also has an on-site dining venue called “Senraku,” where you can savor kaiseki cuisine. Its dishes, made with care using seasonal ingredients sourced locally in Nagato, are loved not only by tourists but also by local residents.

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.

As an aperitif, they serve Gyokusenkaku’s signature Yang Guifei wine, inspired by the "Yang Guifei legend" that lives on in Nagato City, elegantly setting the tone for the start of the meal.

Gyokusenkaku also offers an original dish said to recreate one of the foods Yang Guifei enjoyed: medicinal rice porridge. The porridge is made with a base of broth slowly simmered from chicken bones and vegetables, then topped with seven kinds of medicinal ingredients served alongside. Eating it at the start of the meal is gentle on the stomach and can help support digestion.

By the way, in recent years, they’ve been seeing more stays from younger guests. To meet the needs of visitors who feel “fugu alone isn’t quite enough,” Gyokusenkaku also offers Japanese beef steak on the menu—an especially welcome touch.

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, it’s time for Nagato Yumoto Onsen’s renowned waters.

Nagato Yumoto Onsen is known as a famous hot spring, so celebrated that it has long been called a “beauty bath.” The water is an alkaline simple hot spring, gentle on the skin, and leaves it feeling moisturized and smooth after bathing.

At Gyokusenkaku, you can enjoy the open-air bath “Kasei-yu,” inspired by China’s “Huaqing Pool,” where Yang Guifei is said to have cultivated 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 is also a calm space highlighted by warm indirect lighting. With many ways to enjoy your stay—such as relaxing here before heading out for a stroll—it’s an inn where visitors to Nagato Yumoto Onsen can feel at ease staying overnight.

Another option: torafugu cuisine at Otani Sanso

In addition to Gyokusenkaku, Nagato Yumoto Onsen has many other inns where you can enjoy torafugu cuisine. This time, we’ll introduce one more: “Otani Sanso.”

At Otani Sanso, a limited-time accommodation plan is available from autumn through winter featuring a “Torafuku Full Course.”

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

About a10-minute drive from the hot spring town: head to the Roadside Station “Senzakitchen” to discover the sea’s bounty

After a soothing stay at Gyokusenkaku, it’s time for Nagato sightseeing and souvenir hunting.
Just about a10-minute drive from Nagato Yumoto Onsen, the Roadside Station “Senzakitchen” is easy to reach. Located next to Senzaki Port, it’s a lively tourist spot that draws crowds as Nagato’s “gateway to the sea.”

One place you’ll definitely want to stop by inside Senzakitchen is “Daiko, Fourth Generation (Daiko)”.

This is a fresh fish shop run by the long-established seafood wholesaler “Daiko Hayakawa (Hayakawa) Shoten,” which has been in business at Senzaki Port for four generations. In addition to fresh fish landed at Senzaki Port, it also carries torafugu farmed in Nagato’s beautiful seas.

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

What they sell here is torafugu raised by “Choshu Nagato Suisan,” launched through the combined efforts of local companies. Using pristine Sea of Japan seawater continuously drawn into onshore tanks, they spare no effort in raising the fish—doing everything by hand, including "tooth trimming" on each fish one by one to prevent them from injuring each other. This thorough management produces beautiful, unblemished flesh and a safe, premium 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! Senzakitchen is a treasure trove of processed fugu products

Souvenirs you can buy at Senzakitchen aren’t limited to fresh items, of course. Inside, you’ll also find a lineup of all kinds of processed fugu products, such as “overnight-dried fugu,” “fugu karaage,” fragrant “hirezake (fin sake),” and “fugu chazuke” that’s easy to enjoy at home. Many items are easy to take home and keep well, 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.

Senzakitchen also has a food court on the grounds where you can enjoy dishes made with local Nagato ingredients—perfect for a casual lunch or light bite when you’re feeling a little hungry.

Please enjoy a unique "fugu trip" in Nagato!

Relax in the famous waters of Nagato Yumoto Onsen, savor local Senzaki torafugu, and pick out souvenirs at a seaside roadside station… This trip is packed with ways to enjoy fugu that are unique to Nagato City, even within Yamaguchi Prefecture.

This model course lets you enjoy hot springs, gourmet food, and the lively energy of a port town all at once. Why not spend your next day off enjoying a trip to Nagato City to discover “hot springs and fugu”?