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- Report on the last day of the “Nagato Tourism Concierge Training Course
Report on the last day of the “Nagato Tourism Concierge Training Course
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Last updated:
Aug 18, 2019
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About the writer:
Nagato Tourism Convention Association
Last day of "Tourism and Culture Seminar
The fourth session of the "Nagato Tourism Concierge Training Course" was held on Saturday, August 17.
This course consists of two parts: a "Basic Course" to acquire knowledge of Nagato City and a "Hospitality Course" to enhance your hospitality skills. This course is designed to improve your ability to welcome tourists with concierge-like hospitality. The basic course, "Nagato Tourism and Culture Seminar," is a four-day course held from June to August, with lectures and hands-on experiences planned.
The final day of the basic course starts at Tawarayama Onsen, a hot-spring cure that was once a favorite of lords.
Walking around the hot spring resort of Tawarayama
Mr. Miyano, who serves as president of the "Tawarayama Shittokai," was in charge of guiding the tour. Together with about 30 students who gathered in front of Kumano Shrine, we started walking through the hot spring resort.
Everyone walks around with a pamphlet on city walking with an old map in their hands.
While stopping at Onsenkaku and Ryoukuso, the tour participants were given detailed explanations of the hot spring resort as it was and as it was in the past.
The Ryoukuso also exhibited materials on the history of the hot spring resort, and everyone seemed to be very interested in them.
After that, we learned about the efficacy of the hot spring at "Hakusaru no Yu" and went to one of the five sources in the district, "Kawachiyu Souce of Spring".
The temperature of the fountainhead is 29 degrees Celsius, and 22 liters per minute are said to be gushing gently from underground.
At the end of the tour, we walked behind the ryokan where the stone walls had been assembled and observed the production of the famous confectionery "Sanzen-manju" (three monkey buns).
Rediscovering the appeal of food
After walking around the town, visit Satoyama Station Tawarayama, an exchange center in the Tawarayama area.
Here, under the title of "Nagato Food Tourism," mini lectures and tasting sessions were held on three themes: Senzaki fish cake, yakitori, and white okra.
First, a mini lecture by Mr. Tamura of Senzaki Kamaboko Kumiai and a "kikikama" experience to compare four different brands.
Even kamaboko made by the same "burnt-out" method have a stronger fish taste, different colors depending on the ingredients used, and slight differences when placed side by side.
In this "Kikikama" session, only three participants guessed all the brands. While learning about the particularities and characteristics of each brand, we learned anew the depth of Senzaki kamaboko.
Next was a lecture by Mr. Nagao of Fukagawa Chicken Farmers Cooperative.
Participants learned about the characteristics of Choshu Kuro-Kashiwa, an original local chicken produced in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and the culture of yakitori, which is deeply rooted in the region, and actually tasted the inside of a Choshu Kuro-Kashiwa chicken wing. The chicken meat, freshly grilled over charcoal, is tender with just the right amount of chewiness and full of flavor.
In the last part of the program, participants learned from Mr. Shinohara of the Nagato White Okra Club how to cultivate and eat the traditional vegetable "white okra.
For lunch, there were four different white okra dishes prepared that day.
First is the "nebaneba donburi," a bowl of rice topped with white okra, which gives the rice a strong sticky texture.
Served on one plate is a stir-fry dish that also includes pork and bell peppers, tempura and sesame paste.
It is a convenient vegetable that can be tasted raw, but is also delicious grilled or fried.
The students enjoyed the food of Nagato, including Senzaki kamaboko, yakitori, and white okra.
They experienced its charm in a delicious and enjoyable way.
Challenge the certification test
In the afternoon, the "Nagato Tourism and Culture Test" was held at the Tawarayama Community Center to test the knowledge learned in the four-day course. Because the town is rich in tourism resources, the questions were diverse and more difficult than expected.
Those who pass this examination will be able to proceed to the "Hospitality Course" to be held in the fall or later, and upon completion of the training, will be certified as a "Nagato Tourism Concierge".
Today marks the end of this four-day seminar, in which participants learned about the history and culture of Nagato City and other tourism resources.
The report of the course, which was planned from a variety of perspectives in all districts of the city, can be found at the link below. We hope that this first-ever lecture will be an opportunity for students and readers of "Nanavi" to rediscover the charms of our city.
