Happy New Year,everyone !!!
We hope all your dreams come true in 2020✨✨ Many Japanese people visit a shrine during the New year season. This is called “Hatsumoude”.
We wish New Year’s health, happiness, and so on at Hatsumoude.

One of the historic shrine in Joetsu is Kota Shrine!

The gods of worship at Kota Shrine is Okuninushinomikoto and a god called Nunakawa Princess.

 Okuninushi is famous as a god of marriage worship, but in Japanese mythology he is in love with various goddesses.

 One of the goddesses is Nunakawa Princess,

Okuninushi heard that there is a beautiful woman in the northeastern country,

he came to this place from Izumo (now Shimane Prefecture), far away from Niigata, to meet this princess.

Nunakawa Princess does not readily came out but Okuninushi wanted to see her face at a glance.

So he wrote a Waka(Japanese poetry) for her.

Then, Nunakawa Princess also wtote a poem for him ...

Finally, Nunakawa princess appeared in front of Okuninushi. They deeply have loved each other since then.

Thanks to this romantic mythology, this shrine is popular with young women and couples as those two gods are worshipped as the god of marriage. 
#kotajinja
#kotashrine
#niigata
#joetsu
#gochi
#discoverjoetsu ...

If you asked me what to eat in Joetsu for the first visit, I would recommend sushi, sashimi, or anything you can eat only in Joetsu.

But actually, in Joetsu there are many other food choices other than Sushi or Sashimi.

If you live in Joetsu and craving for having meat, 66 is the right place to go.

At 66Grill and Bar, a renovated old Japanese machiya-house along the Gangi street, you can enjoy house-made tasty burgers.

Recommended menu 
-Cheeseburger
the most popular burger in 66. Grilled rich taste cheddar accentuate the taste. Enjoy the combination of homemade patty and melted cheese.

Sandwiches, steaks, and salads are very tasty too.

<66 Grill&Bar>
Address: 5-2-4 Omachi Joetsu-city, Niigata 
It takes about 10 minutes’ walk from Echigo Tokimeki Railway Takada station 

Opening hours: 
11:00a.m.-3:00p.m.(Lunch )
6:00p.m.-10:00p.m.(Dinner)
*Closed at 9:00p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Closed:
Tuesday
Irregular holidays 

Parking:
There are spaces for 2cars.
I recommend that you park a car at a toll parking lot near Takada station.

English menu available✨👍
Take out&Catering available.

#66grillandbar
#66grill
#joetsu
#niigata
#joetsutakada
#takada
#discoverjoetsu ...

USHIDA-YA (A farm-inn)

Last week,I visited USHIDA-YA with my friend from Osaka, who is interested in farming and countryside life.

USHIDA-YA is a farm-inn run by Nori and Shiho, who moved in to Tamugi hamlet (Oshima Ward, Joetsu-shi) in 2016, to start the organic rice farming. 
You can read detailed story of them on USHIDA-YA’s homepage!
(http://ushidaya.moo.jp/english.html)

We really enjoyed beech forest walking tour. We took a pleasant walk for about one hour with Nori. He explained us about the life in Tamugi and the beech forest. It was interesting to know how important beeches are in mountains. I found nature teaches us many things. 


At USHIDA-YA, various kinds of cultural experiences are provided; Sasa-dango (Bamboo laef dumpling) making, Soba noodle making, straw craft making, etc...
Please inquire them if you would like to know the details 😊

We had a good time talking with them.
It was really interesting to know what brought them to Tamugi in the first place, how they started preparing their farming and farm-inn businesses. 

If you are interested in Japanese traditional “countryside” culture, here is the right place for you :) @ushidaya_joetsu 
#ushidaya
#うしだ屋
#tamugi
#oshima
#joetsu
#discoverjoetsu
#niigata ...

Gopanya Cafe Come&co

Do you know what “Gopan” means?

It is a coined word of Gohan(Rice) + Pan(Bread).

Gopanya Cafe Come&co is produced by Ota farm in Kubiki Ward Joetsu. They produce various types of breads made from rice flour(comeko)!

Their signature bread is Onigiri Pan.
It looks a rice ball, and It has even fillings inside like a real rice ball does.


We had pizza lunch and Plate lunch at a cafe space! (1,200 yen +tax/each) 
Both were so delicious!
Pizza dough was made from rice flour, and the texture was chewy(mochimochi) and light. 

Enjoy delicious breads and dishes made from locally grown ingredients!

<Gopanya Cafe Come&co>
Address: 732 Hyakkencho Kubiki Ward, Joetsu, Niigata (Across from Kubiki district public hall)

Opening hours:
7:00~18:00 
*Open at 9:00~ In winter season (until the end of March)

Closed: Monday, Tuesday, irregular holidays 
Seats: 12 seats
Parking: 3 car spaces 

#ごぱん屋カフェcome #niigata
#joetsu
#kubiki
#otafarm
#discoverjoetsu 


 


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