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The town of Nagamabe (おしゃまんべえき), Hokkaido, is famous for its famous food, “Crab and Rice Bento,” as well as its natural hot springs, which were accidentally spewed out during the exploration of natural gas! A niche spot that always brings surprises, we look forward to many more visits.
🤗 01 The Past Life of Nagawanabe
Located in the northern part of Hokkaido's Watarajima Comprehensive Revitalization Bureau, Nagamanbe-cho is a town whose main economic pillars are animal husbandry, fishing and forestry. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with Uchiura Bay to the east, and is home to Nagamanbe-dake and Write-Manbe Mountain, from which the Nagamanbe River flows. Nagamanbe Town has been an important transportation hub in Japan since ancient times, and is still the intersection of the JR Hakodate Main Line and the Muroran Main Line.
There are several explanations for the origin of the name “Nagamanbe,” but the most common is that it is derived from the Ainu language of the indigenous people of Hokkaido, which means “an estuary with a lot of flounder downstream,” or “an estuary with a lot of flounder! “. The official website of Nagawanbe Town uses the term “estuary where many flounder can be caught”.
Nagawanabe is also a place rich in natural resources and beautiful scenery. The area is rich in forests, crisscrossed by rivers, and has an abundance of water, which has bountiful fisheries and agriculture. The climate in Nagawanabe is relatively warm compared to the rest of Hokkaido, with less snowfall, which makes it even more favorable for agricultural production. Every winter, despite the low temperatures, many tourists are attracted to the area to experience the Hokkaido winter.
Nagawanabe, a town with a long history, has been regarded as an important gateway to Hokkaido since the Edo period. The town is conveniently connected to all major cities in Hokkaido and is an important center for logistics and commerce. Due to its unique location, Nagawanabe has also long been a place of war. Nowadays, with modernization, Nagamabe has been gradually transformed into a town of sightseeing, agriculture, and hot springs.
🤗 02 Specialties of Nagawanabe
As mentioned above, the representative food of Nagamabe is “Kani-meshi-bento” (crab and rice bento). The crab and rice bento originated in the early Showa period, and due to a shortage of foodstuffs after the war, the tateyoshi (Japanese restaurant) in Nagamine Station would sell “boiled crab” instead of the traditional bento. The dish underwent a number of improvements in order to allow more people to enjoy the taste of crab, and was finally introduced to the market in 1950, and in 1966, the crab rice bento won the first place in Japan at the National Station Bento Contest, and has since become one of the symbols of Nagamabe.
Not only is Nagamabe's crab rice delicious, but it is also made with the utmost care. First, fresh Hokkaido crabs are used, boiled, dismantled, mixed with a special sauce and rice, and served in a bento box. This crab rice retains not only the freshness of the crab meat but also the sweetness of the rice, giving it a rich and memorable flavor. Today, a number of restaurants in Jovanbe Town offer this cuisine, and visitors can choose to pack it up and take it with them, or enjoy freshly baked crab rice at the restaurant. In addition, in order to accommodate the pace of life and needs of modern people, Crab Rice Honpo has introduced a frozen version of crab rice for visitors to purchase at any time.
As the birthplace of crab rice, Crab Rice Honpo is a popular place for tourists to savor this delicacy. The restaurant's special “free seats” reproduce the seating layout of a train, allowing diners to enjoy their meal while experiencing the unique atmosphere of railroad travel. The screen in front of the “compartment” reflects the scenery of the railroad, giving you the illusion that you are eating inside the train. In addition, a vending machine outside the store offers frozen crab rice bento, ensuring that visitors can purchase this delicacy even during non-business hours. In order to ensure the quality of the crab rice, the Crab Rice Honpo has a limited number of servings per day, so it is recommended that you visit early so as not to miss out on the opportunity to savor this delicacy.
Crab and Rice Honpo (かにめし本舗 かなや)
Address: 40-2 Aza Nagamanbe, Nagamanbe-cho, Yamagoe-gun, Hokkaido
🤗 03 Natural hot springs in Nagawanabe
Nagawanabe is not only famous for its food, but also for its hot springs, which attract a large number of tourists. on August 8, 2022, a column of water about 30 meters high suddenly erupted from the woods near the local Iiyo Shrine, attracting a large number of tourists to watch. The salt spring continued to erupt for a month and a half before finally stopping. This natural phenomenon has also revived interest in the Nagamabe Hot Springs.
The Nagamanbe Hot Springs were accidentally discovered during natural gas exploration, and their water is known for its high-temperature, weakly alkaline quality, which has significant cosmetic and therapeutic effects. The hot spring water is rich in a variety of minerals that promote blood circulation, soothe muscle fatigue, and are especially good for moisturizing the skin, making it smooth and delicate. In addition, the Nagamanbe Hot Spring is very rich in water, gushing out about 600 liters per minute, which makes it a perfect hot spring facility for visitors to enjoy the natural hot springs in a comfortable environment.
Nagawanabe has been a transportation hub since ancient times, and the present-day hot spring town still retains many historical sites and cultural traditions. Visitors can experience the long history and culture of Nagawanabe while having a spa treatment. There are also a variety of recreational facilities within the onsen area, making it ideal for intensive training and seminars, making it an ideal choice for many companies and groups.
Nigurashi Radium Hot Spring (Nigurashi Pitchoumu Hot Spring), located at the foot of Mt. “Nigurashi Radium Hot Springs is famous for its unique limestone domes, which were formed by the deposition of minerals in the hot spring water, and which have accumulated over the years to form hills up to 25 meters high. This peculiar landscape is extremely rare in the world, with similar landscapes only found in Yellowstone National Park in the United States and here. “Not only is the Ershu Radium Hot Springs a unique landscape, but the water quality of the hot springs is also effective in treating gastrointestinal diseases, which attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to come and experience the hot springs.
The hot spring inns and hotels in the Ergu Radium Hot Spring area are well-equipped and provide a comfortable environment for tourists to stay and recuperate. Visitors can not only enjoy the therapeutic effects of the hot springs, but also participate in a variety of outdoor activities, such as mountain climbing and hiking, to fully experience the charm of Hokkaido's nature. The onsen area also offers a wide variety of dining facilities where visitors can enjoy traditional cuisine made with local ingredients, adding even more memories to their trip.
🤗 04 Nagawanabe's visionary outlook
As the times have changed, Nagawanabe has also changed and grown. With the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, Nagawanabe will become one of the major transportation hubs in the northern and southern parts of Hokkaido, further consolidating its central position in the Hokkaido transportation network. In the future, Nagawanabe will continue to capitalize on its natural resources and strive to develop into a comprehensive town with a focus on tourism, agriculture and hot springs. At the same time, Nagawanabe will further improve its infrastructure and the quality of life of its residents, attracting more people to settle and invest in the area.
Nagawanabe, a small town in Hokkaido, is gradually making its way to the world stage thanks to its unique location and rich natural resources. Whether it is food, hot springs, or natural beauty, it is worth every visitor's time to explore and experience. In the years to come, Nagawanbe will continue to attract more and more visitors with its unique charm and bring unforgettable trips to Hokkaido to more people.
- Author:japan guides
- URL:https://japan-guides.com/article/culture-58
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