Restaurants

``Onogisou'' is popular for its four private baths named Kachofuugetsu. Along with the warmth of the natural hot springs that have a hidden history, it is the home-cooked meals of the proprietress, Miwa Shimura, that capture the hearts of guests.

When you think of hot spring inns, you think of Japanese food. When it comes to Japanese cuisine, the quality of the ingredients comes into question. Amago, which has both a beautiful appearance and a delicious taste, is one of the local products unique to Umegashima. Fresh live fish is purchased from the nearby Toto no Sato, then seasoned with coarse salt and then slowly grilled in an irori hearth. Accompanying the dish are Mr. Shimura's handmade salted amago and wasabi from Umegashima, which was produced at Sugiyama Farm using the traditional cultivation of Shizuoka water wasabi, which is recognized as a World Agricultural Heritage site. "It's rich in sweetness and sticky like wild yam. You can grate it yourself while it's still fresh," says Shimura proudly.

Mr. Shimura is also eager to take on challenges that go beyond the framework of Japanese cuisine. In 2023, the ``Aoi Kamon'' pasta, which features the live flavors of Umegashima, won the grand prize at the ``Reiwa Edition Ieyasu Tempura Contest'' sponsored by the Shizuoka Prefecture Tourism Association. Tea grown in the clear waters of the Abe River (fermented tea ``Horoni'') and wasabi original sauce create a refreshing color, aroma, and taste. The idea of ​​using wasabi leaf tempura to resemble a three-leaved hollyhock shines. ``I want to serve natural products as naturally as possible. That is the best hospitality of this place,'' Shimura believes.

In addition to about 10 brands of local sake from Shizuoka Prefecture, you can also enjoy whiskey from Shizuoka Distillery, along with the seasonal blessings of Umegashima. Thanks in part to the popularity of Japanese whiskey in recent years, "new local sake" is quickly becoming a myth. Even so, we are still able to offer it because we are barrel owners with a sense of support.

Umegashima's unique hospitality leads to repeat customers and referrals, and when you feel that your hearts and minds are connected, ``you can forget everything,'' says Shimura. ``I want to invite more customers to Oxy's,'' he says as he continues to show off his cooking skills today.

The Aoi family crest pasta created by Mr. Shimura won the grand prize at the Reiwa version of Ieyasu's Tempura Contest.

*From the article “Introducing the 2020 Fujinokuni Food Capital Creation Worker Award Winners”