We woke early in order to enjoy breakfast in the hotel restaurant on the 12th floor. Eating our meal (which included several Osaka specialties like takoyaki) while enjoying the view of Osaka Castle was a great start to the day.
After a lovely breakfast, we drove to Kobe to Glicopia - the factory that makes Pocky and Pretz, two very famous snacks. My husband was able to get us reservations for the factory/museum tour. We learned a bit about the history of the company (which originated as a caramel company that added oyster concentrate into its confections for a little bit of nutrition) and saw the machines that make Pocky and Pretz. We also got the make virtual snacks in their virtual bakery. I did see a kitchen that I assume is currently closed due to Covid, but might otherwise offer classes to make your own treats.
I've been to the Glico factory before. Even though the tours are all in Japanese, it is fun to see everything. The signs above the factory viewing windows have English, allowing me to learn about what various machines do.
For lunch, we decided to enjoy an Akashi region treat called Akashiyaki. It looks like takoyaki, and even contains octopus, but is definitely a different dish. Using a batter made of eggs, flour, starch, and dashi stock, the balls are cooked in the same pan as takoyaki with a chunk of octopus in each one. The balls are light and fluffy, with a very soft, but fully cooked, center. It is served on a wooden platform and either dipped in a dashi broth or with a dab of sauce (similar to a bbq sauce). Akashiyaki is very tender, and we ripped more than one with our chopsticks. The advantage to this is letting out some of the steam, as they are served very hot. The simple dish is delectable. My whole family enjoyed it.
All too soon, we were back on the road, heading across the longest suspension bridge in the world. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge spans 1,991 meters (6,532.2 feet). It is a beautiful bridge taking people from Kobe to Awaji Island (called Awajishima). Shortly after arriving on the island, there is a rest stop (called a Highway Oasis) that is perfect for photographs. Japanese rest stops are amazing little places with restaurants, shopping, and CLEAN bathrooms.
Up next on the agenda was a fukimodoshi or party noisemaker factory! This fun stop had us making our own noisemakers. These fun devices are 90% made by hand - even in the factory. So, it was a lot of fun assembling them ourselves. After paying a small fee (400 for children and 800 for adults), we chose the materials to make 6 noisemakers each. After curling the paper and attaching it to the mouthpiece, we went outside where we tested one of our wares and were even taught a couple tricks.
Since we had time, we swung by the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake museum. This museum focuses on what happened during the January 17, 1995 earthquake that rocked the island, Kobe, and surrounding areas resulting in the deaths of over 5,000 people. Our son was quite shocked to see the real examples of shifted earth and structures resulting from the earthquake. While this isn't a "must see" on many people's list of things to do, I do think it is important to understand what an earthquake can do when residing in an area where earthquakes are commonplace. (And let me tell you, they happen ALL THE TIME here!)
Finally, we headed to my husband's family's timeshare on the island. We bathed in the onsen and enjoyed an incredible dinner.
After a lovely breakfast, we drove to Kobe to Glicopia - the factory that makes Pocky and Pretz, two very famous snacks. My husband was able to get us reservations for the factory/museum tour. We learned a bit about the history of the company (which originated as a caramel company that added oyster concentrate into its confections for a little bit of nutrition) and saw the machines that make Pocky and Pretz. We also got the make virtual snacks in their virtual bakery. I did see a kitchen that I assume is currently closed due to Covid, but might otherwise offer classes to make your own treats.
I've been to the Glico factory before. Even though the tours are all in Japanese, it is fun to see everything. The signs above the factory viewing windows have English, allowing me to learn about what various machines do.
For lunch, we decided to enjoy an Akashi region treat called Akashiyaki. It looks like takoyaki, and even contains octopus, but is definitely a different dish. Using a batter made of eggs, flour, starch, and dashi stock, the balls are cooked in the same pan as takoyaki with a chunk of octopus in each one. The balls are light and fluffy, with a very soft, but fully cooked, center. It is served on a wooden platform and either dipped in a dashi broth or with a dab of sauce (similar to a bbq sauce). Akashiyaki is very tender, and we ripped more than one with our chopsticks. The advantage to this is letting out some of the steam, as they are served very hot. The simple dish is delectable. My whole family enjoyed it.
All too soon, we were back on the road, heading across the longest suspension bridge in the world. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge spans 1,991 meters (6,532.2 feet). It is a beautiful bridge taking people from Kobe to Awaji Island (called Awajishima). Shortly after arriving on the island, there is a rest stop (called a Highway Oasis) that is perfect for photographs. Japanese rest stops are amazing little places with restaurants, shopping, and CLEAN bathrooms.
Up next on the agenda was a fukimodoshi or party noisemaker factory! This fun stop had us making our own noisemakers. These fun devices are 90% made by hand - even in the factory. So, it was a lot of fun assembling them ourselves. After paying a small fee (400 for children and 800 for adults), we chose the materials to make 6 noisemakers each. After curling the paper and attaching it to the mouthpiece, we went outside where we tested one of our wares and were even taught a couple tricks.
Since we had time, we swung by the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake museum. This museum focuses on what happened during the January 17, 1995 earthquake that rocked the island, Kobe, and surrounding areas resulting in the deaths of over 5,000 people. Our son was quite shocked to see the real examples of shifted earth and structures resulting from the earthquake. While this isn't a "must see" on many people's list of things to do, I do think it is important to understand what an earthquake can do when residing in an area where earthquakes are commonplace. (And let me tell you, they happen ALL THE TIME here!)
Finally, we headed to my husband's family's timeshare on the island. We bathed in the onsen and enjoyed an incredible dinner.
Then, we called it goodnight because we were all exhausted.
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment