Old Folk House Café & Rental Space & Bike Rental OKAMI
A café and rental space in a renovated former ryotei (Japanese-style restaurant) in Okami Park. You can enjoy our finest coffee and other beverages while gazing at the spectacular view of the Sea of Japan spread across the windows. As a rental space, it is also available for private parties and live performances.
In the spring of 2022, we launched a new electric vehicle (EV) bike rental service, “Kasumi Byun! allowing visitors to ride stylish bikes through the town of Kasumi and stop at tourist attractions.
【Recommended】 Organic coffee, Basque cheesecake, 90-minute bike rental
We are a restaurant directly managed by a seafood processing company. We purchase and serve fresh seafood from Kasumi fishing port, the best place for crabs. We offer a variety of dishes based on the concept of creative seafood cuisine to meet your needs.
Umenoya is a chic, modern, and nostalgic inn in Kasumi. A space where you can relax and enjoy your own time…
Enjoy freshly caught ingredients such as Matsuba crab in winter, Kasumi crab in spring and fall, and live squid in summer, all hand-crafted to take advantage of locally produced and carefully selected ingredients.
【Recommended】 Full Course with Freshly Boiled Matsuba Crab (winter), Live Squid Pla (summer), Full Course with Freshly Boiled Kouzumi Crab (spring&autumn)
It is a very large ski resort with a total of 14 courses and slopes. It is easily accessible, taking about 2 hours from Keihanshin (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe) and Okayama. The ultra-long course from the top of the mountain to the foot of the mountain is the longest in the Kansai region, with a total length of approximately 4,000 meters. At the top of the mountain, you can enjoy a 360° panoramic view.
Other features include a sky road with spectacular views, a kids’ park, and a board mini-park, making it a popular ski resort for a wide range of people. There are also service days for everyone to enjoy, such as Ladies Day and Children’s Day.
The splash of the waterfalls as they cascade down with great force is a cool and refreshing experience. Admiring the blazing colors of the autumn leaves. Waterfalls bring healing in every season. The chirping of birds and the feeling of plants and trees in the mountains on the way to the waterfall make it the perfect place to feel the breath of nature.
There are four one-day spa facilities scattered throughout Kami Town: Kasumi Yatagawa Onsen, Muraoka Onsen, Fureai Onsen Ojiron, and Hachikita Onsen Touji no Sato. The hot spring water heated deep within the geo (land) is a true blessing of the San’in Kaigan Geopark region. Please take your time and relax after your trip.
When people hear of places where they can be healed, the first thing they think of are probably temples and shrines. These include Daijyo-ji Temple, also known as Okyo-ji Temple, which has sliding door paintings by Maruyama Okyo and his disciples; Choraku-ji Temple, known for its three largest wooden Buddhas in the world; and Ojiro Shrine, with dozens of towering 40-meter-high old Japanese cedars. Please visit them.
▲Daijyoji Temple／ Mori 860, Kasumi-ku／0796-36-0602
A national scenic beauty spot belonging to San’in Kaigan National Park. Located almost in the center of the Kasumi Coast, this seaside park faces the Sea of Japan.
It is adjacent to Kasumi Fishing Port, West Port, and the mouth of the Yada River. The land has been reclaimed from the coast and is a recreational area for the town’s residents, with a symbolic tent, spectator seating, children’s plaza and other social facilities, an 8,000 square meter multipurpose plaza (lawn), boardwalk, pine forest, stepped seawall, and Kasumi Beach swimming area.
With an area of 17 hectares, a spring with a daily output of 5,000 tons, and giant katsura trees over 1,000 years old, it is one of the richest natural botanical gardens in Japan in terms of vegetation.
In the park, visitors can see about 2,000 kinds of native plants of trees, grasses, and flowers, and about 300 similar plants. It also has three ponds, which are inhabited by butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, and other insects that children will enjoy.
A Luxurious Spring Walk in Kami Town, Where the Changing of the Seasons Will Make Your Heart Sing
This year, why don’t you make your spring stroll a little more luxurious and take a trip to Kami Town?
Enjoy the cherry blossoms blooming in the magnificent nature, the spectacular that can only tasted here, and enjoy the wonderful beginning of spring.
The white winter landscape is changing, and you will be thrilled by the rich scenery and life ahead.
[Point 1] Walk in the Spring Breeze and Enjoy the Cherry Blossoms in Kami Town
The dynamic view of cherry blossoms along with the sea is a unique feature of spring in Kami Town, facing the Sea of Japan.
You can enjoy the cherry blossoms in Kami Town in a variety of scenes, such as cherry blossoms with lighthouse, cherry blossoms with history, cherry blossoms with trains, and cherry blossoms with the setting sun.
View of the Sea of Japan and Rows of Cherry Blossom Trees from Amarubezaki Lighthouse
Amarubezaki Lighthouse is famous for being the tallest lighthouse in Japan, with a height of 284 meters from the sea surface to the light. In spring, the area from the parking lot to the lighthouse is covered with cherry blossoms.
The contrast between the white lighthouse and the light red cherry blossoms against the blue sea and sky is very beautiful. The cherry blossom trees are lined up all the way to the lighthouse for 1km, going along this cherry blossom road along the Sea of Japan, your heart will be filled with excitement.
Cherry Blossoms in Gotenyama Park with a Sense of History
Gotenyama Park, which used to be called “Sakurayama(Cherry Blossom Mount)” in the old days, boasts both Someiyoshino and double-flowered cherry trees in full bloom. Since the blooming period is different, the double-flowered cherry trees come into full bloom when the Someiyoshino trees have turned in to leafy cherry blossoms, and you can enjoy the cherry blossoms from early to late April.
At Gotenyama Park, the former site of a Jinya(military camp) and a high school have been redeveloped, and you can enjoy the history of the area while surrounded by cherry blossoms.
Take a Picture of the Combination of Cherry Blossoms and Trains
Opposite the station building of JR Kasumi Station, there is a lovely park on a small mountain.
Located between the Yada River and the JR Sanin Line, this Shimayama Donguri Park offers a combination or retro trains, the river, and cherry blossoms that attracts many train fans.
Cherry Blossoms with the Sunset Over the Sea of Japan
At Okami Park in the San’in Kaigan UNESCO Global Geopark, you can watch the cherry blossoms as the sun sets over the Sea of Japan.
The cherry blossoms here bloom early in the Tajima region, and the place has also been selected as one of the 100 best places to watch the sun set in Japan, lavishly telling us that spring is coming.
[Point 2] A Spectacular View of the Breath of Spring
The lively swimming of carp streamers, the vigorous burning of Goma (firewood), and the smell of the earth and water that starts the rice paddies.
Come and be healed not only by the cherry blossoms, but also by the beautiful spring scenery of Kami Town, where you can feel the life force of the earth.
Carp Streamers Leisurely Swim Above the Sea
“Koi-nobori” (carp streamers) in the sky at the Yoroi Fishing Port in Kasumi are a spring tradition in Kami Town. In late spring, about 80 colorful carp streamers of various sizes swim leisurely in the sea breeze of the Japan Sea on a 200-meter-long wire that stretches from the hillside beside the port to a corner of the port.
If you look down from the platform of JR Yoroi Station, which is about 40 meters above sea level, the collaboration of the beautiful fishing village and the energetic carp streamers will remain in your memory.
Mikawa Gongen Grand Festival, a Traditional Event that Brings Spring
Shugenja (mountain ascetics) and yamabushi (mountain priests) from all over the country gather at the Mikawa Gongen Shrine on May 3 every year to hold the Saito-Ogoma-Houyou (Great Goma Ceremony) as a great festival that brings spring. Along with Ominesan in Yamato and Santokuzan in Hoki, this event is one of the three major Gongen in Japan and attracts people’s faith.
In this quiet place, usually lit by the sunlight filtering through the trees, Shugendo practitioners bravely blow the hora-kai. The flames and smoke rising from the more than one-meter-long goma that is ignited after the arrows are shot in the four directions of the precincts are a sight to behold. Many people come from all over the town and beyond to pray for the safety of their homes and the success of their prayers.
Water Mirror in Terraced Rice Paddies, a Springtime Tradition
At the end of April, the terraced rice paddies of Ueyama, located in Ojiro, which means “small rice paddies”, are flooded with water during the “shirokaki” ceremony. Although small in scale (39 paddy fields, 3.1 ha), the uniquely curced slopes become a large mirror during this period.
The best time to visit is at dawn in spring ,when the white ridges and purplish clouds envelop the area, but you can enjoy these spectacular terraced rice paddies day and night.
[Point 3] Kami Town’s “Taste” of Spring
Blackthroat seaperch and firefly squid are the pride of Kami Town in spring. We will introduce fresh seafood from the rough waves of Japan Sea, as well as nutritious mountain produce that has survived the severe cold. Please enjoy them.
Firefly Squid Adorns the table
Firefly squid, a delicacy of the sea that heralds spring, is caught at its peak between March and May. In recent years. Hyogo Prefecture has been the largest catch in Japan. The freshly boiled firefly squid has a salty taste and strong umami flavor that spreads in your mouth.
Boiled is the standard way to eat it , but it can also be dipped in sweet vinegar, fried, or used as an ingredient in stir-fries, adding color to your table in a wide variety of ways.
Nodoguro, the “White Fatty Tuna”
Off the coast of San’in, where Kami Town is located, there are sandbars and sandy areas surrounded by rocky reefs, where the best Nodoguro (Blackthroat seaperch) can be caught among all the Nodoguro fishing grounds in Japan. The Nodoguro caught in the deep-sea smelt fishing grounds are so fatty and delicious that local fishermen call them “the throat of sand borers fishing ground” and treasured it for centuries.
The popular shioyaki (grilled fish with salt) is just like a toro (fatty white meat) with overflowing juice, fluffy texture, and sweet flavor as soon as you put your chopsticks into it.
Fresh Glass Shrimps, as Popular as Crabs
The shrimp landed in the nutrient-rich fishing grounds are also unique to Kami Town in spring. The fresh sashimi has firm flesh with a melt-in-your-mouth sweetness and a unique plumpness. Grilled , boiled, or tempura, or will fill your mouth with its fragrant and plump texture.
Nutritious Mountain Vegetable Dishes that Herald Spring
Fukinoto (butterbut’s wax gourd), yomogi (mugwort), zanmai (royal fern), and taranome (cod’s sprouts) are all in season with the arrival of spring, and are full of the blessings or the earth.
In areas such as Hachikita, you can feel the end of winter and the coming of spring at the same time by piking wild vegetables that peek out from between the remaining snow on the plateau. In addition, wild vegetables are rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.
After admiring the vastness of nature with your eyes, please enjoy the bounty of nature with your taste buds.
[Point 4] Roadside Station Special: Treat Yourself to Local Products for Hanami and Picnics
A good meal is essential when going out for Hanami (cherry blossom viewing), outdoors, or during a drive. Why don’t you stop by a roadside station where you can find local specialties and spring ingredients? Let’s enjoy the taste of spring along with the scenery.
Roadside Station Hachikita for a Break!
Roadside Station Hachikita, near the ski resort, is a place to come in the spring after winter.
It has a wide variety of local vegetables and specialties, as well as Tajima Highland chicken Oyako-don bowl and other local foods. You can take a break in the middle of a drive, or relax and enjoy a meal, or get information on sightseeing.
Roadside Station Muraoka Farm Garden, Where You Can Find a Variety of Tajima Beef.
Muraoka Farm Garden is a roadside station with a red roof reminiscent of the European countryside. Here, they specialize in Tajima beef and offer more than 30 kinds of dishes such as Tajima beef buns and steaks.
In addition to Tajima beef, there is a wide variety of local vegetables and specialties, including Tajima rice and Mikata Dainagon red bean, known as “Mikata Ruby”. They have a full takeout menu as well as a restaurant menu. The hamburger with a special patty made of Tajima beef is very popular and is also a must-have souvenir!
Roadside Station Ayu no Sato: Enjoy the Clear Water of Yadagawa
Ayu no Sato Yadagawa is a roadside station with a nostalgic feel. You can enjoy seasonal delicacies from the river while looking at the clear water of the Yadagawa River, which flows into the Sea of Japan. The fresh salted grilled ayu(sweetfish) and the special rice cooked with river crabs are excellent.
Why don’t you take a break and enjoy the view of the Yadagawa River with cherry blossoms dancing in spring?
Come to Roadside Station Amarube When You Reach the Amarube Railway Bridge
Roadside Station Amarube, located directly under the Amarube Viaduct, was built in the image of a rustic boathouse that blends into the local landscape, based on the motif of the relaxed flow of time in the countryside.
It offers a wide range of meals that make the most of fresh ingredients, especially seafood from the Sea of Japan. The most popular item on the menu is the fish cutlet burger. Please try this unique local gourmet dish with odorless deep-sea smelts and juicy vegetables on a fluffy bun, accented with the aroma of lemon.
