Hello! A blog post to continue my #CheesieConquersWestJapan journey.

I have been to Kyoto several times but this is my first time visiting Amanohashidate (天橋立). Did you know that Kyoto actually is by the sea? Many people don’t picture Kyoto and the ocean together, but Amanohashidate, located at the Kyotango Peninsula is also dubbed “Kyoto by the Sea”. It’s a very very different side of the usual traditional Kyoto we have in mind. 🙂

To travel to Amanohashidate, we are boarding the Kyoto Tango Railway that connects Kyoto and Hyogo prefecture (I was coming from Himeji).

Guess what? Kyotango Railway is operated by a different company, you can still ride it with your KANSAI WIDE AREA PASS!

Love this little retro train (there’s only one car!).

And we have arrived at Amanohashidate!

White ichigo – grown in Kyoto!

 

Marinetopia Resort – Hoshi No Oto

This is one of the highlights of my trip – staying at Hoshi no Oto, a newly opened luxurious onsen resort in Amanohashidate.

Unlike many traditional onsen ryokan, this is a villa-style resort that offers lots of privacy, perfect for a quiet getaway.

Dinner -Taiza Crab(間人蟹) Course Meal

This is Taiza crab, a winter specialty from Kyoto’s Tango peninsula. The catch is really small so it’s really a rare delicacy hard to come by. Usually it’s not sold anywhere outside Kyotango and many people come all the way to Kyotango just to taste it!

The first course was Black Cattle Wagyu Roast Beef with organic salad from the resort’s very own farm. I squealed when the dish was brought to me.

Have you seen any prettier salad than this???

Paired with really, really good Japanese sake.

And the second dish was abalone with radish and yuba in a thick sauce, topped with a too generous amount of crab meat. (That was what I thought at the moment as I had no idea what was about to come next.)

Just when you thought you are done with the colorful vegetables, the sashimi platter came embellished with the prettiest hue of seasonal greens (and I guess pinks, reds, etc ?? Haha). There’s even a crab leg – eaten sashimi-style!

Cutest purple radish ever. (Yes you can eat the whole thing – leaves too.)

Steamed Taiza Crab on volcavic rock (?) of Mt Fuji using a special infrared technology (I totally suck at translation haha). But this was the highlight of our dinner! I am a big fan of eating good crab the most original way – steamed. Steamed crabs come out the sweetest with the richest, purest flavor!! Some may say eating it raw is the best way to enjoy it fresh, but raw crab has this slight creamy-chewiness to it. I much prefer it steamed definitely!

What came along with it is the baked crab shell with Kanimiso (crab roe). Oh so good my heart hurts now. I want it again T__T

And also chargoal grilled crab (of other parts of the body. It was a HUGE crab!)

What came after was the shabu shabu crab legs. At this time I was already pretty full @.@

And slightly tipsy.

Actually, pretty tipsy.

But it was SO GOOD.

Hmmmmmm. I want it now. Like now…

I really thought that was the end of our meal. No lo. I was told there was still a crab porridge. WITH SHAVED TRUFFLE. And some super atas egg laid by super atas hens. Haha. Topped with whatever crab that’s leftover from the meal.

I ordered an extra extra tiny bowl.

This was it.

Look at the amount of crab meat.

Now let’s look at this photo again:

Yes. I was dining with Irene my friend, and here are TWO WHOLE CRABS. One each for us.

 

Room

Our room was pretty minimalistic, spacious enough for a ver comfortable stay. But the star of this resort is…

Double Onsen.

This is the indoor bath area with clear hot spring.

And the outdoor bath area with “golden onsen”.

And that’s not all. Your very own private onsen that’s overlooking a pool.

Life.

 

Breakfast

The next morning!! I hadn’t even digested the crab in my tummy from dinner, and here it is – a full Japanese breakfast spread.

With Kani Miso Soup.

Colorful vegetables again!! I don’t wanna eat my salads any other monotone way anymore haha.

 

The Suite

Marinetopia Resort also has a few other types of accommodation nearby, such as The Suite, a independent villa-style suite that come with your very own pool!!

BBQ Pit, and all that. Perfect for a summer family staycation.

It’s so amazingly huge you will wish you can bring your golden retrievers here.

Indoor space.

 

Glamp Dome

Glamping trend is catching up in Japan!

For the wilder spirits, you may want to put up a night outdoor in the nature.

The interior is actually super comfy. It was winter time so they even have the typical Japanese “Kotatsu” (a table covered with blankets and heater inside it?!).

 

BBQ Lunch

So I completed my 3 meals in Marinetopia Resort, and the lunch was really cool too. It was at a indoor BBQ room (in summer you do it outdoor!) right by the river.

What we had – roast beef, maguro tataki, charcoal-grilled chicken, homemade curry rice, baked potatoes and daikon, and freshly baked pizza!!

Everything was so yummy!!!

 

White Ichigo Picking

So you might have tried Ichigo-picking in Japan. I bet they were red.

I have never heard of white-ichigo picking because they are so so rare and super expensive!! But did you that you can pick white ichigo here?

The white ichigo at the beginning of this post? It is from this farm!

It was a specially arranged activity by Hoshinooto, so I could feast on a white strawbie buffet.

It’s pure white!

Depending on the season, please check with Marinetopia if this activity is available. 🙂

 

To see in Amanohashidate

Motoise Kono Shrine (元伊勢籠神社)

The most important spiritual sites at Amanohashidate. It is said that the gods at the most sacred shrine in Japan, Ise Jingu, is believed to have come from here, hence the name “Moto Ise” (original Ise).

 

Chionji Temple (智恩寺文殊堂)

This temple houses one of Japan’s “Three Important Statues of Monju Bosatsu”, the Buddhist god of wisdom and intellect, which makes it a popular site to pray for academic success for students.

It’s also famous for its fan-shaped Omikuji, and I got a Super Good Luck charm that day!!!

Amanohashidate Sandbar

And of course, not to forget the most important attraction – Amanohashidate Sandbar, which is one of the 3 Scenic Views in Japan (along with Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture and Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima Prefecture).

The best way to enjoy the view is from high up the hill by taking the cable car.

Or you can go near to the sandbar and you can actually take a walk or cycle along it! (It takes around 15-20 minutes to cross Amanohashidate by bicycle and about 1 hour on foot.)

And enjoy the beautiful ocean view in the area.

That’s all for today on Kyoto by the Sea. Check back for more soon!  ^^

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