Enjoy MatsusakaCity by driving! This is a gourmet model course where you can sightsee Matsusaka's famous B-class gourmet restaurant "Maejima Shokudo", Matsusaka tea cafe, hot springs, and hidden spots at a reasonable price!

▼Table of contents

• Opens at 10:30, excellent! Maejima Shokudo Chicken Yakiniku
• The charm of Maejima Shokudo
• Impressions after eating
• Mezurashi Pass, a little-known spot that can be accessed by walking
• Day trip hot spring Iitaka no Yu
• The charm of Iitaka no Yu
• Deep green tea room where you can enjoy deeply steamed Matsusaka tea
• The charm of Shinryoku Sabo
• At the end
• Click here for model course

*The article is information at the time of interview in December 2023.

▼Time schedule

10:00 Depart Matsusaka Station

10:30-12:00 Chicken Yakiniku lunch at Maejima Shokudo

12:30-14:00 Walking along Mezurashi Pass

14:00-14:50 Bath in Iitaka no Yu

15:00-16:00 Cafe time at Dark Green Tea House

16:30 Return to Matsusaka Station

Opens at 10:30, excellent! Maejima Shokudo Chicken Yakiniku

First, let's have lunch.

Enjoy Matsusaka's soul food, chicken yakiniku.

This is Maejima Shokudo, a chicken yakiniku specialty restaurant located less than 20 minutes by car from Matsusaka Station.

It may seem like a sudden lunch, but Maejima Shokudo opens from 10:30am.

Meat other than young chicken may sell out in the morning, so we recommend going early to avoid the lunchtime crowds.

It was founded in 1967, and in 1972 it moved about 50 meters away and operates at its current location.

Chicken yakiniku eaten with miso sauce is popular.

The charm of Maejima Shokudo

Secret red miso sauce with garlic

The recipe for seasoning the sauce has been followed since 1962.

The flavor of the ingredients and the sweetness and spiciness of the miso sauce are a perfect match for an addictive taste.

Therefore, it is popular with a wide range of people, from locals to tourists.

For those who don't like garlic, there is also a miso sauce without garlic.

Simple yet delicious chicken yakiniku

Chicken yakiniku is higher in protein and lower in fat than regular beef yakiniku.

Our chicken is sourced fresh from local contractors and carefully processed.

There are four types: young, adult (female), kimono, and seseri.

The price is 540 yen (tax included) per person, and you can take it home.

Comfortable store interior

The interior of the restaurant has high ceilings, is spacious, and has a homely atmosphere.

There are 64 seats in total, including tatami rooms, tables, and counter seats, which can be used by a wide range of people, from individuals to families to groups.

Each table is equipped with a smokeless roaster and exhaust duct, so you can enjoy grilled chicken without worrying about smoke.

Here are my impressions after comparing them!

young bird

This is Maejima Shokudo's signature menu.

Tender and juicy, it goes well with the secret garlic miso sauce.

parent

The chicken no longer lays eggs, so it has a chewy texture, but the flavor is concentrated and rich.

Kimo

It's chicken liver.

It has a rich taste that goes well with beer.

Seseri

The meat around the neck is elastic, fatty and has a rich flavor.

Chicken vegetables

A white miso soup that blends the flavors of Chinese cabbage, carrots, and chicken.

We recommend ordering it with chicken yakiniku.

You can also take home some chicken vegetables.

On the take-out menu, ``meat-tsuki'' refers to the soup without vegetables, and ``sauce'' refers to the soup without the meat.

If you are able to prepare your own ingredients, it would be a good idea to purchase ``meat-zuke'' or ``sauce'' and cook it yourself.

In addition to the miso sauce, the chicken and vegetable soup sauce is also exquisite.

I baked it like this.

Maejima Shokudo's main appeal is not only the chicken, but also the sauce.

When you visit MatsusakaCity, please make sure to visit it at least once.

*Seats cannot be reserved, but you can reserve yakiniku and chicken vegetables to take home.

You can also purchase take-out items during your lunch break on weekdays (14:00-15:00).

basic information

Mezurashi Pass, a little-known spot that can be accessed by walking

After lunch, we drove for about 30 minutes to Mezurashi Pass, a little-known tourist spot.

Park your car at `` Michi-no-eki Iidaka Station'' and walk for about 30 minutes along the Wakayama Kaido walking course.

The road is narrow, so it is difficult to go by car.

Mezurashi-togePass has a hand-dug cut through which is approximately 30 meters long.

There are steep rocks on both sides, giving it a ferocious atmosphere.

The rock surface was rough, as if charcoal had been piled up carelessly, and gave a majestic impression.

I walked along the quiet mountain pass, remembering the thoughts of the people who carved it by hand.

During the Edo period, the Wakayama Kaido was used by the Kishu feudal lords for their sankin kotai and for visiting IseJingu.

Also, according to the ``Kokubuki Legend,'' Chinbu Mezurashi-togePass is the place where Amaterasu Omikami and Amanokoyane no Mikoto met.

At this time, Ogami said, ``Oh, it's rare, isn't it Amagoyane no Mikoto?'' and this is said to be the origin of the name ``Mezurashi Pass.''

It is said that Ogami and Mikoto established Mt. Takami as the border between Ise and Yamato at this location.

Day trip hot spring Iitaka no Yu

After walking Mezurashi Pass, I relieved my fatigue at Iitaka no Yu, a day trip natural hot spring facility located inside Michi-no-eki Iidaka Station.

It is a clean facility with a gentle wood scent.

The men's and women's baths change on odd and even days.

We also sell towels for 100 yen each, so you can enter even if you come empty-handed.

Lockers in the changing room require a 100 yen coin, which will be returned after use.

The charm of “Iitaka no Yu”

Natural hot spring quality

This is Michi-no-eki in Mie Prefecture and is the only natural hot spring facility for day trips.

The spring quality is sodium chloride spring and hydrogen carbonate cold mineral spring.

It is said to be effective for peripheral circulation disorders, dry skin, autonomic nervous system instability, rheumatoid arthritis neuralgia, fatigue recovery, etc.

Spectacular view from the open-air bath

You can relax and enjoy the beauty of nature throughout the four seasons from the open-air bath.

It is a quiet hot spring where you can soak while listening to the chirping of birds and insects.

Even from the indoor bath, you can see the clear stream of the Kushida River and the dazzling green nature below.

Various yubune

Iitaka no Yu has 11 types of yubune, 18 tanks including indoor baths and open-air baths.

Let me introduce you a little.

steaming water

Sit in a box made of cypress.

The inside is heated by steam and becomes warm.

kettle bath

Located in an indoor bath, you can enjoy the space to yourself.

There are also maki baths, turtle baths, herbal baths, sleeping baths, dry saunas, and cold baths.

There are two sharp chairs for the sauna outside.

Impressions of taking a bath

The facility was clean, surrounded by magnificent scenery, and the hot springs were quiet and relaxing.

The water is colorless and transparent, has no odor, and stays warm for a long time.

My recommendation is steamed water.

This is a box-shaped steam sauna that only exposes your face, making it difficult for women to get hot.

Your body will be gently steamed from the neck down, and the gentle scent of wood will put your mind at ease.

Complete facilities

In addition to the hot springs, there are restaurants and a specialty goods store called ``Iitakano Store'', so there are many ways to enjoy the area.

The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes made with local ingredients.

``Iitakano Store'' offers a wide selection of products, including fresh agricultural products, fragrant products such as tea and shiitake mushrooms, local specialties such as ``Totto Kimiso'', and products that can only be obtained here. I'll welcome you.

Iitaka-no-Yu is a day-trip hot spring facility with many attractions, including the quality of the natural hot spring water and the spectacular view that can be seen from the indoor bath.

Please stop by when you visit MatsusakaCity.

Equipment outline

Deep green tea room where you can enjoy deeply steamed Matsusaka tea

After enjoying walking and soaking in the hot springs, I headed to "Shinryoku Sabo" in Iinan Town.

It is located about 10 minutes back on Route 166 from "Michi-no-eki Iidaka Station".

This tea shop was established by three tea farmers in 1999, and not only sells tea, but also operates a Matsusaka tea cafe where you can enjoy Japanese sweets.

Matsusaka tea is a deep-steamed sencha produced mainly in the Iinan and Iidaka regions.

By steaming it two to three times longer than usual, it has less bitterness and a mellow flavor and richness.

The inside of the store is quiet, and the scent of tea wafts from the tea incense burner.

There are 25 seats at tables, horigotatsu-style tatami mats, and counter seats.

The Japanese garden can be seen from the window of the tatami room, creating a relaxing space where you can take a breather.

This is the menu.

There were 5 types of tea and 6 types of sweets.

There were four types of [Amaimon], which are homemade tea sweets.

There are also limited edition products that can be enjoyed each season.

The cafe opens from 10am, and you can enjoy Japanese sweets at any time, but you can only order Amaimon from 1pm.

This is what I received this time.

Deep green and tea garden yokan

You can brew the tea yourself while listening to the staff's instructions.

Pour the cooled water into the teapot so that the tea leaves are spread out.

Once the sand has fallen from the hourglass, gently transfer it to the teacup.

The last few drops are packed with flavor, so shake it vertically only at the end.

After the second brew, pour it into the teacup without waiting.

A characteristic of deep-steamed tea is that the color becomes darker during the second and third brews.

The scent of freshly brewed tea soothes your soul.

The Chaen Yokan comes in two varieties, tea yokan and chestnut yokan, with gold leaf on top.

Senju and Chacha Daifuku

The first brew of Senju has a flavor similar to that of soup stock, with a sweet aftertaste.

Chacha Daifuku is a chewy daifuku made by combining tea bean paste with fresh cream.

Nagomi parfait

Contains green tea soft serve, bean paste, shiratama, chestnut nectar, kudzu mochi, warabi mochi, brown rice flakes, etc.

The charm of Shinryoku Sabo

Enjoy the deliciousness of deep steamed tea

Shinryoku Sabo sells deep-steamed tea grown and manufactured in-house.

Its quality is proven, as it has been awarded the Emperor's Cup.

Deep steamed tea from Shinryoku Sabo is characterized by its strong aroma and mellow taste.

Enjoy tea while looking out at the quaint Japanese garden

You can enjoy a relaxing cup of tea while looking out at the seasonal beauty of nature from the window.

Enjoy original tea sweets and sweets

You can enjoy a variety of menu items, including parfaits and Japanese sweets made with Matsusaka tea.

They also sell tea, which is recommended as a souvenir.

After walking or taking a hot spring bath, please come and enjoy the deliciousness of Matsusaka tea at the Matsusaka tea cafe "Shinryoku Sabo".

basic information

At the end

The driving cost for two people was 3,500 yen for Maejima Shokudo, 0 yen for Mezurashi-togePass, 1,720 yen for Iitaka no Yu, and 2,420 yen for Shinryoku Sabo, for a total of 7,640 yen.

Even including gas, it cost less than 10,000 yen.

How was it?

This time we introduced spots along one road.

From Matsusaka Station, the total distance is 60km.

There are no narrow roads, so it is an easy course to drive.

All spots have large parking lots and are easy to park.

If you have time, we recommend adding other spots to enrich your drive.

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