Enjoy OdaiTown at classic and latest spots! ~Woodworking workshop, dog forest play, illumination SUP, Instagrammable gourmet food at Michi-no-eki & Forest Pier~: Ai Yamamoto Miebi! OdaiTown Part 2

Ai Yamamoto’s view! Continuing from vol.9, we will travel to Odai-cho, Taki OdaiTown this time as well.
Last time, we got our bodies moving by hiking Mt. Hokusomon, which is a fun challenge even for beginners, got a panoramic view of the UNESCO Eco Park town from the mountaintop observation deck, and visited stylish cafes and general stores.
It was a fun trip with lots of encounters.

[See Ai Yamamoto! vol.9】Click here for “How to enjoy winter in OdaiTown ~ Outdoor & contemporary art experience ♪ Visiting general stores and cafes ♡ A journey to discover new charms of OdaiTown ~”!

I wasn't able to introduce it last time, but this is the base for sightseeing in OdaiTown! This is "Michi-no-eki Okuise Odai".
We had the most popular ``Today's Ekiben (Limited to 30 meals a day on weekdays)'' at the restaurant ``Magokoro Shokudo'' located inside Michi-no-eki Okuise Odai, where the seats are full every day during lunch time. Ta!

Plenty of handmade side dishes using seasonal vegetables♪
It comes with miso soup and a large serving of rice. This volume costs 740 yen including tax. We recommend arriving early for lunch as it is sure to sell out!

Not only the main dish, fried shrimp, but also the handmade side dishes, all of which are delicious and well-balanced, will leave you very satisfied! I'm also interested in the local burger "Odai Burger" and the new product "Okuise de pancake"!
I would like to come back to eat again♪

After filling your stomach, head over to Okuise Terrace, where you visited last time, to get the latest tourist information♪
I also bought Miyagawa Bussan's Okuise Yuzu drink from the ``Yuzuko vending machine'' installed next to the terrace. It is said that picking up a vending machine in the background is the best way to start a trip to OdaiTown.
The yellow vending machine is so cute!


Out of the 4 types of drinks, I chose "Yuzukko Cider"!
A mildly sweet local cider made with yuzu from OdaiTown. This cider has a light and refreshing taste, and you can fully enjoy the sweetness and aroma of yuzu, making you feel refreshed♪
It was so delicious! I feel like drinking again. No wonder there are so many repeat customers!

Today is a nice day to go out! So let's get started on a trip to the latest spots in OdaiTown! !


Before the woodworking workshop, I came to Takeda Seizai to learn about wood. This place is called the ``Sacred Land of Wood'' by artists who work with wood, and woodworkers, craft artists, and kumiki artists come from all over the country to buy wood.
We stock over 100 types of domestically produced lumber, which is called miscellaneous wood and which is not handled by general sawmills.

As soon as I entered Takeda Seizai, I was greeted by a lot of wood, and was overwhelmed by the variety!
There are various types of trees here, including broad-leaved trees, coniferous trees, and fruit trees.

Mr. Takeda said, ``This is the funniest sawmill in Mie Prefecture.'' Mr. Takeda took the time to explain each piece of lumber collected from all over the country in detail, and we also heard many interesting stories. I learned a lot!

Mr. Takeda loves trees and is promoting the forestry and lumber industry. He was a wonderful, kind and warm person.
I was very happy to receive a power tree as a souvenir, which is said to bring good luck☆
Thank you for your valuable story!

OdaiTown, Odai-machi, where Takeda Seizai is located, was once called Ema Ginza, and was a bustling shopping district that even had two movie theaters. The shopping district is starting to regain its vitality.

A new store opened on March 22, 2020, alongside the general store "GreenDale" that I visited on my last trip.
Zakka Sukui is a shop that sells wooden cutlery and accessories.

A gentle and warm space based on white.
All of the accessories here are made of wood, and are all attractive and wonderful items that you can't get anywhere else. It seems that the trees are not colored, but I was surprised to find that they were more colorful than I imagined, with some being yellow, blue, and black!

The cute and stylish design made me want this and that so I ended up shopping ♪ lol

What you can experience at this shop is the ``Playing with Trees. Photo Frame Workshop,'' which both beginners and children can easily participate in.

From a box filled with wood of various types and colors, you will paste the one you want to use in your photo frame with glue.
I was immediately immersed right after the start... I got confused and it took me an hour to complete it. It's so much fun to be able to make it the way you like it ♪ I can't help but be particular about it! lol


It seems that the wood that sukui sells is also purchased from Takeda Seizai. Local people sometimes share the wood they cut in the mountains. This is unique to Odai Town, a forestry OdaiTown!
This photo frame I made is a L size photo. We also have mini-sized photo frames that even small children can easily make, and we also have plenty of workshops!

A Shibuya couple moved to OdaiTown and opened Zakka Sukui. The gentle and warm atmosphere of the two of them made me feel very warm. I was happy to be able to talk to you so much♪

Handmade woodworks filled with warmth created by two wonderful people.
Why not come across these one-of-a-kind works in a relaxing space?

Next is the intermediate woodworking workshop. The workshop, which is popular among celebrities in Tokyo, will now be available in OdaiTown too♪ The workshop at the UNESCO Eco Park surrounded by nature is full of special feeling!

What I came to was a workshop called ``The Day I Go to the Forest.'' A woodworker based in a workshop in Tokyo.
Kazuto Yoshikawa has started activities in OdaiTown with support from Toyota Motor Corporation. Since May 2019, this spacious workshop with high ceilings has been our base in OdaiTown. With education and manufacturing as its pillars, the ``Day to the Forest'' project is currently preparing for full-scale launch.

Mr. Yoshikawa will teach us the workshop ``Making Butter Knives in the Forest.''
We will make a butter knife using Yamazakura from Takeda Seizai, which we visited earlier.
The roughly shaped wood is processed using a small knife, a Nanjing plane, and sandpaper. It's my first time using both a small sword and a plane, so I'm excited. Listen to the explanation of the procedure and get started!

First, I shaved off the corner with a small knife, and I was so excited to do it like a student and it was so much fun! The sound of carving the wood was very soothing and it was a happy time filled with healing effects♪

Thanks to Mr. Yoshikawa's kind guidance, I was able to have a lot of fun making it. It looks like it would be fun to come alone or with family or friends ♪ I want to experience it again!

For more information on workshop dates, participation fees, etc., please contact OdaiTown Tourism Association.

Here, I went to Okuise Forest Pier, where I was staying.
Last time I stayed in a hotel room, but this time I stayed in a cottage.

The whole cottage is so spacious! ! The warm wooden structure allows you to relax and unwind. Not only is there air conditioning and heating, but the kitchen and cooking utensils are fully equipped, so it looks like it'll be fun to make a meal together!

The luxurious space on the second floor will get you excited.
Feels like a small villa ♪ I want to stay here!

There are 5 cottages, all with different floor plans♪

After exploring the cottage, enjoy an elaborate French dinner prepared by the chef at Restaurant Ange located inside Okuise Forest Pier. It's the start of a wonderful night♪

This is a French course that makes use of local ingredients and seasonal ingredients from the Kumanonada Sea.
In addition to main dishes such as fish and meat, there is a wide variety of delicious options including salads, soups, desserts, and after-meal drinks. All of the dishes are exquisite and have a gentle taste, and the deliciousness of the ingredients themselves can be clearly seen.

The presentation is delicate and beautiful, and your body and soul will be completely satisfied!
Enjoy stylish and luxurious French cuisine to your heart's content in a lovely mountain villa! It's the best dinner time!

Since it's a great trip, you want to enjoy it even after dark.
A new activity that will be introduced is the night outdoor "Illumination SUP."

SUP is an abbreviation for stand up paddleboarding, and it is a water activity in which you stand on a special boat with excellent stability and buoyancy, and move forward by paddling.
This "Illumination SUP" is a program that allows you to have the Sono River, a tributary of the Miyagawa River, all to yourself, and you can enjoy SUP under the fantastic illuminations!
It's shallow water, so it's safe even at night or for first-timers. We had a great time in the beautiful and clear Sonokawa!

It was the best refresher!

We had a lot of fun at night. I think I'll sleep well♪ Good night. . .

Good morning!

Breakfast will be served at Restaurant Ange in Forest Pier, the same as yesterday, while looking out at the morning view from the window.
Breakfast is a Japanese set meal filled with the blessings of nature, centered around porridge. A refreshing and healthy breakfast! Rice porridge cooked with delicious Miyagawa water and side dishes such as salmon, shishamo, and fried eggs.
You can enjoy your own porridge by adding porridge toppings such as pickled plums, charabuki, and mentaiko.

You will feel warm and happy as you enjoy a delicious set meal that will leave you satisfied as time passes slowly and gently.
Let's enjoy the day today too! !

Do you know about pet tourism?
With the growing demand for dogs to travel with family members, an initiative to enjoy the outdoors with dogs is about to start in OdaiTown.

Like Mr. Yoshikawa, Mr. Akira Oda is working on initiatives that utilize the ``Toyota Mie Miyagawa Forest'' owned by Toyota Motor Corporation in OdaiTown.
Mr. Oda was previously a salaryman working in Tokyo. After starting to keep a dog, she wanted to create an outdoor field in the forest where she could enjoy herself without a leash.
In order to make that dream come true, I quit my job and am currently based in OdaiTown, where I create a forest space where dogs and their families can be excited and sometimes healed together.

A walk in the forest with Mr. Oda and his Jack Russell terriers, Genki and Nonki. Enjoy the scents and sounds of the forest and the murmuring of the river with your dog♪
Since it was a no-leash program, the dogs were running around freely and energetically, and I joined in and had a lot of fun!

We played in the river, played in the forest, and sometimes took pictures...
I was really excited and enjoyed the movements and expressions that the dogs showed. Not only can you meet Genki-kun and Nonki-kun, but you can also bring your own pets and play with them in this secluded natural environment, so it's sure to be a great memory-making experience ♪ I'm sure you're used to it. Let's have fun with Genki-kun and Nonki-kun♪ lol
I'm sure your dog will be very excited about this special playground like no other!

I want to go to Wanko no Mori to see them again ~ Thank you for all the healing!

The trip ends with a picnic. This is also one of the new ways to enjoy OdaiTown.
It's called ``Odai Picnic,'' where you can go empty-handed and enjoy a picnic at your favorite spot in the great outdoors of OdaiTown.

Hmm! Good weather! Let's all have fun listening to the sound of the river and the chirping of birds♪

Inside the cute basket are sandwiches, seafood skewers, healthy side dishes full of vegetables,
There are plenty of hearty portions, including homemade apple pie, and all of the dishes are exquisite. It also comes with a set of plates and leisure sheets, so it's also attractive that you can enjoy it without bringing anything.
There's nothing happier than having a picnic in the perfect location, surrounded by blue skies, a crystal clear river, and beautiful greenery!
In addition to the basket type, ``Odai Picnic'' also offers other options such as a Western-style one-plate lunch or a Japanese rice ball bento.
I would like everyone to experience it♪

OdaiTown edition that I traveled to in the 1st and 2nd edition. It was a truly charming town.
I was able to enjoy a lot of classic and latest spots, enjoy delicious gourmet food, and get in touch with nature, which refreshed me a lot!
It was also wonderful to see so many people taking various initiatives and ingenuity to liven up the town. Why don't you all come to OdaiTown and be fully healed by the warm people and town? It's sure to be a memorable trip!


<Ai Yamamoto Profile>
Born in 1995, from Mie Prefecture. She made her debut as an actress in the 2016 drama ``Tokyo Joshi Zukan''. After that, he appeared in TV dramas such as ``Detective Story'' (18), and made his first regular appearance in a drama series in ``Todome no Kiss'' (18). She made her screen debut in the movie "Your Bird Sings" (18) and appeared in films such as "Donten Town" (19). In addition to acting, she is also active in a wide range of activities, including appearances as a reporter on Mie Television and TV Aichi programs.