Eat and Shopping
Enjoy local food in Hongu and bring your memories back with nice souveniors.
Mehari-zushi
Mehari-zushi is a riceball wrapped with a leaf of pickles. In Kumano area, people also put pickles inside of Mehari-zushi. The word "Mehari" means "to open one's eyes wide." It is so big that people open their mouth and eyes wide.
Ayu(Sweetfish caught in natural stream)
Grown in a limpid water of Kumanogawa-River. It's only caught in a mountain stream.
Kumano Beef
Kumano beef is descended from Tajima beef, one of the most popular beef in Japan. Rich nature and warmness of Kumano makes Kumano Beef more delicious, which is said to be the highest level of its taste.
Onsen Dish
Onsen gayu (hot spring rice gruel) is one of Kumano specialities. Cha-gayu is a rice gruel cooked with Japanese roasted tea, tasting mild.
Another is Yu-dofu (boiled soybean curd) and in Kumano soybean curs boiled with hot spring is attractive. It's like a melt-in-your-mouth softness which makes us unforgettable.
Otonachi-cha Tea
About 50 years ago, people started growing tea at Ippon-matsu district in Hongu, and now it's grown in Fushiogami district. Tea leaves picked first from ay to June is called "Otonashi-cha" tea. Its nname is derived from Otonashigawa-River flown in Fushiogami district.
Minachi-gasa
In ancient times, a Japanese old family Heike（平家） was defeated in battle by the opponent family Genji（源氏）. Members of Heike escaped to Kumano region and started making a conical headpiece with cypress to make their livings. These headpieces were used irrespective of rank or social status, so they are called "Kisen-gasa". ("Kisen" means "high and low")
Kisen-gasa is also called "Minachi-gasa" because it's made in Minachi district of Hongu. Now there is only one craftman of Minachi-gasa, and you can buy Minachi-gasa at his studio or subscribe at Michi-no Eki Oku Kumano Kodo Hongu.
Please contact us if you'd like to know where his studio is: 0735-42-0735